Today we are going talk about one of my very favorite aspects about being creative. I like to call it connecting with community. Creativity is all about connecting. You connect to the canvas when you are painting, to the fragrances and flavors when you are cooking, and even to the ground when you take a barefooted walk while thinking creatively.

Simply put, art connects people. The bond you experience with your art can be deeply rewarding and yet the act of doing the same creative activity together with others takes the experience to a whole new level. The collaboration of community can be exhilarating.

I love to observe the experience of a group of people in the same room painting the same idea. Maybe it is a big mural or people working on their own project in a group setting. It can often be more fun for me to watch the magic unfold than to participate. There is always laughter and sharing of ideas when you are creating side by side with each other. Of course, I love hearing the “oohs” and “aahs” as the works of art unfold.

Each person’s reasons to be there and join the group come from their own individual desires. Perhaps it is to take a break and get out of the house, to join the gathering as a social outlet, or to simply come together as a way of self-care and relaxation after a long day. The details behind the desires may be different, but there is one thing for certain… they may come in as strangers, but they always leave as friends.