Many years ago, a woman shared with me that she really wanted to paint more but her husband thought it was useless. I could see that she had an internal struggle about this. A part of her had the view: “To hell with it. I like it. Why must I explain myself?” Another part wanted to find some reason, or utility, for it because people around her required it. She could not allow herself to just paint.
I regularly encounter this idea that everything we do, must have utility. You can’t just paint; you have to make money from it. You can’t just write; no one makes money from novels these days.
But this is a one-dimensional approach to life. It’s a sad approach to life. Artistic pursuits are a way to connect with life’s magic. And if that’s not enough of a reason, one can also make the argument that art encourages flow. Flow has its own merit in my view.
Art counters this get-it-done mode we’ve been indoctrinated into. The artist understands that it’s not just about getting things done. It’s about creating something. It’s about the quality of the thing. It’s about the flow and presence you experience while you toil to make the thing.
Here’s something I believe to be true: When we create things in the world, we grow. There is an energetic shift. We move from a consumption mindset to a creation mindset. Art and creation pull us out of our contracted, fearful state into a state of expansion, wonder, and possibility. This is something that is much needed in our world today. And this shift is arguably more powerful than mere utility.