un-hidden

I was going through an old book journal the other day, looking for a quote I was trying to remember. Which, as a side note, is funny... because I probably have about 10 journals laying around... all with like the first 15 pages filled. The rest empty. It's almost like I get sick of the notebook itself, wanting something new. Which, again another side note, resembles me most of the time.... ready for something new. Anyway.

I was looking for this quote, which I found. The beginning says:

Whatever form art takes, it gives outward expression to what otherwise would remain locked in the mind, unshared.

I was thinking about that quote because my mind was full of ideas. Ideas about paintings, scriptures, dreams. But they were locked in my mind, unshared. When I finally poured them out on to paper, they were gone. And my mind was clear again, as if the ideas wanted out. Not that I shared them with anyone... because I didn't in all cases. But it was as if that painting wanted painted or that devotional wanted written. It actually took me by surprise how clear my mind was when I finally just let them all out! I know, I KNOW! It sounds kinda weird.... and it was!! But cool, too. :) The rest of the quote goes:

One individual personality has definite or special talent for expressing in SOME medium, what other personalities can hear, see, smell, feel, taste, understand, enjoy, be stimulated by, be involved in, experience reality in, find refreshment in, find satisfaction in, find fulfillment in, be agonized by, be pleased by, enter into.... but which they could not produce by themselves.

Art in its various forms expresses and gives opportunity to others to share in and respond to things which would otherwise remain vague, empty notions.

I love it!! I love it when someone says something that I TOTALLY can relate to. It's always so neat- wow, someone else feels that exact same way! Wow, I am not the only one! It makes us relate in a more free way, right?! It is cool that we all have something like that to give. We all have the ability in some form to express what others may be feeling but have never expressed.

This quote is from a book by Edith Schaeffer, wife of theologian Francis Schaeffer. In it she talks all about art in it's various forms and expressing oneself through those things... painting, writing, cooking, decorating, music, words.... doodling... blogging....(OK, she doesn't officially mention blogging!) ...but anything, really. It's pretty cool. OK, it is a little 50s-ish... even though it was printed in the 70s. "The Hidden Art of Homemaking". But it is good. Really, it is. ;)