Painting flowers and butterflies while the big guys with the big bucks are tearing this world apart

There are moments when it feels strange - I am sitting here, mixing paints and striving to turn a blank canvas into something beautiful, while the polycrisis facing humanity grows louder every day.

Lately these moments have been showing up more often..

It doesn’t really matter which of the endless issues I focus on. What matters to me right now is to understand what gives me and my fellow humans the strength to confront them and to go through this hazy mess with clarity.

So lately I’ve been pondering the questions:

When so much has an impact on us that is out of our control - Where do we find reasons not to turn cynical?

Do our efforts actually matter?

How to keep on going with conviction - and possibly even joy - when everything seems fcked?

Creativity as an anchor

When everything feels overwhelming, the instinct is to shut down. To numb down. To disconnect.

The discipline to keep being creative is what gives me the strength to stand firm. And I know if I won’t keep up with that discipline - things are only going downhill from there..

The more bleak things seem in the world the more intentional I am with cultivating my creative energy. And fully committing to the work I am here to do. Even if - at the first glance- it might seem like throwing a tiny cup of water on a massive wildfire. But that is just a perspective issue. Even the smallest acts, fueled by courage and commitment to preserve goodness, can start to change the underlying current of things.

I make art not to escape reality but to dive deep into the relationship with it.

I use it as an instrument to process my experiences. So every painting becomes a pillar that carries me through a transformation, a space that alchemises my emotions and thoughts into something new.

It isn’t always easy to keep showing up and not look for a distraction or listen to some excuses my mind brings up. But I know that the most rewarding feeling lies on the other side of facing adversity, facing my own demons and going through some places I’d rather pretend are not there.

And to be able to navigate all of it - that’s where true mental sovereignty is found, possibly the most precious treasure in today’s world.

To stay clear-eyed about reality without surrendering agency

In times of input overwhelm, staying creative gives me a way to navigate the world and not be consumed by it. It cuts through the noise and allows me to still hear my own signal, and to amplify it, expand it beyond myself.

There is nothing of true value that we can achieve if we constantly fall back into survival mode and operate from there.

Lately it has become more tricky to even notice if I am in survival mode or not. It’s trying to sneak in through every little crack. It takes extra effort to stay grounded and clear. It is a lot more often that I need to slow down and take a look where I’m actually at..

One of the intentions I have with my art is to create a mirror where you’re able to sense instantly if you’ve been caught in the fight/flight/freeze/collapse, shut down by all the stress. And if you have - for the art to be a guide back to the state of clarity and openness.

Or at least give a glimpse of it.

With my art I choose to give more air-time to the fundamental beauty of the world that surrounds us and to the richness of our internal worlds. My goal is to inspire moments of wonder and appreciation for all the incredible things that are here for us, but can easily be ignored in the face of all else that is constantly pushed into our awareness.

Art is only one form of creative expression.

We all have the creative instinct inside us that gives us agency, and it can look a million different ways.

It is in finding new solutions to a conflict, it is in how you decide to organise your kitchen, it is in mapping out a small weekend trip, it is in how you choose to greet your neighbour..

Yet it is not about how it looks, but what it makes possible. In the core it is about responding instead of reacting. It is about the strength to choose how we want to show up, how we want to move forward within the conditions we are given.

It is in letting our actions answer the question - What is worth expressing, building, amplifying?

Carving out new possibilities and paths

I see it as an absolute privilege to be an artist in these times. And also - I have been fighting hard for that privilege. It still isn’t easy, but there is nothing else I’d rather dedicate my energy to.

What I love so much about art is the capacity it has to shape our worlds, both internally and externally.

It is through various kinds of art that we are inspired to new ideas, new ways of seeing things, new reference points for ourselves. It changes what we see as possible, what we see as relevant, what we choose to strive for (or not), what we choose to express (or hide).

Art also has the incredible power to be a pillar through tough times, to be a source of inspiration when it can’t be found anywhere else. It can be a reminder that there are still things worth living for, fighting for. It can hold symbols of our moral values and highest aspirations.

In times where it’s easier to become numb, cynical and disconnected, art is one of the grounding forces that hold us and help us steer forward into a favourable direction.

In the midst of the storm we are all living through.. which is actually more like a downpour wrapped in a blizzard, wrapped in a tornado..

In the midst of all that-

My aim is to keep creating something that can help someone feel more grounded and more connected to something real.

To create something

that can give the strength

to stay full-hearted human

and to find joyful ways

to keep on doing the things we are here to do.

And be who we are here to be.

Doo Bee Doo Bee Doo