What is "Artful Living"?

     This morning I was watching one of my favorite cooking shows with one of my favorite chefs.  She was making an amazing dish filled with color and from what she was describing, a wonderful aroma.  I was struck with how moved she was by her own journey of creating her stunning dish.  And even though, I'm sure she had made this dish numerous times, she seemed in awe of her own creation in the end.  Her eyes sparkled as she remarked on how beautiful and intense the color of the dish seemed to her.  She continued with how it tasted and how the flavors danced in her mouth.  Obviously, this woman was thoroughly captured by the results of her own skills and talents.  Watching her made me wonder, if I shouldn't consider going to culinary school myself.  If she could be so moved by the act of cooking, maybe I could find a little of that myself.  This woman was in absolute ecstasy.  Her life at that moment looked so filled with joy and contentment.  She was so amazing to watch in her reactions to what she had created, that I also was feeling amazing joy and beauty inside.  My own creative juices were flowing!  I quickly surmised that going to culinary school was probably out of the question, so looking up her recipe online was the next best thing.  As I perused her numerous recipes online, I reflected that this chef was a woman who had discovered her particular artistic voice of cooking, as her way of expressing "artful living".  In those few minutes that I watched her, she expressed herself, experienced joy, created beauty for herself and others, and connected with others...all through a few mundane ingredients we viewers pass by in our own grocery stores every day.  She had selected items from her local farmers market and had created a masterpiece of art.  The idea that she created beauty from nothing and was making her life and others a little more beautiful by her particular artistic voice, is "Artful Living".

     "Artful Living", includes the things, ideas, attitudes, ways of life, that make your life and the lives of others a bit sweeter.  It is finding and creating beauty out of the mundane, old, trash, difficult times, traumas, sickness...the "routine" or "uglies" of life.  It's an attitude that can manifest things and feelings to add a bit of sweetness to your life and others each day.  It's not just giving a card to a friend, but making a card that you give to your friend.  It's not just packing a lunch for your children, but placing a special note for them to find at lunch that reminds them of how much you love them.  It's finding humor through the trials of breast cancer.  It's repurposing and refurbishing an old piece of garage sale furniture, for your home.  It's making your special cup of coffee for your friend  as you sit down to talk about what is bothering her.  It's how you offer up your beautifully wrapped words to a friend that needs to here a truth.  It's how you turn a life trauma into an eventual beauty filled with wisdom that you are able to share with others.  It's taking the time to watch and listen to the sounds of the earth waking in the morning and giving thanks for the chance to witness God's beauty.  It's getting creative in coming up with Christmas gifts for your kids by utilizing your gifts and talents and supplies on hand, when money is tight.  It's eating a regular family meal on your finest china, just because it's fun.  This is "Artful Living", finding and creating the beauty out of the most mundane and challenging of life, to create masterpieces of art.  "Artful Living" is finding your own artistic voice and using it to live your life more fully,  more connected with others, with more joy, contentment, gratitude, healing, more expressions of love, and greater beauty.

     Find your special and unique artistic voice, and share it with yourself and others to come fully into "Artful Living".