9d • General discussion
I Believe in your Creative Courage
Not the polished kind. Not the kind that produces something tidy, impressive, or marketable. I believe in the courage it takes to meet yourself honestly, especially when what you’re carrying is tangled, inconvenient, or messy.
This season asks us to be shiny. Wrapped. Bowed. Presentable. It’s a time of appearance and commerce, of “holding it together” while the inner world may feel anything but. And yet, this is often when the deepest truths are stirring beneath the surface, asking to be seen.
Messy art is a rare and powerful medium because it gives us permission to explore those hidden layers without having to explain them. It bypasses language, perfectionism, and performance. It lets the nervous system exhale while the heart speaks in color, texture, presence, and movement.
There is real bravery in letting the mess out onto the page instead of carrying it alone. In allowing chaos to have a voice, it softens, shifts, and eventually transforms. We don’t make messes to stay stuck in them. We make messes so we can see what’s there, tend to it with compassion, and pivot toward peace and connection.
I believe in your willingness to do that kind of work.
A Messy Art Prompt:
Set a timer for 10 minutes. Choose 2–3 materials that feel imperfect: scrap paper, cheap paint, a dull pencil, your non-dominant hand. Without planning, let your body move what it’s been holding back. Scribble, smear, layer, tear. When the timer ends, pause. Add one small mark or color that represents care. Not fixing, but caring.
That’s creative courage.
And I believe in yours!
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I Believe in your Creative Courage
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A holistic artistic community focused on artsy ways to be healthy. Run by Shelley Irish, MFA oil painter, art teacher and therapeutic arts coach.
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