“ A Work of Art Which Did Not Begin in Emotion Is Not Art” Paul Cezanne
How practising art has made my life more fulfilling and transformed me into a well-rounded person
Up until my 30s, I considered myself an intellectual person; I very much enjoyed studying; in my teens, I was more inclined to natural science. At the University, my interest caught the economics, which has also become my profession. Studying helped me gain a broad knowledge of the subject, but I also developed some skills such as analytics, discerning patterns in the data etc. My brain was very active in building up new neuron paths at that time. The left brain hemisphere, primarily responsible for verbal communication, is more analytical and works on facts and logic. The right side of the brain was at the same time a bit neglected, a part of the brain which is responsible for feelings, visualisation, imagination, intuition, rhythm, arts, daydreaming. I used to be very intellectually oriented but at the same time quite emotionally aloof and lacking the creativity and warmth; I felt my life was missing something. My way of operating was; to think, to decide, to lead, which is more of the masculine energy, while at the same time, my feminine energy has been suppressed and underdeveloped.
At the beginning of my 30-s, one of my dates introduced me to salsa dancing. I never liked ballroom dancing prior, but I started to unravel more my emotional part with this newly developed interest. I slowly turned from being a consumer of the art (music and dancing) into an active participant (for my delight). I was very keen on arts (literature, music performance, dancing, painting exhibitions, art museums) during my younger age. Still, I never considered myself of being a person of unique talent and creativity. Self-deprecating view of myself reflected the lack of self-confidence; I never excelled in creative endeavours during my schooling years. It turned out that I did have some inclination for music, rhythm and dancing; therefore, I unjustifiably neglected my right part of the brain. And some other positive side effects of this appeared simultaneously — I became more in sync with my emotions, my feminine side. You have to feel the music, rhythm, and the dancing partner’s lead if you want to enjoy dancing; learning the steps and choreography is not enough. As a result, I became more empathetic, emotional and I responded accordingly in my interactions with people. At the same time, I realised how much time, energy, and practice dancers dedicate to becoming professionals, which made me value the creative industries even more.
Up until the pandemic entered into every pore of our society and forced us into lockdowns, my primary art interests were music (going to live concerts), dancing, visiting museums etc., of which the imposed lockdowns deprived us severely. I had to have found something for my creating expressions to remain mentally healthy and emotionally sane. The first time, after finishing elementary school (some 30 plus years ago), I tried painting. I had never painted on canvas before. I found a new creative challenge, for which I fell immensely. I realised and was told so by my friends and family that I possess some talent to paint. Well, it seems that I inherited some of my grandfathers’ genes from my mom’s side. He had been a self-taught aquarelle painter himself, while my love has become painting with acrylics. My creative endeavours during the pandemic didn’t stop there; they veered towards making jewellery in clay plaster. In this field, I am still a beginner. The fun thing is that you can use for clay plaster rolling the pasta (dough roller) machine, and the excellent Italian ones are pretty expensive.
My love for art and aesthetic has taken another turn, now into interior design. This year I made some major renovations in my home and enjoyed upgrading my domestic environment. The space to decorate is limited for my newly found passions; thus, I turned from the physical world towards digital; I have become enchanted by the digital game of decorating — it has become an obsession lately for my ever-expanding creativity.
As Pablo Picasso said: ‘The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.” Living in the realm of the intellectual mind can become quite dull; art brings and brightens our lives not just through the variety of colours but also emotional palettes. Admiring masterpieces (paintings, attending concerts, reading books, watching movies etc.) elevates our emotions and makes us happier. Still, when we turn from passive to active arts creators, our souls become fulfilled and at peace, bringing more sustaining contentment into our lives.