First Confession - I love to travel and I love to watch people when I travel.
Second confession - I may be a bit spoiled in my traveling. We can blame this on my husband, and he will quickly tell you he feels no shame. He loves to travel as well, and he loves to travel for the experience. This means, he spends hours researching the perfect hotels and/or resorts, the great restaurants, and the must see sights. He also, and I am very grateful, will find the art galleries and art museums for us to visit. He has joined my passion for art.
Recently, we traveled to Los Angeles and then to Santa Barbara California. The quaint town was cozy and full of shopping. Both LA and Santa Barbara both had their share of homelessness. This always catches my eye, because early in my professional career as a psychotherapist I would attempt to talk to homeless people. Most of the time, they turned away. Possibly out of fear or shyness, but research tells us that most often it is because of substance dependence and mental health issues. I also pay attention to everyone else that is near in proximity and I people watch. After all, human behavior intrigues me.
While experiencing this around me, a question began to brew in my mind. If art speaks to us about the beauty around us and/or gives us a glimpse into the artists' heart and soul, then what would these people, both homeless and not homeless, exhibit if they were to create a painting?
I believe most of those people would create a painting about themselves, something self serving or self grandiose. I hoped that a few would paint the moment they were experiencing. I concluded that many would paint what they felt others wanted them to paint and would fight the urge to paint from their own vulnerability. I felt that many would, in fact, have difficulty painting from their soul or would be afraid to paint what is in their soul. But most of all, I realized that a deep disconnect existed amongst all of these people and a culturally learned tendency to simply ignore each other would most likely take place in their paintings. I was sad for a moment as I thought of the aloneness many people experience in their worlds. I was also hopeful as I know the solution to removing aloneness, and I continue to trust and pray others will also find that solution. I was thankful as I realized the arts historically have connected people in many ways. Thankful, because I have an opportunity to facilitate connection of people.
My purpose in starting this blog is to share insight, thoughts, emotions, and experiences through the heart and soul of ArtFromThePsychee - Dr. Shannon,PhD: Christian - Licensed Professional Counselor - Wife - Mother/StepMother - Grandmother/Step Grandmother - Sister/Sister In Law - Aunt - Friend - Neighbor - Supervisor - Employer - Gallerist - Survivor - American Citizen. Hopefully I can plant a few seeds into the human condition and those seeds will one day grow and bring blessings into someone's life.
Now, please do not misunderstand me. Seeds are not always about the happy and the easy. I believe that creating and maintaining healthy boundaries, strong morals and values, realistic expectations, and recognizing standards that serve a greater good are vital to our over all spiritual, physical, social, and psychological growth. I am not one that is easy to bully or intimidate. However, I do accept that others have different beliefs and experiences than I. In all this, I believe in planting seeds.
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