Sitting quietly with my brushes and paints engages my mind and body in such a way that it allows the opportunity to pay attention to the ever-present inner monologue that continually bubbles away in the background. Thoughts, feelings, concerns, ideas, and daydreams all come and go throughout the day. Whatever my mood or mindset, art-making is ultimately a meditative process that provides me with precious moments of contemplation and inner reflection.
In our busy world of temptations, it's easy to get caught up in trivialities. Take, for example, the greed and desire spurred by consumer culture and mainstream media, which causes people to feel they need objects and status to fill any perceived vacancies in their lives. In a world where people are more concerned over which color iPod to purchase or squabble over who has the buying rights to the latest mobile phone on the shelf, it is shockingly easy to forget that there are millions of other human beings just like us who lack access to food, shelter, sanitation, medicine, and political freedom. What separates us from them? Now, more than ever, it is necessary to be aware of what is going through our minds, what governs our decisions and what motivates the way we function. If we can distill what's truly important from what is superfluous and unproductive, we have the power to change the world for the better.
Art is my way of making sense in the world. I don't have the answers to poverty and disease; I don't have the antidote to greed or malice. I can't offer solutions or suggestions other than what I myself have witnessed and experienced in this life. But I can strive to consciously live a life of meaning and awareness which will hopefully benefit myself and others.
Art-making can be healing and therapeutic for both the creator and the observer. Art is a way of sharing and connecting, helping us realize our similarities while celebrating our differences. Everyone has a story to share and something to contribute to the world. I create art to share my story. *KIRSTINE THERESE REGNER LAPASARAN*
In our busy world of temptations, it's easy to get caught up in trivialities. Take, for example, the greed and desire spurred by consumer culture and mainstream media, which causes people to feel they need objects and status to fill any perceived vacancies in their lives. In a world where people are more concerned over which color iPod to purchase or squabble over who has the buying rights to the latest mobile phone on the shelf, it is shockingly easy to forget that there are millions of other human beings just like us who lack access to food, shelter, sanitation, medicine, and political freedom. What separates us from them? Now, more than ever, it is necessary to be aware of what is going through our minds, what governs our decisions and what motivates the way we function. If we can distill what's truly important from what is superfluous and unproductive, we have the power to change the world for the better.
Art is my way of making sense in the world. I don't have the answers to poverty and disease; I don't have the antidote to greed or malice. I can't offer solutions or suggestions other than what I myself have witnessed and experienced in this life. But I can strive to consciously live a life of meaning and awareness which will hopefully benefit myself and others.
Art-making can be healing and therapeutic for both the creator and the observer. Art is a way of sharing and connecting, helping us realize our similarities while celebrating our differences. Everyone has a story to share and something to contribute to the world. I create art to share my story. *KIRSTINE THERESE REGNER LAPASARAN*
