Today is ours and today alone.

Working with both children and adults that are learning art gives me quite the perspective on how people feel about the art they make. Children freely jump into their projects without needing samples or detailed instruction to make it their own. Sometime I barely am able to finish my instructions before they start with reckless abandon. I try to talk about my samples to explain bits and pieces of art history - why the artist did what they did and what it says about the artist. But they look at me wide-eyed waiting for me to give them the go ahead to draw or paint or dig into their clay. They don't care what came before them they just want to make what they have in their heads and hearts. When they are finished you can see the pride on their faces as they talk about what the made and why.

Adults are another story. Not that they don't jump in whole hog, but they make wincing and contorted faces as they glace at others and back at their own piece. When I ask about the piece they just made I rarely hear pride in the voice or even praises for themselves. I know that as adults we think people will judge us as cocky if we like what we create. I think its time for a change. Embrace your "mistakes" and differences and celebrate the fact that you are creating. You are learning and improving every time you pick up your brush or ball of clay.

I chose the piece featured at the top, a painting I have hanging by the front counter, to express the need for embracing our present. Our present level of perceived skill at an art form, our present era of art and available mediums. We may not be where we want to be but if we don't love where we are today how are we to move forward tomorrow?

What did you create today? Did you look at it and say "hello art, I like you."? No?! Well you should.