art collecting as an art-form
I see art collecting as an art form of grounding your intention into being — your intention for yourself and your space, yes, and also, your intention for your community and the kind of world you want to co-create.
Let me explain:
via GIPHY
Everything you desire in life begins with a small but mighty invisible thing: an intention.
⠀Now I don't know about you, but here’s the thing about small and invisible things: much like the watermelon and other foods hiding in the corners of my fridge, if I can’t see them… I often forget they’re there.
And if I don’t remember my intentions are there, and I don’t work with them daily… then they never gain a foothold in my life.
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This is where art comes in.
Imagine, for instance, you've caught yourself in one too many self-judgment spirals, and you've now set an intention to experience greater self-compassion.
You know the research backs it up. You even had the idea to start a journaling ritual to actually practice self-compassionate talk, but it just keeps slipping your mind!
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This is one way art can help:
1. Start by writing down your intention.
If you're like most, life seems to move at 100 MPH, and our heart's desires can get lost in the scramble if we're not careful. In this example, the intention is to experience greater self-love, but there are endless kinds of intentions — I've worked with intentions around experiencing more relaxation, cashflow, confidence, boundaries, relationships, you name it!
The key here is honing in on the affirmative of what you do want instead of getting stuck on what you don't.
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2. Next, think about how it will feel when the intention has manifested. What emotions will you experience?? What thoughts will that version of you think? Write them down!
Connecting with the e-motion (energy in motion) behind our intentions is a handy way of welcoming them into our life with even greater speed and ease because emotions themselves are manifestations themselves!
The more comfortable we can become with those emotions, the better we support our goal.
So with the intention of self-love journaling… you might imagine yourself eventually feeling more at peace, empowered, loved, and supported after this ritual has taken root. Whenever you start to notice yourself feeling more peaceful, empowered and loved, you know the intention is in fact taking root!
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3. Once you know the emotion behind your intention, it's time to ground that intention into reality!
Go to my art shop (or any artists' shop! or out in nature! or to your own art kit!) and browse for a piece that “feels like” that emotion at the core of your intention.
Invite that artwork into your life (even works bought on installments plans ship after the first payment!) and… presto!
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4. You now have a strong and beautiful REMINDER of your daily work living and breathing on your wall.
Every time you witness your art, you have the opportunity to reconnect with your intention, and allow yourself to be inspired: “Let’s set out this notebook so tomorrow morning I’m reminded to jump in!”
And over time, as that habit builds and blooms, the art becomes more than just a reminder of your intention: it becomes a living testament to the power within you to set intentions and trust yourself in the follow through.