Where do we go, when we allow art to move us?

Before I started this inquiry question of “How does art move us?” or “What causes art to move us?” I already knew that art did in fact move us. I had learned that from many moments of awestruck physical reactions to art. I also feel like art can move us emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. It can stretch us, shape us, color us, mold us, and reflect upon us (isn’t it funny that art can do to us the very same things that we do to art?).

Now I seem to have journeyed into the realm of “Where do we go?” or “Where can art take us?” and I love it! I feel like using quotes from “Oh! The Places You’ll Go” by Dr. Seuss, but that is just what pops into my head when I think of those two questions. The possibilities are endless. Physically art can take artists around the globe and back again, as they explore new inspirations to paint. It can take viewers around the globe too, as they follow exciting exhibits or museum trails. Emotionally art can take us to places of healing, places of struggle, places of beauty or peace. Mentally art can teach us things that we may not have known before. Spiritually art can open us.

Art can move me from a solid stance of black and white, this is right/wrong/left/right/mine/yours/weird/normal and smack into a place of gray or color where anything is possible. A place where those words no longer exist. A place where we find ourselves asking, “What is right? What is wrong? What is left? What is right? What is mine? What is yours? What is weird? What is normal?” A place where we cannot seem to answer those questions. A place where we don’t seem to care that we can’t answer those questions.

Art can move us apart, and it can move us together.

Art has taken me to some very scary, and also very healing places. Previously I have shared about my relationship, and the fact that it is over. I also shared that I was not only struggling to allow myself to feel pain about it (trying so hard to be strong) but that I started to deny it ever even existed. I was going to pretend it never happened. I could NOT have a failed relationship. What would that say about me? Surely I wasn’t good enough, if I did not succeed in love the first time around.

This is a piece of my personal art that was a very pivotal point in my moving on. It allowed me to remember the wonderful moments, the bittersweet moments, and the sad moments. It allowed me to open up. It allowed me to breathe, cry, feel. I relived the emotions like a roller coaster, and I am surprised this doesn’t have water spots from tears on it. It allowed me to be honest, with myself. Yeah, I missed what we had. Yeah, I missed those bushy eyebrows. Yes, I was in love. Yes, it’s over. Yes, that hurt me. Yes, I felt ashamed. Yes, I grew stronger. Yes, I moved on. I am even stronger in myself now than I was just a short time ago.

I have moved into a new stage in my life. Seeing art, creating art, touching art, learning about art, finding out why the creators created their art, and reflecting on all of it has moved me from one emotional spot to another and I am going to keep moving. Art will always be a part of me, and when my art starts looking the same I know I will have a problem. I never want to be stagnant in my art, or in my life. And aren’t they reflecting each other?

(I have a collage to upload sometime too, reflecting on the field trip. There are also LOTS of photographs… ha ha, please be patient!)