all the love

I’ve been described as a creative person my entire life. Whether through athletics, school, or extracurriculars, every aspect of my life has been driven by the arts, or at the very least an underlying drive to create and share. My craft cupboard used to overflow with new watercolour paints and patterned paper for cardmaking and scrapbooking. My career aspirations, though everchanging, consistently fell under the prevailing title of an “artist”. I grew up having tried just about every artistic sport you can think of and, though various genres, music was always a soundtrack for each of these sports. I discovered my passion for music and suddenly found myself a part of numerous beautiful fanbases. I then proceeded to spend all my savings on concerts just so I could feel my favourite songs in my bones and be a part of an audience that understands me. Writing was an outlet to express the emotions I was experiencing as a child and now, as a young adult, when other forms of communication feel to difficult. This same desire now manifests in this blog and all of my associated accounts. All of this is to say, I have never not been one for artistic self-expression. This is simply a love letter to the arts and an expression of my gratitude for growing up surrounded by people who encouraged me to engage with creativity.

The stories I was exposed to at a young age taught me to see situations from the views of others and consider conflict as a whole. I slowly discovered and built a vocabulary of words that elicit familiar emotions in a way I had previously had a hard time verbalizing, which I still add to and use as I write my academic essays in university. I learned how to write in a way that evokes emotions in others and how to share my opinions and values in a meaningful format, allowing me to be the influence that I had as a child myself. Although this blog is primarily a form of personal fulfillment, it gives me the opportunity to voice my beliefs and connect with others through written language and in a way that is wholly mine. At it’s core, art is a form of communication, after all.

My childhood drama class performances and summer camp dance routines instilled in me the value of being unafraid and helped me to feel more confident in the normalcy of bold expression. I learned to take on different roles and perspectives in a way that grew my understanding of others’ experiences. My image of myself grew as I collected and embodied pieces from every role I played and as the people around me cheered me on while I did so. These values are all deeply rooted in who I am today. I will always advocate for authenticity and encourage creativity. I firmly believe that I would be nothing without my strong sense of self and excitement to share pieces of it with others.

My university degree is a unique blend of art and science, though I tend to lean more into the arts side when choosing my electives. I am currently taking a course on children’s literature and, in my most recent class, was reminded of what language as an art form means to me. My professor spoke of the radiant community formed as a result of storytelling. More specifically, we discussed how the creator holds great significance in the artwork’s meaning and cultural impact, using names like Lorde, Taylor Swift and Louisa May Alcott to demonstrate this point (with a specific emphasis on Lorde and the importance of young adult voices in the media). Not for the first time during my degree, I was overcome with feelings of community and purpose—I actually started to tear up slightly. I saw knowledge, compassion, and creativity displayed in a way that aligned so heavily with the kind of person I aspire to become. 

During my years of cheerleading and other artistic sports, I learned that strength, hard work, and ambition do not need to exist separately from creativity and artistic expression. I formed connections between teamwork, an intense drive for success, and the beauty of sharing emotions in physical form to a musical soundtrack. These are distinctly separate qualities that seem to exist in their own unique spaces, yet they work well as a unit when art and athletics come together. From this, I learned that art is really not at all separable from other human experiences.

I’ve been thinking about the ways that this connection to the arts has influenced the kind of person I am today. I would describe that person as a passionate, driven, expressive, and imaginative woman who feels so deeply about the world around her. I am so incredibly proud of this version of myself, and I believe I can dedicate it wholly to the arts. The arts made me who I am. They continue to shape my views of the world around me and impact the kind of person I am for others. It is so incredibly odd to me that some cannot see the value of art to not only individuals, but society as a whole.

All the love,

Grace