I enjoyed a couple of hours of walking along the streets of Ottawa today. I followed the CATwalk (Centretown Art Tour), and I literally walked into people's homes, soaking up their creativity and art.
I was really moved by the fact that the artists opened up their homes to strangers. It made it feel so intimate to look around at a creative person's space, get a chance to see them and talk to them, and check out how they live and work. Where they create. How they carve out a niche for themselves. And see, sometimes, the inspiration for those creations. I felt like I had been invited over to a friend's house to see their photo slide show. Invited to look at the pictures from their vacation or family reunion; Pictures of Uncle Bob and Aunt Jo eating their corn dogs or the family dog chasing after little Billy. Pictures that make you feel as if for some brief moment that you are a part of their family.
I think it added to the art in more ways than seeing pieces in a gallery. I suspect galleries are designed so that you are not distracted by the walls and paint colors and babies crawling around the floor, but I really liked how it added to the texture and accessibility of art.
A couple of times I walked away thinking, I should just go home and draw. Whether it's exactly what I want or what others want, I should just do it. And keep doing it. Over and over.
So I went home and drew. Just a little. And I felt like an artist. Just for a little bit.
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