Why I Create: An Artists Statement

by Holly

Creativity, to me, is nothing short of sacrament. It brings us closer to the Divine, especially if you believe in a creator god. How else can we come close to understanding what the Divine is than by imitating him, her, or however you think of It?

Creating puts us into an altered state. We meditate as we create. The mundane world falls away and we are left with our own thoughts and that internal spark of Divine in us all.

For the most part, the things I create are also intended to imitate and honor the all-powerful creative force of the Universe. For this reason, I prefer organic flow as opposed to imposed pattern (not that there aren't crazy patterns in nature, read Metapatterns by Tyler Volk). I prefer earthy colors and natural materials such as shell, bone, wood, clay and stone. I have a fondness for skulls and anything that reminds us of the transformations we go through that align us with the Earth and show us what it means to be alive. This also translates to other common themes in my work, like butterflies and spirals.

I also have a fondness for using keys in my work. Keys are symbolic of guidance and answers--two things that I think we all seek. So keys, to me, are a powerful symbol of our interconnectedness with one another because of the things we have in common. I believe that Art is an exploration of the qualities that make us feel different and "other." Yet, if you scratch the surface, art becomes really an expose of the things that make us alike, connected to one another and in harmony with the Universe.