I've been trying to find words to share this feeling I've had growing inside me for years. That
art is more important than it first appears. Little moments of creating beauty like tending to a flower garden or more time consuming acts of
art, like
painting a picture or two of a favourite goose.
I know from my own journey that the act of art does wonders for individual human health. It ties into the mindfulness and therapist goal for calming what they call the Lizzard Brain. Our fight or flight and autonomic nervous system. Calming these systems, gives our bodies room for the natural healing systems to activate.
And there is art and community. A shared aesthetic. We can identify steam punk, modern goth, cottagecore, impressionism, and deco, at a glance. The style or movements in art reflects a greater value set and amplifies it.
I wonder what
permaculture aesthetic would be like so it could be just as easily recognized at a glance by an outsider.
Cob construction,
polyculture, and healthy harvest are already part of permaculture-core.
And then there is community in the feeling I get when I see
a project like these handmade watercolours. The thrill I get seeing someone else do what I secretly dream but didn't know where to start. Watching troubleshooting and that someone has the courage to share not just the amazing results, but also the process, problem solving, and there is something else there that feels so unique to
permaculture.
I don't know the words for it. It's like admitting to vulnerability by not being perfect on the first try, and making what others might think of as a weakness, into a strength.
Humans are story tellers and the most boring story in the world is "hero wanted a thing, they got the thing without any trouble, it was super easy, the end.". Problem solving makes good story telling and we can connect with the protagonist when they struggle.
Where was I going?
As I learn more about myself and where I fit in this world, art keeps tapping me on the shoulder and trying to share that it's more than pretty pictures hanging on the wall.
And I wish I knew pretty words to share how important this feeling is.
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