“Creativity belongs to the artist in each of us. To create means to relate. The root meaning of the word art is ‘to fit together’ and we all do this every day. Not all of us are painters but we are all artists. Each time we fit things together we are creating – whether it is to make a loaf of bread, a child, a day.”

- Corita Kent

Today is World Art Day, a day that was proclaimed at the 40th session of UNESCO’s General Conference in 2019 to promote the celebration and development of art following the recognition of its importance in nurturing creativity, innovation and diversity and as a means to achieve a more peaceful world.

I remember being not-so-great at art in secondary school, my teacher was scary, the work was sometimes frustrating and, while I appreciated the beauty of creating things, I did not feel particularly encouraged to try to create art. Then, during the vacation period of either Form 1 or 2, I was introduced to the art of origami. The love for those have stayed with me, so much so that some of my retreat participants have received origami pieces as tokens and in 2019 I incorporated an origami session as part of that year’s weekend retreat.

As I have dived deeper into my yoga practice I find that it is easier to acknowledge my artistic side. Our practice of yoga can help us to connect to our creative energy, to unblock our flow and to become more comfortable with ourselves. I think many of us may not recognise the different ways in which we can express ourselves, the ways in which we can create art. There is a sense of relief, a deep freedom in exploring our creativity and in finding what works and what does not work for us.

A practice for you:

• Take a moment to connect to your breath, tune in to the fullness of the breath and begin to build your awareness of your body, heart and mind.
• Explore your thoughts on art:
• What does art mean to you?
• Is there an artform that you feel connected to?
• Is there something that you would like to try or something that you would like to create?
• How does the thought of creating make you feel?
• How do you think you will feel after creating your art?
• Take yourself out on an artist’s date - perhaps to a store to explore what possibilities and materials exist, or to a gallery to be inspired, or to nature to connect with your creative spirit.
• Commit to creating some type of art in a comfortable timeframe.

Sharing with you this TEDx video of Artist Lily Yeh where she makes the case that each of us has the power to change the world for better if we are able to listen to the voice from our heart, and have the courage to respond to life's calling:

Happy World Art day!

peace,

Renee Arundhati