Have You Ever Looked at a Piece of Art That Felt Like It Healed Your Soul?

[Tinuviel]

I do love good paintings, but I feel I am rather ignorant when it comes to that side of the arts...I don't appreciate them near as much as I could, by result. The art forms I turn to most often are music and writing--both experiencing them and creating something with them.

Reading always makes me feel good--when it is good writing. What kind of "good" I feel like depends upon the subject matter. As for making words--the feeling of writing something good is indescribable. Exhilarating, unreal, fulfilling, but also somehow exhausting, because you've just put something of yourself into that and are feeling a little depleted and maybe even sad or depressed. But still exhilarated! I don't find reading particularly healing, though it might make you forget. Writing can be very healing for me.

I love to play music and listen to music. I get quite animated and energized from playing or singing, and have found both listening to and playing to be healing in different ways. Music ACTUALLY makes you heal, since (to simplify it), you listen to music with the same part of your brain that you feel pain with, so it "distracts" from the pain, giving the body a chance to heal. Perhaps, they will one day find the same thing about paintings or other pieces of art

 

[Desdichado]

I don't know about unicorns, but I have a whole new appreciation for fairies.

Hello, Kim. Art in one form or another has been a means for me to express myself in ways that oral communication may fail, and maybe has no other outlet. For instance, at a time in my life when I was suffering under crushing emotional pain, I discovered the healing balm of playing guitar, and allowed music to melodify and absorb the grief and sorrow that otherwise seemingly sought to destroy me.

The same thing is true at another time in my life when there was no way to verbally articulate my thoughts and feelings, which I was able put into rhyming verse. The pain, grief, and sorrow were as debilitating and profound as ever, but the artistic expression of it gave me a way to share what I was experiencing, and also move beyond it in a way I probably could not have otherwise. Even if others did not understand what exactly that was, they could relate on some level to what I was saying, as well as appreciate the artistry.

One of my greatest joys of recent artistic expression was making the graphic I did for you for Valentines Day. You have always been extraordinarily kind toward me, and contribute so much to so many on this site; I wanted to express my gratitude to you, and art allowed me to do that in a way that I could not have done otherwise. Plus, it was a lot of fun doing, and I was thrilled to be able to surprise you by giving something special and unique to you. The artistic expression of my appreciation added an element of whimsy that I thoroughly enjoyed exploring, and giving "voice" to, also!

That led into me making this one for the whole forum:

And then this one, as the unicorns gathered in preparation for the party:

 

[Desdichado]

Classical art has always had a regenerative effect on me. As have certain Chinese/Japanese woodcuts.

 

[seoulsearch]

Because God is a Creator who obviously loves creating, I've always wondered if He stopped creating after the 7 days, or has been creating other things all this time? After all, the Bible says that no one has even thought of the things He has in store for us when we go home to Him.

I have also wondered if that might be one of the rewards in heaven. People who like to create typically don't want to stop creating, so if you are an artist, I wonder if, when you get to heaven, "God will say something like, 'Here you go, good and faithful servant!!! I have an entire planet just for you that is yours to fill up with your creations!" (no matter what one's preferred creative mediums might be.)

Now, I'm not someone who is very productive when it comes to creating.

But to me, the reward would be hearing God say, "Ok, now it's time to go and see what all these other people have been making!!!"

I rather like the idea of an inter-galactic art gallery.

 

[seoulsearch]

I do enjoy visiting the several art museums in Virginia. Don't tell anyone, I have a reputation to uphold.

Just tell them you're there as a matter of security.

Everyone will think you're even cooler (telling people you're there to protect priceless works of art is bound to make the ladies swoon), and your reputation will be intact.

 

[Tommy379]

Just tell them you're there as a matter of security.

Everyone will think you're even cooler (telling people you're there to protect priceless works of art is bound to make the ladies swoon), and your reputation will be intact.

I was going to tell them, I'm an exhibit.

