Art Beat: Renew unto others

“Encourage others no matter where they’re at. I think my little mantra to live by is, ‘art is making the ordinary and making it extraordinary... You are the finished product by what you’re doing... It doesn’t matter area you’re looking in from, you’re contributing to that conversation and that is so important, just to keep the artistic conversation going.”

That’s what local alcohol ink artist and Paint Nights with Sara instructor Laurie Lashlee told me during our recent interview.

It got me thinking about how different life would be if the Vincent van Goghs, Michelangelos, and Pablo Picassos of the world never had the audacity to try their hands at creative endeavors and share them with others.

While most of us never gain fame, fortune, or recognition during life or after death for our creative ambitions, the true value is available to all of us and it lies within. The true treasure is found by bravely venturing into the unknown and expressing your story by whatever means makes the most sense to you.

We all have our knacks, our inclinations, and our natural strengths. Finding joy in the act of creating something from scratch is its own reward. The insights you gain from repeated actions round you out as a person. Your experiences of trial, error, and success build your brain up and prepare for the various trials you must overcome in life.

I’ve selected several supporting quotes from across various eras in history to help bring Lashlee’s message home.

“Creativity takes courage.”

– Henri Matisse

“Art is anything you can get away with.”

– Andy Warhol

“Action is the foundational key to all success.”

– Pablo Picasso

“Art should be something that liberates your soul.”

– Keith Haring

“Amateurs look for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.”

– Chuck Close

“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.”

– Vincent van Gogh

“Learning never exhausts the mind.”

– Leonardo da Vinci

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com