Every Monday Matters - Week 14: Create, Support and Appreciate Art

The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls. 

~Pablo Picasso 

The task to Make Monday Matter this week is all about art...creating it, supporting it and appreciating it.  When was the last time you allowed yourself the freedom of losing yourself in CREATING? 

We rush from work to tasks to obligations and hardly take time to decompress.  There is such a release of stress in pulling out your favorite supplies and expressing yourself.  Whether that expression comes with paints, pencils, crayons, fabric, fiber or clay, I want you to spend some time letting yourself enjoy it AND displaying it in your home - someplace that will lift your spirits and make you smile. 

Art as expression is the goal - not perfection!  Simple use of colors YOU like and shapes YOU like put together in a way YOU like is the goal.  

Many people believe that the arts are important to a well-rounded life.   Many of us have not allowed ourselves the freedom of artistic expression since the mandatory art classes from school.  I hope that is not you but if it is - please make today matter and change that.  Even sitting down to color a page in a coloring book with your child counts! 

Be sure to spend some of your free time appreciating art in all forms - attend a free concert in your area or visit an art museum if there is one in your area.  If there isn't one, visit one virtually online. Be Intentional amd make this happen. :) 

Some school corporations are cutting budgets to the arts.  If this is happening in your area, consider attending a school board meeting to speak up on the value of artistic expression and appreciation to a life well-lived. Present the board with facts such as students who study art and music in all four years of high school average 100 points higher on standardized SAT tests compared to students who take a half year or less. That will surely get some attention! 

The watercolor posted with today's post is one I painted myself but here is my secret....the outline was traced from a template and I painted it with step-by-step instructions.  That doesn't make me any less proud of it - in fact, it was fun and relaxing to create.  There are many online tutorials available to create art like this and it gives you so much confidence to do even more.  

I hope you will Make Monday Matter and, in the words of Picasso, dust daily life off your soul by creating, supporting and appreciating art. 

Peace be with you, 

Star Schipp

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