 

[Tinuviel]

Because God is a Creator who obviously loves creating, I've always wondered if He stopped creating after the 7 days, or has been creating other things all this time? After all, the Bible says that no one has even thought of the things He has in store for us when we go home to Him.

I have also wondered if that might be one of the rewards in heaven. People who like to create typically don't want to stop creating, so if you are an artist, I wonder if, when you get to heaven, "God will say something like, 'Here you go, good and faithful servant!!! I have an entire planet just for you that is yours to fill up with your creations!" (no matter what one's preferred creative mediums might be.)

Now, I'm not someone who is very productive when it comes to creating.

But to me, the reward would be hearing God say, "Ok, now it's time to go and see what all these other people have been making!!!"

I rather like the idea of an inter-galactic art gallery.

I love the poem by J. R. R. Tolkien called Mythopoeia, which discusses people as "sub-creators" and "refactors of the Light" meaning we get our creative inspiration from God. At the end of the poem, he says:

In Paradise perchance the eye may stray
from gazing upon everlasting Day
to see the day-illumined, and renew
from mirrored truth the likeness of the True.
Then looking on the Blessed Land 'twill see
that all is as it is, and yet may free:
Salvation changes not, nor yet destroys,
garden not gardener, children not their toys.
Evil it will not see, for evil lies
not in God's picture but in crooked eyes,
not in the source but in the tuneless voice.
In Paradise they look no more awry;
and though they make anew, they make no lie.
Be sure they still will make, not been dead,
and poets shall have flames upon their head,
and harps whereon their faultless fingers fall:
there each shall choose for ever from the All.

That is amazing to me to think that we will STILL create in heaven (if we can even look away from gazing upon the face of God for long enough to do so), but that our creations will now be perfect and sinless. Read the poem guys, you can find it online. It's right up there with the best poems ever written imho

 

[Tinuviel]

I love the poem by J. R. R. Tolkien called Mythopoeia, which discusses people as "sub-creators" and "refactors of the Light" meaning we get our creative inspiration from God. At the end of the poem, he says:

In Paradise perchance the eye may stray
from gazing upon everlasting Day
to see the day-illumined, and renew
from mirrored truth the likeness of the True.
Then looking on the Blessed Land 'twill see
that all is as it is, and yet may free:
Salvation changes not, nor yet destroys,
garden not gardener, children not their toys.
Evil it will not see, for evil lies
not in God's picture but in crooked eyes,
not in the source but in the tuneless voice.
In Paradise they look no more awry;
and though they make anew, they make no lie.
Be sure they still will make, not been dead,
and poets shall have flames upon their head,
and harps whereon their faultless fingers fall:
there each shall choose for ever from the All.

That is amazing to me to think that we will STILL create in heaven (if we can even look away from gazing upon the face of God for long enough to do so), but that our creations will now be perfect and sinless. Read the poem guys, you can find it online. It's right up there with the best poems ever written imho

The moment when you post a lovely poem to illustrate your point...and then are catching up on other threads and find this:

For some reason, I've never been able to get into classic literature or poetry. It's like a foreign language to me that I can neither speak nor read very well.

CRUSHED! lol

 

[LittleMermaid]

I love to watch dance routines. I think it's amazing how people can express themselves through movement. I can dance a little bit...I'll admit I have some rhythm. If I watch a routine online, I can pick it up if it's a fairly easy one.
This is one of my favorite dances. It's quite beautiful.
[video=youtube;KI4ZsVW63Mk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KI4ZsVW63Mk[/video]

I think of God as the best artist ever. After all, he created the universe. So everything in nature is his artwork...and I love it. I enjoy going for walks at the park and seeing the different trees, ponds, animals, and rocks he designed for us. I like to hear the birds sing in the morning and have the fog touch my cheeks as it refreshes me for the day. I enjoy the different seasons (although Texas can be a difficult place for that). I just love nature...I enjoy reading and watching documentaries about it because it amazes me how God created such beautiful and intricate things.

