Nurturing the Inner Artist

Pictures on post from our beautiful trip to Goblin Valley and Moab last month
(They don't necessarily correspond to what I am saying in the post - except for the beauty, so don't read into them too much)

Have you ever seen this video?
I heard about it from Natalie Hunsaker who gave a presentation about " How Parents Can (and Must) Nurture Creative, Artistic Children in the Home School." I have some very creative children, as I'm sure you do (if you have children) so I thought this would be a worthwhile presentation to go to. It was. It opened my eyes.
(If you take time to watch the movie, let me know your thoughts! It does have some nude paintings so use caution if children are around).

Before going to this presentation, I had been learning about beauty. My kids seem drawn to creating inspiring things (Spice draws and writes poetry; Bud composes music; Little Miss paints, crochets, and makes crafts for her little brothers) so I thought I better learn a little more about "beauty" if I wanted to nurture this desire in them.

I had read a few articles:

On Beauty by Sir Francis Bacon 

Interest and Beauty in Works of Art  by Author Schopenhauer (highly recommended) and

The Contemplation of Beauty: An Avenue to... by Hans-Wilhelm Kelling. (also highly recommended)

I learned that beauty:

• Is "genius" shining through ("genius" like the ancients meant it - God working through you).

• Holds us a clear mirror to true ideas

• Something in which an idea is revealed or clearly expressed

• Getting outside your own desires and seeing things as they are

• Is a communication channel with God

• Uplifts and endures

• Is Godlike and unchanging

• Transports us to God's presence

• Gives an awareness of His majesty

• Helps us feel the warmth of His love

• The true end of every art!

After the presentation and watching the video above, I learned that this is how beauty used to be seen. Our world seems to want to define beauty in a more superficial way: something that is nice to look at and it's beauty depends on what the person looking at it thinks. Just like we are in an age of moral relativism (truth is not absolute, but it depends on your perspective), we are in an age of beauty relativism (beauty is whatever someone says it is).

If you were to ask someone what art is for in our culture, I don't think most people would say, "beauty." Especially not if they have been to some of the modern art exhibits. We have become so self-centered in our view of the world that art is for "expressing ourselves", showing our originality, seeing if we can make something interesting or unique - not for sharing our glimpses of true beauty.



So I am glad my kids have a desire to create beautiful things. Beauty is a dire need in the world today. I love how the video describes the modern art movement as an emperor without clothes. Most of us see the new art of nonsense and think it is ugly or random, but we don't want to look uneducated so we find something we like about it. I think there is probably something beautiful in everything we look at, but if we have to dig so deep to find it - then it's not good art! 

 I think the most important thing I learned about beauty is that it takes us out of our selfish thoughts and puts us in communication with divinity. We have all experienced this sudden awareness of a bigger picture, this peace outside of time. I realized that much we read, listen to and watch is "interesting" to our curiosity and will, but if we will stop to read a classic work, regard a well-crafted work of art, contemplate poetry, observe the wonders of nature, consider the divinity in the people around us - our minds will be awakened. Our view will expand, we will feel our Spirits enlarge their capacity to see even more beauty. We will be drawn to seek more beautiful things. This is what I want for my children.

I think this was my favorite picture shown on the video above

Not to say interesting things are bad - they are only bad if they get in the way of our desire for beauty. If we are reading a classic work and we get frustrated with the lengthy descriptions of something beautiful - interest is in the way. Or if we are so into a book that we can't put it down to enjoy our children, interest is interfering with beauty. Schopenhauer explains that beauty is the pearls, and interest is the string on a pearl necklace.  Or the beauty is the form, and interest is the matter that makes the form visible. My kids have different interests. I hope they will use them to make the form of truth visible to others.

After this study, I have been listening to and looking for the beauty in classical music more often, I have tried to study beautiful writing each day. I have tried to contemplate the beauty in my family members and friends. I get so busy sometimes that I forget that God is always speaking to me through the beauty with which I am surrounded. I don't want to miss it.