Simply Seeking Beauty

I ask myself every day why I make art. I have to, because it’s the only way I’ll stick with it. To be a thriving artist, you must be aligned with your purpose every day. Because the world will test you every day.

You will see the incredible work of other artists, and you’ll have the urge to burn everything you ever made. People won’t understand why you keep trying so hard at this random hobby of yours. They won’t get why you take it so seriously. Because most people don’t commit to anything. They go about their daily lives doing all the things they’re supposed to do, and nothing more.

Since the world doesn’t understand what drives you, you need to.

Most days, when I ask myself why I make art, the answer is that it brings me peace. When I enter that flow state, I’m soaring. I forget what’s going on in my life, and focus on the task at hand. It’s like meditating, except making art is an easier way to clear my mind. I live for that flow state.

However, I’ve recently discovered it’s more complex. That flow state doesn’t explain why I so desperately want to get better - to be the best artist I can possibly be. I want that more than anything. But why? I question, “Do I just want to be more successful than my peers?” At this point in my journey, the answer is no. I’m barely on social media, and I have a lot of work no one has seen. I know I would still be making art if I was the last person on earth. And I wouldn’t loose that drive to be better.

So what is it then?

I’ve come to the realization that I’m simply seeking beauty. And seeking is like an addiction, the same way you can’t stop searching for seashells on the beach, or butterflies in a garden. When I sit down to make art, I want to make the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. I want to pair colors, patterns, and textures in a way that lights up my soul. Beauty isn’t just visual though. It can be experienced through all of our senses - sound, touch, smell, taste. As long as it conjures emotions of awe, it’s beauty. I imagine musicians and chefs create for the same reasons I do.

There’s idealism in seeking beauty. As in, we just want everything to be perfect in an imperfect world. We need to recognize our limitations as humans and creators, yet seek it anyways. This is how we can make art without letting it ruin our lives. The cool thing about art is that sometimes you get pretty darn close to perfection. But sometimes you don’t.

I never know when I’m about to make groundbreaking work. Sure, I can feel that buzz of inspiration. However, the way a piece turns out is usually a surprise. That’s the elusive part of creativity. You can have all the right ingredients, but the final dish is outside your control. This is what makes art so addicting, especially as you become more skilled. When you stumble into the kind of piece you’ve been trying to make for years, it’s everything. Suddenly, it all feels worth it. The possibility of that feeling is what motivates me to keep showing up.

It’s human nature to want to share beauty with others. Think about when you see a shooting star in the sky. The first thing you do is tap the person next to you, point up, and say “look!” This is why I share art. Why I sell prints and talk about art on my blog. I want to share beauty with others. Sharing beauty brings out the good in humanity. It’s powerful enough to unite the entire world.

In seeking beauty, there’s also a desire for control. In art, you get more control than you do in real life. You’re making a world of your own within each piece. While we can’t control the end result, we can control how the art is made. In life, it’s often the opposite. Usually we arrive where we want to go, but it can be a messy road to get there.

Seeking beauty is the most human thing there is. What’s driven progress since the beginning of time. Why buildings get built. Why a new iphone comes out every year. We just want to leave things better than the way we found them - to find pearls of beauty in a complicated life.

At the core, that’s why I make art.