Today is ART DAY!

I joined several events to participate in, through Bloggers Unite. I am new to Art Day and the organization that sponsor's it, Artists for A Better World International, so this is about what I have learned.

A member of AFABW, Becky Mate, founded ART DAY in 1998. It is dedicated to artists of all disciplines to encourage creativity and bring joy to others.

Draw a picture today.

Compose a song today.

Write a poem or story today.

Paint today.

Have a party! today.

To prepare and celebrate today, Becky sent a letter to participating Bloggers. Being a very interesting study into the meaning of creativity, I asked Becky if I could post this letter here and she gave me permission. It is fairly long, but I assure you it is worth the time!

So, enjoy! I did!

Hello Beckie,
This is the eleventh year of celebrating international Art Day on the second Friday in August (this year it's 8/14). I wish you a fun, artful day.

The holiday gives us an opportunity to appreciate artists, the arts and cultures around the world. But further scrutiny begs the question, "Where does creativity come from?"

Does creativity come from a certain combination of brain chemicals? Which two molecules combine to form a sonata? Will my poetry have more imagery if I eat my greens? Maybe I should turn to my fellow playwright and say, "Lay off the okra and sauerkraut -your tragedies are way too sad." Perhaps the pharmacy in my local drug store is the key to improving my choreography ability. Or what if I add some O2 (oxygen) to my molecule that contains carbon and hydrogen? Then I could perform a fantastic dance.

Does creativity come from brain neurons firing? Zap! Does this electrical zap, zap, zap bring about a symphony? Maybe we could harness this creativity-generating electricity and build a huge machine. Ask it for the next "Star Wars." Zap! Zap! You have the next box office hit.

It used to be thought that creativity of an emotional nature came from the heart and the liver. Then it was discovered that the heart is merely a pump and the liver little more than a filter.

Does creativity come from properly spiraled DNA strands? Is it genetic? Can we go in for a chromosome adjustment to get over writer's block? How about adding some sculptor DNA to my existing helices, because I wouldn't mind being the next Michelangelo?

Does creativity come from the subconscious, that place where all human mysteries are conveniently swept under the carpet? Is creativity a joining of hidden mental forces, a miracle of unfathomed thought combinations, a recipe of emotion-experience-imagination stew, a mysterious mental image collision, a phoenix erected from the ashes of my anxieties, my flaws, my angers, my heartaches and my broken dreams?

Does creativity come from God? Is God spiritually pouring through our bodies, down our arm, through our wrist, through our hand and paintbrush? If so, it comes in handy when someone doesn't like a painting. Just shrug and say, "Wasn't me," and point to the sky.

Does creativity come from my soul? By the way, where is my soul? I know I was given one. Did I put it in storage knowing I might need it later? Has anyone seen my soul? What does it look like? I don't know. You say you've got three souls in the next room and want to know how I can prove my claim to one of them? Where does a musician keep his soul? In a pocket, so he can pull it out for inspiration? Judging by Beethoven and Van Gogh, they didn't keep it in their ear. Can I pour my soul from one cup to another? I think I keep my soul in my toes, because I get such a tingle there when a great new idea hits me.

Or, does creativity come from somewhere else? From a place that needs no location, from vision that requires no wavelength, from a reality that can't be measured, from a perspective that span and steps out of time? Does it come from that which considers, decides and imagines, but which is free to reconsider and re-imagine at will? Does creativity come from life itself? Does it come from, simply ... ME?

Becky Mate
Personal Website: Virtue in the Arts
Founder of Art Day: International Holiday for the Arts
Artists For A Better World International
5125 Hollywood Blvd, #13
Hollywood, CA 90027 USA



Thank you Becky for such an interesting study of the meaning of creativity and for allowing me to share it on my blog!

Happy Art Day to all! Now, go create something!