Art is a Life Raft
by George S. Clinton
[Listen to Audio!]
 Art is a life raft. Many who become artists did so because they found refuge in art from some traumatic aspect of their early lives. I know I did. For me, it was about finding a safe creative space from which I could weather the stormy emotional seas of having an alcoholic father. It actually was through that creative process that I became aware of the healing aspects of it and in the end was able to forgive him and even love him for the man he was trying to be outside the disease. This has been the case for me throughout my life.
I don’t remember her name, but a young blind pianist once said “music is what feelings sound like.” Another quote I recall is “music is the point where the spiritual and the emotional meet.” All art is a window into another point of view. When we experience art it is a communion between the artist and beholder. We get to see through their eyes, and hear through their ears. In fact, all we really have in life is our own particular and unique point of view. I wrote a small verse about it called “Blip.”
My blip is all I have
My fleeting point of view.
I am over in an instant and then
Blip—so are you.
Art has the power to connect us and that creates the potential for empathy which can lead to acceptance which can lead to love and even forgiveness. My creative life has given me solace, inspiration, release, insight, opportunity. I am continually transformed by it. In fact we all create our lives everyday. When you stop to think about it, our lives are just one big improvisation. Even in the routine of daily life we are improvising—our conversations, thoughts, actions, and even emotions are being “made up” as we go along. That’s not to say we can’t plan ahead, but even then we adapt to the moment once it comes. I guess in that regard, life is jazz—improvising through time and space while anticipating and reacting to the changes. We are all artists creating on a daily basis that art which is our lives.
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Art is a Life Raft
What does art as a life raft mean to you? Can you share a personal experience of a time that art transformed you? What creative endeavors have helped in healing you? |
| Jagdish P Daveh wrote: Art has been a connector and refuge for me. My father was a poet and devotional singer. He was singing from his heart. His poems and singing evoked deep feelings in us and moved us. H… |
| Kristin Pedemonti wrote: Art IS a life raft, not only for ourselves but if we share our creativity it is a life raft for others too. As a Cause-Focused Storyteller, I have used Story to build bridges between peoples, t… |
| Abhishek Thakore wrote: Beautiful and can deeply connect To me, all art is perfect Art gotta be on every bucket list Methinks each one gotta be an artist 🙂 The act of expressing my inner reality has helped me keep sane in … |
| Kristin Pedemonti wrote: Yes yes yes! Art = Life. Life = art. it has also gotten me through dark times. HUGS to you! … |
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