Letting Go – Day 18
30 Days of Letting Go Day 18
By Jenny Griffin
A Melting Pot of Letting Go: Art
‘What is art? Art grows from joy and sorrow, but mostly from sorrow. It grows from human lives.’ – Edvard Munch
As we saw with music, the creation of beautiful and powerful art can grow from an artist’s painful past. As we stand in the galleries of the world, viewing the masterpieces, we feel moved to tears, laughter, anger and discomfort. Art has a way of reaching out to the most primal parts of ourselves and stirring our souls. Each of us connects differently with each piece, and has our own preference for styles, colors and emotive responses.
As we enter the artist’s world, we let go of our idea of what is and isn’t possible, like the world of dreams, and follow them on their unique journey through their creation. Some paint in a way that is representative, while others use symbolism and abstractions to express their inspiration. The artist might also approach the blank canvas with an open mind, letting go of ideas of what they are going to create, instead allowing for the work to lead them. To paraphrase Michelangelo, the creations already exist within the stone, it is simply the artist’s job to free them.
Frida Kahlo is a good example of an artist who worked consciously through her pain, expressing her journey at different stages. She had polio as a child, and at 18, was involved in a near-fatal bus crash that caused her crippling pain for the remainder of her life. Many of her works are self-portraits, and show the viewer how she felt and who she was at different stages of her life. There is a rawness and vulnerability that she expresses which allows the viewer to connect with that part of them. When we are faced with such freedom of expression, we understand on some level that we are also ‘allowed’ to express such things. It’s human nature to connect with others on an emotional level, and art can be a catalyst in that experience.
