By now you probably know that Nectar doesn’t play by the rules. But we do play. And play is at the heart of all art.
In his book “Free Play” Stephen Nachmanovitch’s writes, “The whole enterprise of improvisation in life and art, of recovering free play and awakening creativity, is about being true to ourselves and our visions. It brings us into direct, active contact with boundless creative energies that we may not even know we had.”
It is that sense of freethinking and risk-taking that we embrace in our company values—and personal lives—and we love to see our customers try as well. The beauty of art is we all have the capacity to create it And, it is truly in the process of generating something that we find fulfillment—not necessarily in the material outcome.
The playful power of art can transform other parts of our lives, from our professions to relationships. Everyone, really, can be an everyday artist. Here are three ways to get started:
Start an art journal. If you are more visual, go for an unlined notebook that allows you to doodle at will and sketch ideas in a free-form way. If you are Type A, sure, keep the lined paper, but start to explore some unstructured ideas for what kinds of art might come most naturally to you. Sometimes even writing in a different way—bubble letters, cursive, all caps—can start to launch you out of life’s linear box. Keep this journal as a sacred place for art only—no to-do lists, relationship rants, work stuff. Just practice playing on paper.
Survey yourself. What are your passions—those things that you want to do whenever you find a little free time? These desires can provide initial insight into what types of “art” you might find the most fulfilling. What are your natural talents? Are you an engineering type who likes to tinker, a dancer who doesn’t get to twirl much anymore or an entrepreneur who likes to test out new things? This self-survey may lead you to tactile arts like jewelry-making or mosaic, or something less defined like abstract painting or movement arts.
See art in the everyday. Inspiration for artistic endeavors can come from anywhere—once you start looking for it. If you journal and dabble in different forms of art to see what fits, you will also start to transform how you look at the world. And when you see simple beauty in the visual world, this perspective will generate new ways for you to contribute to it. Begin to look more intentionally at everyday things: the sun’s shifting light that can create a striking photo; natural elements—from an old oak to flashy ladybug—that inspire odd inventions or original art; and graffiti, chalk art, signs and commercial designs that trigger an emotional response that you can apply to your own artistic endeavors.
Soon you will see that art is everywhere, every day—and we are all invited to the show.