Art As We Know It

I like to consider myself an artist. I doubt many people would put me in that category, but that is how I regard myself. That being said, I subscribe to the theory of "Free Art" which I may have made up. The basis of this theory is this: "It is mine and it may appear to you that I messed up but you can't prove that I didn't fully intend for it to look like that." Also, it is free art because no one has ever and likely will never pay me for any of my creations.

I did make a pretty rockin' painting for my dad for Christmas. It is one of my most favorite things I have ever made. While I was basking in the glory of my art (this is intended as a tongue in cheek comment), I started thinking about what it is to be an artist. I think it is creating something beautiful (in the eye of the beholder) out of nothing. I looked it up on the internet and the best definition that I could find for my specific use is this (courtesy of dictionary.com): a person who produces works in any of the arts that are primarily subject to aesthetic criteria.

This led me to another thought. (I have a lot of thoughts.) As a mother, I am an artist. All parants are artists. Our children are blank canvases. They are created out of a mess of cells and fluid and hopefully love, but let's face it, that's not always the case. They come out of the womb ready to be molded and shaped into beautiful creatures that can out in the world to create more beauty and wonder.

We parents, as artists, must do our due dilligence to mold and shape our children to be aesthetically pleasing. I don't mean to the eye; I am referring to shaping them to be beautiful human beings. Where it gets tricky is making sure they continue to be aesthetically pleasing as adults.

What we feed our children (metaphorically) is what they put out in the world. If you feed your children greed, anger and closed mindedness, why are you surprised that they are assholes? If you feed them schedules, rules and militant behavior, are you going to be shocked when they are uptight? Remember, children learn primarily by example. They do not subscribe to the "Do as I say, not as I do mentatlity." I like to feed my children laughter, music and glitter.

Being a artist (parent) is a huge responsibility. I am not sure the "Free Art" theory applies to parenting. You will know when my children grow up exactly the kind of parent I was. I sincerely hope I don't screw this up. I am sure that my children will not make it through their childhood with out a few metaphorical scars. I hope to keep them to a minimum though.

My children are the work of a lifetime. I still learn things from my parents today and even though my grandfather passed away, I am sure that he is still working on his art through my mother and even me. To me, there is nothing greater than looking at something beautiful that you have created and saying "I did that." That is how I feel when I look at my children.