At the Symphany Acrylic
“Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.” Albert Einstein
Curiosity is what keeps moving us forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because it keeps leading us down new paths. What a wonderful trait to have especially if you want to be a “creative” or add more excitement, joy, and knowledge to your life. Research has shown us that curiosity is associated with higher levels of positive emotions, lower levels of anxiety, more satisfaction with life, and greater psychological well-being.
Not knowing something and having a desire to find out opens so many wonderful and exciting doors. Oh, the places we can go, and the things we can create if we just want to explore new avenues. Where would we be if humankind were not curious?
Curiosity, innovation, and imagination together, is the secret potion that can take our art to new heights. There are incredible benefits to not settling or trying to fit into a style never designed for us, or staying in one place because we have found success and it is easy. Finding our own stride, making our own mark, and moving forward is fun and fulfilling.
We just need to remember that it is the journey that counts. The inner satisfaction and joy we get when we work. No, not every creation we make or adventure we have is going to be a masterpiece or the most exciting journey. But they are going to take us to new places, and we will have learned something. Some things are bound to work better than others, but it is the attitude we bring to doing something that is important. The joy we find in doing.
However, sometimes there are so many things we want to try and do that we become overwhelmed. I did not feel that when I was younger, but now I know that time is limited and there is an expiration date on life. I know I must pick and choose more carefully which curiosity and experimental dalliances I want to pursue to see if they will take me too someplace very interesting and worthwhile.
I have had a new idea lately. Materials that are new to me that I want to construct with. I tried working with the material one way and I don’t feel it was successful, but I am curious to find out if these materials will work better in a less congested substrate area. Curiosity makes us work and rework our ideas until they work for us or resolve a question or curiosity, we have about them. It’s how we grow not only as artists but as people. If we want to grow, we must embrace change and open ourselves to new ideas and adventures.
We need to keep asking ourselves more often, what if? Then explore. We should not deny our curiosity and stay in the safe zone. We need to be adventurous, explore, grow and experience as many things that interest us as we can.
Carolyn
“You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.” William Faulkner
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