6 Beautiful Things You Learn When You Creatively Express Yourself

As much as our society values pragmatic logic over artistic expression, creative practices can often translate into real world insight where a logical calculation cannot. Here are six life lessons for when life imitates art.

Frame your authenticity

As humans, we’re always reaching for what we don’t have. We observe everyone else’s picturesque lives while airbrushing our own, cropping out our flaws and framing only part of our picture. But we should frame our authenticity. At some point every artist realizes that considering too heavily, what others will think, can damage authenticity. They must focus on their own self-expression. And I think that applies to life as well. We must overcome the fear of what others will think of us.

Contrast is a beautiful thing

Don’t sterilize your life. Living isn’t supposed to be clean. It doesn’t consist of straight lines and perfect 90-degree angles. No, living has sharp corners, steep drops and dark tunnels. And contrast is a beautiful thing. Pain and joy can mean you’re living. Not just existing. Because it’s the harshest contrast that inspires the most vivid epiphanies. And the dark times that make the rest seemingly brighter. And if everyone around you feels shades of grey, you should want to live in black and white.

Like art, your beauty should be something to contemplate

A piece of art should make you feel something. You should wonder about the ideas and stories behind it. To the women out there: evoke thought. Evoke emotion. Be more than just a pretty picture.

Be your own muse

My mom is a unique woman, difficult to buy for. She doesn’t like scented soaps or bouquets of flowers. But a notebook is always a safe bet, and not a lined one. She doesn’t stick to the lines. Perhaps that’s why I admire her. She prefers blank sketchbooks. And her self-portrait is the most magnificent piece of art I have ever laid eyes on. I strive to be my own muse. Just how she is her own.

Forget about life’s punctuation.

Once in a while, there comes a time to throw out the rulebook. Forget about the correct sentence structure and grammar. Write your story however you feel inclined to. Color however you wish. Don’t stay inside the lines.

Be transparent…without watering yourself down

Don’t try and water down your emotions. When you spend too much time living in your head, playing mind games, or building a protective shield so you won’t feel anything, you’re not acquiring emotional intelligence, which is just as essential to the human experience. Be transparent, without watering yourself down. Vulnerability leads to happiness in the purest form.