The Art of Creating Hope
I was recently talking with a friend describe a community that he works with, one that has been disinvested in, whose streets are filled with potholes and cracks, physical symbols of neglect. He was telling me that in their experience, they’ve seen that desperation is the culprit for so many ills, and that HOPE is the antidote.
It got me thinking about art can be a small, tangible symbol of hope in our lives. Art through dance, song, and brass bands like the second line in New Orleans that celebrates a newly wed couple. Or the beautiful murals that line the buildings down the street from me. Announcing to all – let there be hope. Let there be love!
As an architect and researcher, I’ve always been curious about the interplay between our quality of life and the places where we spend our time. And it is clear for many people that relationship is not a beneficial one. Many people who have over generations have been relegated and confined to places that tell them they are less-than.
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I love how art can be like a flower breaking through the concrete, showing a sign of hope and faith in beauty that can be possible. But it is not just the act of viewing art that gives us hope, it is the sheer act of making art that is equally if not more resonant in our spirits.
Growing up, during difficult times, I turned to art. But architecture training somehow changed the playfulness of art, put judgement on it, and for many years I lost the freedom I once had of expression through art. But after having my own child, I found myself exploring again, and sharing a mutual passion for creating art – in tiny dance routines we make up, in the songs we create about brushing our teeth, and the countless painted rocks and tiny murals scattered across the house.
What art did you love as a child? Was it movement, building, exploring, dancing, or competing? Whatever it was, consider this summer an opportunity to explore that art, or any art, and feel its joyful effects.
If you’re looking to learn more about the powerful impact of art of all types, check out the latest read Your Brain on Art, by Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross. If you’ve already read it, I’d love to hear what stuck out to you, or better yet, pictures of the art you’ve created!
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NOT TO MISS
Erin’s interview with Madame Architect’s Julia Gamolina on Caring and Showing up for Others.
Erin’s latest for Psychology Today, 6 Ways to Design for Social Connection and Community.