But my favorite artwork is the moon and the stars. Sometimes when I can't sleep, I go outside and look up at the sky. I wonder how far up the moon is. I wonder what if feels like to be up there. It's so beautiful and mysterious. The moon is like an old friend that is always there when you go to sleep. It's the same moon that my family and friends from all over the world see.
I sometimes think that maybe my future spouse is also looking up at it too. Maybe he's seeing what I'm seeing at the same time. So it's like we're sharing a moment together before we even meet. I know it's sappy, but that's the hopeless romantic in me.

So dance and nature definitely heal my soul...especially the moon. I don't know if most people count nature as art...probably not. But I sure do.

Finally! I had been wanting to answer this thread for a few days but I was out of town.

 

[Tinkerbell725]

I like photography specially portraits.

This famous portrait of an afghan girl featured on time magazine is very intriguing.

 

[seoulsearch]

Hi Tink,

Do you know that they found this woman again, many years later?

Unfortunately, they also found out that she was living illegally under a false set of identification papers. I'm not sure what happened. But, I had read that they also did a DNA test to make sure she was the same girl from the original photograph (which makes me wonder, did they do some kind of testing when they originally found her to have a baseline to compare it to?)

Here is the updated picture:

 

[zeroturbulence]

She still has the same look on her face

 

[zeroturbulence]

Hey Everyone,

I just heard a short devotional that said that art is one of the gifts God gives us in order to help us heal, and I thought that was pretty fascinating.

I love art in all forms, but I think my favorites are probably sculpture, painting/drawing, and glasswork. Unfortunately, I don't have any talent in any of these areas, but I appreciate artists who do because I love looking at their work. I am always wanting to know what inspired them and what the creative process was like for them.

Lately I have been sorting through some things in life... and wish I had an opportunity to go and see more artwork (in real life, not just in books or online), because something about it is very calming to me. I'm not sure if I can even describe the feelings in words, and maybe that's part of the point--art, to me, is its own language, and even though I can't fully understand or communicate in that language, it speaks to me in a voice unlike anything else. Sometimes, it even makes me feel a little less lonely (which is why I'm posting this thread in the Singles forum .)

Now of course, I don't like every piece of artwork that I come across, but I do know that I'm much more content when I am regularly exposed to several kinds of art in my life.

How about the rest of you?

* I personally consider anything creative and/or something that you make to be considered artwork, whether it's painting, cooking, building something (miniature models, furniture, a garden), writing, dance, etc. to be a form of art. How about you? What are some unique things that you see as being art that others might not have considered, and what are your favorite forms of art?

* How does looking at art make you feel? And how does producing artwork yourself make you feel? (Calm, relaxed, happy, inquisitive, bored...?)

* Would you say that art is an instrument of God's healing? Why or why not?

I'm hoping to find that there are other art lovers out there... and I'm looking forward to hearing your answers.

Yes, art can be very healing... and it doesnt have to be a framed painting or a famous sculpture... it can just be a photograph or a child's drawing.. It doesnt have to be a poem or a song... it can just be a handwritten letter or the sound of someone's voice when they said something that meant a lot to you...

I should be a big supporter of professional art since I have a degree in it, but I know now that to most of us art is not something that hangs in a museum... its the stuff we experience as we go through life... an uplifting song, a beautiful book, a touching movie, a memory of something long gone... Art is beauty, and beauty is in everything..

 

[Tinkerbell725]

Hi Tink,

Do you know that they found this woman again, many years later?

Unfortunately, they also found out that she was living illegally under a false set of identification papers. I'm not sure what happened. But, I had read that they also did a DNA test to make sure she was the same girl from the original photograph (which makes me wonder, did they do some kind of testing when they originally found her to have a baseline to compare it to?)

Here is the updated picture:

Yup Seoul I've heard about her recent picture. She is still suspicious looking. Maybe she is a spy. But I did not know about the dna testing. It was probably fake news. The difficult life in Afghanistan probably pushed her to live dangerously.

