Tuesday, November 13, 2012

a quote that makes my heart shout, "Yes!"


"Most forms of creative expression require specific tools, but if you were to take away the paintbrushes and the cameras, the loom, the guitar and the stage, you'd be left with a bunch of people who are compelled to act on their creative impulses.  You are left with artists.  I believe we are all artists at our core, all of us endlessly creative, using our lives as canvases, our imaginations as tools.  We don't lose that innate creativity, but many of us repress it, weighed down by all the grownup responsibility adulthood brings.  But with a camera, a pencil, a ball of yarn, we can make something out of nothing; dinner served with a flourish, a bed made with vintage linens, a garden border planted with tulips.  We simply need to open our eyes and put some thought into the details.  We are the curators of our lives - we decide what the look like." ~ Susannah Conway from the book This I Know

No words of mine are needed.  Just an image, a little piece of my own heart, to go along with Susannah's words.  But, tell me, friends, what are your reactions to her words?

14 comments:

Anita said...

Beautifully written...I believe we are all artists. My life is my canvas. I especially like what she says about being weighed down by grown-up responsibilities. We cannot repress our natural desire to create, whether it is taking a photo, trying a new recipe or simply organizing a closet, we have to put our stamp on something. Great post, Relyn!

Debby said...

I think this is explaining that creative people have the "eye" for creativity.....and they just show it through different mediums.

Marilyn Miller said...

So true! I just started reading the book The Practice of Contemplative Photography. Fascinating that you should give this quote, as it fits so well with what I am reading. My thought also went to a time not so long ago when I had a small vase tucked in a picnic basket. When my husband and I stopped along the road for our picnic the only thing we could find were some weeds for the vase. It looked so creative and I thought then about making art and creative pursuits from next to nothing. Lovely lovely thoughts here.

Unknown said...

Her words made me stop and crave creativity. There is no excuse great enough to cause me to not create. Tht was a wonderful quote.

Anonymous said...

I couldn't agree more - a nourishing quote! Life does come down to how we see, doesn't it? And what we allow ourselves to be.

Kyra said...

'We simply need to open our eyes and put some thought into the details. We are the curators of our lives' - we are the curators of our lives - do what u feel is right in your heart, treat those who matter and even those who don't well, leave behinds your imprints as words,written spoken, actions :)

Amy said...

That is a beautiful quote--and so true!

Connie said...

Lovely! I think everyone has a creative spark...as she says "we are the curators"

Jeanie said...

I couldn't agree more with it -- especially the part about not losing it but burning it or letting it get weighted down and repressed. Great one!

Catching up. Nice to see you!

joyce said...

That's a great one, I agree with all of it, especially about taking away the tools and being left with the bare bones of creativity.

Anonymous said...

I want to believe that all people are "artists at our core" but my experiences have shown me that some people are completely devoid of any artistic sensibility whatsoever. I feel sorry for them, but have to admit that they frustrate the heck out of me.

Interesting that I'm the only commenter who's had this experience. Hmmm. Wouldn't you know?

[I tagged you with a meme. Do with this invitation what you will.]

Tracy said...

Wonderfully expressed by Susannah! I, too, believe we are all artists. We are born artists. But it is up to us as individuals to answer the creative calls within us, and by what means we do that. There are so many ways we can express our creativity and gifts for the benefit of all beings. :o) Happy Days, Relyn! We're off to the US next week to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family--my favorite holiday--can't wait! ((HUGS))

susanna said...

Well said, well written. I agree. I think we are all born creative but it comes down to actually creating. It is easy to become so busy with work and the every day things in life that taking time to create is often put at the bottom of the to do list.

Coincidentally, I was just thinking of this today when I entered my little computer and "art room". Since our move, it seems as though I haven't had much time to be creative. This is a good reminder that I need to make the time to be creative again. It's so good for the soul, isn't it?

Thanks, Relyn.

Btw, I'm so behind in blogging that I didn't even know that Susannah wrote this book! I'm going to see if my library can order a copy.

S. Etole said...

I think that certain avenues bring out the creative bent in some of us that would otherwise go unnoticed.

Oldies, but Goodies