Absolutely not! For example, I have worked with an engineer that is trying to balance being a part-time musician, a massage therapist that is dreaming to create murals the size of buildings (with zero experience, mind you!), an artist who hasn't created in twenty years, and an ex-medical doctor creating an integrative retreat space, and an online education specialist that suffers from burn out. You do not have to have any experience in visual art to be creative. In fact, we are ALL creating our lives every single day and all humans are innately creative.  

I can rant about this topic for ages, but here is a concise bullet-point list derived from The Art Therapy Sourcebook by Cathy Malchiodi to give you insight in my philosophies about the importance of art:

• Art is a Visual Way of Making Something Special:

  • Art allows us to express our unique essence and make sense of the world by creating something beautiful and significant. This is an extremely gratifying feeling.

• Art Is a Way of Recording:

  • Art serves as a non-verbal tool for documenting the meaning, experiences, and feelings of a particular period in our lives.

• Art Assists in Emotional Release:

  • Art-making has therapeutic benefits that help us engage with our emotions and express what words cannot. Many people turn to art when they reach the limits of language and logic in processing difficult emotions.

• Art Teaches Us About Sensory Experience:

  • Art engages our sensory understanding of the world and helps us connect with textures, sounds, scents, and forms. This makes it a valuable tool in navigating and understanding the world, as the understanding and use of materials are vital to human functioning.

• Art Improves Visual Thinking and Metaphorical Understanding:

  • Art has the ability to change minds and the world, as evident in political revolutions throughout history. Art and storytelling have gone hand in hand throughout history, with artists depicting cultural shifts through the metaphors, subject matter, and medium used in their art.

• Art Teaches Us New Skills:

  • Art-making fosters risk-taking, experimentation, and creative problem-solving abilities through curiosity and bravery, which spill into other areas of life.

• Art Enhances Our Lives:

  • It has been scientifically proven that engaging with art can transform inner conflict, reduce stress, and promote compassionate ways of engaging with the world. It challenges perfectionism and helps us transcend our rigid living patterns. Making and looking at art can act as a tool for accessing the mysterious, imaginative, and other-worldly nature of reality. Art is an important way of discovering new meanings in life, connecting with our inner child, and assessing and changing our values.

• Art Is Conducive to Individuation:

  • Art-making is a fun practice that promotes curiosity, playfulness, and identity formulation. It allows us to connect to our intuition and energizes us. Artistic expression communicates our unique perspective on life and can help us stand out in a world that often promotes a group mentality.

• Art Creates Relationships:

  • Art allows for connection and communication, as it can help release stress and mediate emotions. It also provides a platform for individuals to talk about difficult topics and share their perspectives, which can lead to growth and healing.

The academic space is fraught with limiting beliefs, judgments, lack of connection, competition and ego (I know this because most of my creative wounds and those of the people I work with come out of some kind of harsh educational encounter). I believe this is a result of art being squeezed into a structured box of percentages and logical arguments. Furthermore, in my opinion, there is not enough emotional support for art students. They are required to rack up the nitty-gritty-ugly-dirty parts of their soul to make "deep" art and is then put in front of a panel to be criticised. This requires a very strong kind of personal to make it through without emotional scaring. From my experience, Fine Art academies do not help students built businesses out of their craft, nor foster spaces where students can really be truly vulnerable. I help (aspiring) art students get clear on what it is they actually want to create, how to protect their mental health in critical spaces, and form strong artist identities. I also support on more practical matters, like how to set up an artist CV, how to write an artist bio and conceptual reasoning, as well as designing an artist portfolio - all tools a professional artist need after studying when they enter the working world.

The idea the you are an artist is just a belief. As dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes says, "an artist is an artist before they have ever made anything." In my Creativity Containers, I will help you face and work through the limiting beliefs standing in your way of claiming a creative life. I also assist in the building of an emotionally, physically, and spiritually sustainable art practice so you feel empowered to create what you desire. We work on steps to catalyse your process and set structures in place to ensure that your process keeps flowing.