 

[Tinkerbell725]

I enjoy watching people doing some calligraphy. Been watching too much korean historical dramas.

 

[Skylar]

Hello, Kim. Art in one form or another has been a means for me to express myself in ways that oral communication may fail, and maybe has no other outlet. For instance, at a time in my life when I was suffering under crushing emotional pain, I discovered the healing balm of playing guitar, and allowed music to melodify and absorb the grief and sorrow that otherwise seemingly sought to destroy me.

The same thing is true at another time in my life when there was no way to verbally articulate my thoughts and feelings, which I was able put into rhyming verse. The pain, grief, and sorrow were as debilitating and profound as ever, but the artistic expression of it gave me a way to share what I was experiencing, and also move beyond it in a way I probably could not have otherwise. Even if others did not understand what exactly that was, they could relate on some level to what I was saying, as well as appreciate the artistry.

One of my greatest joys of recent artistic expression was making the graphic I did for you for Valentines Day. You have always been extraordinarily kind toward me, and contribute so much to so many on this site; I wanted to express my gratitude to you, and art allowed me to do that in a way that I could not have done otherwise. Plus, it was a lot of fun doing, and I was thrilled to be able to surprise you by giving something special and unique to you. The artistic expression of my appreciation added an element of whimsy that I thoroughly enjoyed exploring, and giving "voice" to, also!

That led into me making this one for the whole forum:

And then this one, as the unicorns gathered in preparation for the party:

aaahhhhhh....beauuuuuutifulllllll......,,

 

[Skylar]

I have definitely felt deep healing by looking at some art-work...I feel so blessed to be reminded of this right now at this time in my life when I feel so fragile...I cry just about every day...but your post made me get my paints and canvas out...something I have been trying to do for about 2 years now...so thankyou...x

 

[seoulsearch]

I have definitely felt deep healing by looking at some art-work...I feel so blessed to be reminded of this right now at this time in my life when I feel so fragile...I cry just about every day...but your post made me get my paints and canvas out...something I have been trying to do for about 2 years now...so thankyou...x

When you're finished, I hope you'll share pictures of your latest masterpiece with us.

 

[hornetguy]

Hey Everyone,

I just heard a short devotional that said that art is one of the gifts God gives us in order to help us heal, and I thought that was pretty fascinating.

I love art in all forms, but I think my favorites are probably sculpture, painting/drawing, and glasswork. Unfortunately, I don't have any talent in any of these areas, but I appreciate artists who do because I love looking at their work. I am always wanting to know what inspired them and what the creative process was like for them.

Lately I have been sorting through some things in life... and wish I had an opportunity to go and see more artwork (in real life, not just in books or online), because something about it is very calming to me. I'm not sure if I can even describe the feelings in words, and maybe that's part of the point--art, to me, is its own language, and even though I can't fully understand or communicate in that language, it speaks to me in a voice unlike anything else. Sometimes, it even makes me feel a little less lonely (which is why I'm posting this thread in the Singles forum .)

Now of course, I don't like every piece of artwork that I come across, but I do know that I'm much more content when I am regularly exposed to several kinds of art in my life.

How about the rest of you?

* I personally consider anything creative and/or something that you make to be considered artwork, whether it's painting, cooking, building something (miniature models, furniture, a garden), writing, dance, etc. to be a form of art. How about you? What are some unique things that you see as being art that others might not have considered, and what are your favorite forms of art?

* How does looking at art make you feel? And how does producing artwork yourself make you feel? (Calm, relaxed, happy, inquisitive, bored...?)

* Would you say that art is an instrument of God's healing? Why or why not?

I'm hoping to find that there are other art lovers out there... and I'm looking forward to hearing your answers.

for me... mostly music.

some sculptures are that way.. some photographs.

 

[Susanna]

The only kind of arts healing my soul is martial arts.