What good is Art? I recently attended the opening art exhibit reception for Mike Kendall, who has lived and worked in the thriving artist community of the Benicia, CA Arsenal for more than 25 years. Mike’s thoughts posted on the wall, from a book he collaborated on “What Good is Art? By William T. Wiley & Mary Hull Webster, caused me to pause.

“Art is the human spirit moving out of the shadows into the light of self-realization.

Art is the unregulated expression of magic and myth.

Art is the expanded vocabulary that speaks to the human spirit in terms defined by familiarity and contradiction.

Art is a means of renewal or creation of self.

Art is a grasp for immortality.

Art is a window on the universe.

Art is a gift I receive.

Art is a gift I bestow.

If I knew what art was,

I wouldn’t have to do it.”

I think this can apply to the word creativity too. It’s about that connection to creating when you get lost in the moment, lost in space and time because you are absorbed in whatever you are creating. Mike calls it the “soul connection, being in the zone.” For Mike, being in the zone occurs when he’s not thinking; curiosity and imagination take over and he stays with whatever is happening, going past his skill set and comfort zone. Mike celebrates his 70^th birthday on May 12 and remembers taking the only art class offered at his high school over and over again three or four times. He had a difficult time focusing and found putting his mind and hands together to create art was the best way to process the many ideas streaming through his brain. His strong suits were curiosity, imagination and humor. Once he had an ease of working with various tools and mediums, he could let go of fear and let creativity take over, and has been creating ever since. He has been fortunate to never experience a creative block, but he did discover that once he started “working direct”, not creating a sketch first, he was able to let his creativity flow freely. He also discovered that the attempt to have a perfect sketch of his idea didn’t matter when he completed a finished piece.

If you are wanting to increase your creativity or artistic endeavors, Mike says “Just give it a try. It will take or it won’t. You have to paint all of the bad ones to get to the good ones. If there is a place inside of you that wants or needs to be filled, give it a try and see if it warms that place.”

Mike is a very active and generous member of the local community, opening his studio space to share with several artists during the annual Open Studios on May 6-7. He has also created a very special “Creative Reuse” space in his art studio filled with supplies given to him by other artists and primarily with various mixed media supplies from Ruszel Woodworks, including wood from sculptures that were going to go into a dumpster because some of the pieces are glued. All of these supplies have created an “Imagination Station”, and are available to anyone.

What good is art? Art is a way to practice releasing fear, a way to receive, a way to give, a way to break through your own boundaries, a way to make friends, a way to build community, a way to give back, a way to recycle and repurpose, a way to take care of our Earth, and a way to have self-expression, a way to tap into your inner genius. Art is definitely good.

You can reach Mike and his Imagination Station and learn more about his current exhibit and the Open Studios at MikeKendall.com. Next week I’ll share some thoughts on Creativity and the Senses – Sight.

Kerry Lee, a 25 year Benicia resident, is a Certified Intentional Creativity® Teacher and Coach, leading group workshops, experiential retreats (“Reclaim You: An Experiential Intentional Creativity Weekend for the Senses is May 19-21 in Sonoma, CA), Mobile Social Painting Parties with a Purpose (May 28 at The Chill), Customized Corporate Team Building and Corporate Social Responsibility events and teaching essential oil lifestyle and wellness classes. Find her at KerryLeeArt.com / #TheAlchemicalArtist