Everyone is an artist!

RUM JUNGLE by Julia Coash

Last month I went to Open Studio exhibit in New Haven, Connecticut. My friend Julia Coash was showing her paintings. I knew Julie's work would be hauntingly beautiful. I didn't expect to be so inspired by  the entire event. 

Julie Coash talking to other artists.

In an open studio,  artists allow people into their workplaces. This was open in another way. Anyone could participate. In other words, anyone can be an artist. Without a judge or gatekeeper, anything can be art.

I saw:  traditional painting, photography, sculpture, graphic design, colorful circles on small paper flags, giant boulders made from paper mache, food, recorded voices, a woman with her leg in a box. Some of the work moved me more than others, but I admired everyone for participating––including the people like me who wandered from room to room looking at the art.

"Everyone is an artist," said Joseph Beuys, an artist and art theorist. He believed in art education for all. He wanted to encourage people to find ways to be creative in everyday life.

As a writer, I know that I only do part of the job. Nothing I create exists until someone reads my words and uses his or her own imagination to fill in the gaps. (And believe me, I know I leave a lot of gaps!)

Last month I also got to attend Ghouls and Gourds festival at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Many people come in costume, so you can see the creativity that might otherwise be hidden. 

Look! This picture proves it! Everyone is an artist!