By Michelle Carr
One thing that I hold true when it comes to any form of art, is that if you do it from your heart it will be beautiful. Not everyone may see its beauty, but those that do will take it and treasure it greatly. Art is a way of expressing yourself. Good or bad, it is how any artist expresses the emotions they feel inside. To truly create is to get in touch with that inner part of you, open it up and allow it to flow from you. I often picture it as ripping open your chest, pulling out your heart and holding it out for the world to see. It is when a person can do this that I really feel their art has the biggest effect on others.
I know from experience that this is not an easy practice to allow yourself to do. To allow yourself to open up in such a raw way is hard. It is very scary putting such personal feelings out there. Terrifying that you are sharing something too personal, something that could be misinterpreted and most definitely something that will be judged. Dealing with any of these things is never easy, but to hold back and to not express things that weigh heavily on your heart is not a way to live. As someone who expresses myself through words, I know I feel miserable until I can lay it all out on paper. Though sometimes it takes a few tries to dig deep enough to get out exactly what you are trying to express, once done, there is a relief there.
What I have found to be the most frustrating thing of this artistic process is when someone is told they shouldn’t have expressed their feelings in such a way. That even if you were feeling like that you shouldn’t put it into your art or create what is was that you created. This makes me take a very long pause. Because really? Are we really going back to a place where we have to get permission as to what to write, draw, paint, sing and create? Should art really be muted if there is a fear that someone won’t like what you have to say? I can’t help but feel that it wouldn’t really be considered art in any form if you only created what someone else told you was appropriate to make. How does anyone know exactly what the artist intended with their work unless they ask them personally? A true teacher shows people where to look but doesn’t tell them the answers to their questions. Art is as such. The beauty of it being that it can be interpreted in so many different ways. One person can look at it one way and even relate to it, and then someone else can come along and do the same but see it from an entirely different prospective. It all relies on the person themselves on how the art is received. So how can any one person say that a piece of art, created from the heart, is wrong?
Would one really go to Jane Austin and tell her not to write her stories that mirrored parts of her own heartache? I am sure as beautifully written as her novels were, that there were parts that brought memories and I am sure pain to those who recognized themselves in her words. Would one really approach Jared Leto and tell him he shouldn’t write or sing The Kill? This song that changed the lives of those three men in 30 Seconds to Mars and countless others, for the better. Because heaven forbid that in him expressing his pain it could have a hurtful effect on the person that made him feel that way. I know these things happen every day, people telling an artist you can’t do that, it could offend someone. However, if we live our lives in pause because of the “if’s”, nothing would ever change. Artists in every shape and form are the voice of the people. They are the ones who help people to realize that they are not alone. That in relating to whatever art that was shared, people know that they too can make a change. Artists help people see what may not have been so obvious to everyone else. They are the ones who aren’t afraid to say no this isn’t right. We need to change this. They have the passion and the ability to bring people’s attention to the things in this world that need to be seen. How could we dare to gag this voice?
Now there are some of you that I’m sure will play the devil’s advocate. You could be taking this all to an extreme and wonder if I then mean to allow all acts done in the name of art, to be tolerated. Like everything else in this world, this matter is not just black and white. Though I feel everyone has the right to express their feelings through art, I don’t believe certain lines should be crossed. If your work endangers someone or puts their life in harm’s way without their ADULT consent, I believe it is wrong. No mass or serial killings are meant condoned by this blog for the sake of art. Nor the exploiting of human rights. To me, common sense would tell you, that I’m not saying we should allow things such as child pornography to fall under this category of art but I have met a few people who would take this to that extreme meaning. I am also not saying that we create whatever we want completely careless of others feelings. Because I for one, care very much about how my words affect people. But I am saying these concerns shouldn’t hinder us from creating something meaningful that stems from our passions. If you are really good at what you do, you will know how to express yourself with a finesse which can make all the difference in such matters.
Art, when done well, points you in the right direction but allows you to find your own answers. Art opens your mind, teaches and makes you question. Art can comfort, heal and bring you joy. Art is beautiful in every form. Though you may not agree with what is said or shown its okay, the amazing part is that you allowed yourself to be open to it. Someone else will come along and it will make perfect sense to them. It could be exactly what they needed. They will get it, because on some level they understand and can see the beauty of what was shared. These people are the ones for which the artists continue to bare their hearts. It is for those who get it, that they go on ignoring the ones who try and silence them. For those of you that love to create, please continue to do so, the world needs you no matter how little of a difference you feel that you make. And for those of you that help me to continue on, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You may never fully know how much you mean to me. Because of you, I won’t allow anyone to hit my mute.
