Meeting beauty

In my experience, many people shy away from doing arts as they become adults because they feel intimidated by the idea of beauty. Beauty is associated with a judgmental cognitive process, looking at things through the lens of preset standards that often weren't even made by us. That's how I used to see beauty before I engaged with Expressive Arts.

To my surprise, I learned that aesthetic knowledge has nothing to do with "beauty standards", it has to do with our sensations, it is immediate and bodily. Think about how we describe moments when we encounter beauty - we say it moves me, it strikes me, it touches me, it gives me shivers. Our language describes sensations, not intellectual judgments. "Beauty is what pleases us aesthetically. It is what touches us through the senses and takes our breath away. The beautiful may not be harmonious and perfect in its form, as traditional aesthetics would have it. Rather beauty … is seen to emerge from the awe with which we regard the world and the beings within it. " (Paolo Knill, 2000)

Once I realized it, my art process completely changed. I could silence that "know-it-all" inner critic because its fancy checklist didn't matter anymore. The process shifted away from creating forms to please the standards. Instead, it became about listening to my senses and daring to shape whatever emerges from within me. Beauty is about honesty, and expressing an impulse that arises in the moment. Interestingly, it happens naturally when we tune into the "direct experience" we start creating things compositionally. Such art is also powerful for those who witness it because they sense its liveliness.

These insights were very helpful for me as I started practising arts.

In Expressive Arts sessions, groups or individuals learn to sense, follow their inner attractors, and shape them in a form. It's a non-linear process and it does not always find the shape, this is a process of discovering yourself through experience. "It is through the arts that we also remember we are capable of beauty and love." (Paolo Knill, 2000)

Here is a fun activity for you. Tear a piece of paper into small pieces and spend 5 min. arranging them. Experiment with folding, standing, grouping, stacking, and interacting with the pieces in various ways. The only rule for this exploration is to do what you feel drawn to and have fun. When you're finished, give the emerged piece a title, and write down its message to you. Enjoy!

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Thanks for reading. Share your thoughts or questions in the comments - what resonated with you, what didn't? Your input helps us grow together.

Considering trying out Expressive Arts? Reach out to me for one-on-one or group sessions.