At one point as a child, I thought I’d become an artist. These aspirations began at quite a young age, though we’re not counting the impressionist feces wall-art I made before I could form complete sentences. We may, however, begin where my memories do: around age 5.
I remember finger fists with flying fingers. I remember front and back views of subjects. I remember trying to replicate illustrations I saw in stories.
My grandmother was an artist. She illustrated, painted, drew, sculpted. She was my idol, though I was far from her favorite grandchild and I knew that. Still, I wanted to be like her. I hurt that I wasn’t that good, not realizing that her childhood work probably looked like mine.
Now, I dabble. I scribble on children’s lunch napkins, create over-the-top door decorations for teachers, and practice elaborate snowflake patterns. I seem the best at paper cut-outs.
And this is art.
At another time in my life, I thought I might be musically gifted. I asked to learn piano. I tried trombone. I envied my sister for learning violin. I also sang in a school choir.
My husband is a very good singer. He’s even released some YouTube videos. He’s part of a rather impressive choir at the moment.
Given that people frequently tell me how good he is (but do not say the same to me), I tend to restrict myself to showers and cars.
Still, music moves me. Music is art.
Tell me you aren’t moved by the chorus of that.
These days I mostly write. Maybe you’ve noticed.
I thought this writing thing was a more recent expression, but my diggings to find early drawings uncovered …interesting stories I invented in grade school. Granted, I worried much more about handwriting those days. I was more concerned about everything being ‘just right’ than about allowing my imagination to run wild on me.
Nowadays, I care less about formalities. My exposure to many varied writers and styles and my practice of writing almost daily have unfettered old writing restraints.
Writing is not my first choice of expression after trying others, but it is the most accessible. When the creative itch creeps up my spine, I run to record my thoughts. I feel anxious at any barriers or delays. When I hit The Muse just right, the result is extremely satisfying.
And this, too, is art.
Speaking of art, there are many creative ways we are able to express beyond the three I listed. What of dance? Theater? Speech? Display? Organization? Rap? Cooking? Baking? Psychic sensing?
Awhile ago, I wrote this poem:
Shade the negative space of a lone woman;
Daub the dying sun’s embers behind her,
Then soliloquise of heartbeats echoing sunsets.
Charcoal, paint, poetry.
Commit her uplifted hand to a memory-keeper.
Film her swirling hair against swirled light,
Harmonize with deep wind-flutes of regret.
Photograph, film, symphony.
Beat softly to echo the oboes’ cry
And pulse sorrow through interpretation,
As patrons study her angles solemnly.
Rap, dance, art in 3-D.
Feel her dramatic, poignant tears.
See Earth’s brilliant display at days-end.
Then turn, and show us what you see.
Myriad media, expressed endlessly.
We have so many means of expression, and sub-means within any category of these. Clearly, most of us choose words -but, how do you feel about the subject?
Do you agree that we have many arts?
Which do you prefer?
chelowens.com 
I write. Failed trombonist. I can barely draw breath after a long run. Aspiring dad rapper. Couldn’t carry a note in a bucket. Poetic ability of a 12 year old girl. So I write.
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Ha! Sounds musical to me. And I’ve read your poetry.
Unless you haven’t spent much time reading other blogs, you know your poetry is not at a 12-year-old girl level. I mean, do you even MENTION vampires and love?
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I’m more of a zombie man myself. Vampires are so soppy.
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Yes, but zombies tend to have less of an allure. Smell and all that…
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Love ‘couldn’t carry a note in a bucket’ 🙂
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He has a good singing voice 🙂
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Don’t YOU start. 🙂
Thanks for watching.
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Wow, this seems timely. I agree there are many forms of art but believe me I’m not good at any of the visual or kinesthetic or musical arts. I do play with words some. Isn’t that all any of it is, creative play?
I’m always impressed by those bloggers who have a painting or photograph in addition to their poem or prose. I encourage you to continue to play with any and all art forms.
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Oooh! I love word play. Excellent point. And although you might not consider yourself ‘good’ at another creative art (as I worry with my singing, for example; and let’s not talk about dancing at all), I think artists creative in one genre can at least dabble rather attractively in another.
Do you think so?
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I too had dabbled in many expressions of art. While my singing sounds like a drowning cat, I still sing quite loudly in the car, and as a child I loved to draw and write poetry. However I’m most drawn to writing stories from that raw place of honesty, its therapeutic for me. Thank you for this post it brought up wonderful memories of my sketchbook 😊🧡 btw I love that as a child you drew from opposite perspectives, it’s amazing how intuitive we are as children!
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Thank you, Lisa. 🙂 I’m all about singing loudly in the car -mostly when the kids aren’t there as well.
That’s true about the writing soothing the need to speak honestly -I mean, that was the impetus for several of my posts. 😀
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This spoke to me today. Thanks Chelsea! And for the record, I’ve never heard you sing, but I love your drawings 🙂
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Thank you. 🙂
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My favorite is taking language and twisting its meaning around until it becomes a literal balloon-animal.
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The question is: does said animal vary, or do you always get a giraffe?
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I might try to make a dachshund, but if it looks like a giraffe, that’s what I intended…
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😀 Of course.
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I have a cousin who drew for Hallmark greeting cards. One cousin’s art became a successful adult coloring book. Then here’s me. Someone who cannot draw to save her life. hahaha
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That’s impressive!
-and you should read The Dot. 🙂
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I think you covered all forms of expression here. I can picture you and your husband as a famous song writing singing duo. A little like “Austin and Allie” on the Disney channel. I used to watch this when I was looking after the grandkids fulltime. You mentioned writing was not your first form of expression. What is?
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Thanks, Len.
I think my chosen form would be something that feels more creative to me, like painting or collage.
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Have you ever tried calligraphy?
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Not in a while. That’s a good suggestion!
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Add me to the list of people who are going to tell you that your husband is a really good singer. I listened to your clip and you’re a good singer, too, but he’s Really good. And the video was so sweet, especially the scene of the two of you sitting on the bench toward the end. Is that an original song? (And I’m guessing your husband already knows this, but there’s a WWE wrestler with the same name) Personally, I’m glad that one of your talents is writing because I like your blog and the stuff you write.
And I agree that we all have many arts. One of mine used to be playing the trumpet. I played all the way up until college and quit because the audition material for the marching band was just way too complicated for me. I was taking lessons at the time and I studied it with my teacher and he told me not to let that bother me because that’s done on purpose but I didn’t believe him and opted instead to believe one of those little inside voices. I picked it up again years later but then quit for a different reason.
Thanks for sharing the videos!
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Thanks for listening. 🙂 And thanks? for the compliment. 😀 Yes, that’s an original song. We all helped film it together and he edited it on his computer.
We know about the wrestler; that’s his performance name, so that means *he* took it from Kev… 😉
Like I wrote in the blog post, I seem to be generally talented in most creative areas. I’ve spent the most effort on writing, at least lately.
I hear you on the trumpet-playing. Kev played trumpet as well. Have you ever noticed you can guess which instrument someone played? You’ll have to try to guess mine.
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This conversation could be depressing for me, with the usual types of arting having bypassed my gene pool, except for writing, where some have been kind enough from time to time to say ‘how great thou art’. But over time I have consoled myself with being born with, or having acquired, the arts of chivalry (learned at knight school, cooking (learned with the advantage of the iron stomachs possessed by my family and friends) and never telling the truth when a lie would be funnier.
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Perhaps you haven’t applied yourself to the other arts. 😀
I’m glad to hear you’ve found cooking and lying to be palatable.
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