The Art of Living
Why Life is Your Greatest Masterpiece
Life is defined by oxford dictionary as, “the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.” I think the definition for human life can be expanded to include creativity, imagination and intentional action.
We think, imagine, and create, turning our view of the world into inspiration, new ideas, and art.
It’s more accurate to say that life is art. But, that’s only if you treat it that way.
It takes reflection, intention and action to create anything, especially a beautiful life. In the centuries of commerce, capitalism and consumerism, we have started to conflate art with the explicit act of creation, but it is far more transcendent than that. Art is more than a word or object, it is a tool we employ to give and share meaning. It is a language in which we speak about what inspires us. Being artful is a way of perceiving, living with a focus on intentionally cultivating beauty and meaning in each moment.
Art and life are tightly woven together and have been throughout human history. Expressing ideas through creativity, or art, is one of the oldest human practices. It’s deeply linked to other elements of societal evolution, including magic (which pre-dated the sciences), spirituality, and religion. To make and share art in any of its forms is to engage with a long history of creative expression, storytelling, community building and culture creation.
Yet, in our current world, it all feels increasingly superficial.
We consume aesthetic content marketed as art to distract us from the content of our lives. All the while the contemporary art world is screaming “art is life,” while whispering, “but only if you can pay for it.”
You can apply this way of thinking and behaving to your whole life. Every day, you are shaping your experience from moment to moment. With every choice, thought and action you take, you are conjuring what your life looks and feels like.
When you shift to seeing life as an endless act of creativity, you can make it into something that suits your tastes - something that feels like a well crafted work of art. You become the artist, decisively crafting beauty throughout your entire existence. Living this way also enhances your admiration for the intentions and creations of others. It is an individually rewarding practice that also pulls you more fully into the collective of humanity through your active participation in the human experience.
The artistry of the universe is that we are all bound by this shared ability to imagine and be inspired. More than anything else, art is distinguished by the inspiration it elicits in others, and the connection it makes possible. We only grow closer and stronger when we share in it fully, and our whole world can become as beautiful as we are willing to make it.
