The Work of Art

Photo by Susiebloom

Blooming IS "the work of art" and we are all engaged in it everyday. How often, how profoundly, and how intentionally varies and depends on us.

I came across a marvelous book by Eric Booth that I love. The Everyday Work of Art. He expounds in exciting ways, from his vast knowledge and experience as an educator, author, actor, and businessman, about "the work of art" and how we can apply the techniques that artists use creating works of art to help us engage in and more fully enjoy our everyday work of art.

He affirms that, "contrary to conventional wisdom, art has not always been a noun, a valuable object relegated to a museum or a ticketed event in a performance hall. At the birth of the word 'art,' it was a verb that meant 'to put things together.' It was not a product but a process." For me, it's the process. The BLOOMIN' process! ;D Booth goes on to say that "if we reclaim that view of art - as a way of looking at and doing things, as a series of experiences and experiments - all of us gain a fresh grasp on the proven, practical ways to construct the quality of our lives."

I absolutely love this idea, maybe even truth? It completely resonates with my hopeful, passionate, blooming heart. That life holds meaning and purpose, that we are born to bloom, and that the capacity to do so in beautiful, vibrant ways is within in each us from the beginning.

Booth implores us to put "the verbs of art back in [our] hands for intentional, effective use in the rich media of [our] everyday life...to focus not on 'works of art,' but rather on 'the work of art." He reminds us that, "art is not apart. It is a continuum within which all participate; we all function in art, use the skills of art, and engage in the actions of artists every day. Underneath the surface distinctions that make individual lives seem very different, art is a common ground we share; the work of art is a way we all do things when we are working well. Our unheralded everyday actions of art comprise one end of the human spectrum of artistry; the other end is the creation of masterpieces in the arts that we readily label as art...The differences are obvious, easy to identify and laugh about; the similarities (which are the focus of [his] book) may be less evident, but they construct the way we experience being alive."

An important clarification is necessary, however. Booth admits that "just because we do some of the same work as Beethoven, it doesn't mean our results are the same. The accomplishments of master artists are stupendous, the result of fearsome diligence, vision, hard-earned skill, profound understanding of their discipline, and an extra dash of something we might call genius. They engage in many of the same actions, ply the same universal skills of art as the rest of us, but they put them together in superb, inspiring ways...In claiming our rightful partnership with such masters, we neither diminish their achievements, nor set unrealistic expectations for our own efforts. We can learn from what they know; we can refocus the way we see and work; we can transform the quality of our daily living."

"Artists create masterpieces the way we all accomplish things in life, by putting small component pieces together in complex, satisfying ways," Booth explains. They "make masterful use of the perspectives and skills we all naturally apply in unnoticed moments throughout our lives...and they are responsible for much of the good humankind has managed, and most of the joy."

I'm only halfway into this incredible book and have discovered so many valuable insights to add to what I already believe and understand about "the work of art." He shares many anecdotes and asks his readers to participate in exercises of the imagination and creative exploration. It has been soul expanding. I even love the dedication of the book. It's dedicated to his father, "who created many fine things in the medium of business - though he would have scoffed if I had called him an artist. We felt the closest in the music at the symphony." Isn't that great? That's what I mean about this book and this viewpoint that everyone is an artist engaged in the work of art. Whether you're a businessman or a ballerina, a plumber or a playwright, a full-time mom or a marketing manager, we are creating art in the way we engage with the world and with each other, and it's a beautiful practice...the practice...the practice of blooming together as we bloom where we are planted.

So, friends and fellow bloomers, let's get growing!

Everyday is another opportunity to engage in the marvelous work of art.

Bloom on!

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