Create a Work of Art That Moves Others

What if you could create an artwork that is beautiful to you and really moves another person? It’s a magical feeling when this happens. It’s like an idea has jumped from inside your mind into reality. Now it has a life of its own. It could be a drawing or painting, a written story or poem, a song, a sculpture, or any other expression of your creativity. It’s like learning how to speak. You get to express yourself, and someone else can feel connected, moved, interested, or many other emotions in response.

Could you find some form of art that is so fascinating and fun that you don’t notice how hard you’re working to learn it? You’ll know you’ve found it when you lose track of time practicing, creating, and learning something new.

Getting Started:

Finding Your Channel . It may take time to find your artistic path, but everyone has one. It could be drawing, acting, music, sculpting, quilting, playwriting, or a million others. What kind of art makes you want to start tinkering and creating? What kind of art makes you feel energized? If you aren’t sure which artistic path is for you, look for the ways you notice beauty. What kind of art sweeps you away, or gives you a “wow!” feeling? Is it listening to music, or seeing an amazing drawing, or watching a dance performance? That beauty that excites you also gives you motivation to learn. It’s a clue in finding your artistic path.  
Exploring.  Once you’ve found one form of art that speaks to you, you can practice and explore making it yourself. What might you make? For me, when I began learning how to play the guitar, I loved the sound of the chords so I much that I would strum them again and again, a hundred times in a row. It was strangely fun. That joy got me through the times when it was hard to practice, when my fingers ached and couldn’t seem to get into the right shape for the notes I wanted to play.
Find a Guide.  As you explore your art, it may make more sense to look for a teacher, class, or online tutorial. If you look around you, the world is full of artists — your guide might be a teacher at school, an artist in your town, or someone at a community center or local arts organization. You don’t need to find a guide right away, but at some point, your learning will accelerate with tips from an experienced artist.
Share It.  Eventually it will be time to share your art with others. After all, part of the purpose of creating art is to bring something from your inner world out to other people. This process can transform that thought or feeling or experience, perhaps even transforming a part of you, and it can have a powerful effect on others. They may suddenly feel what you’re feeling, or may experience an emotion or thought from deep within them. Realizing that you can have an impact on others through your creativity can be surprising and uplifting. The more of yourself you bring to the world, the more you can be authentically “you” with the people around you. You might even inspire others to explore their artistic sides as well.