I'm rather excited about the chance to answer the question "How can your life become a work of art?" I'm excited because, at heart, I'm an artist. I have a fine arts degree and began a graphic design business just out of college. Now my creative expression comes in different forms: as a writer and poet, as a gardener and cook, and certainly as a mother. Life's energy is creative energy. And the older I get, the more grateful I am to be blessed with it. People are forever saying "Joyanne, you are soooo creative. I wish I were creative too, but I'm just not." But nothing could be further from the truth.

Did you know that the Oxford dictionary defines art as 'human creative skill'? And it's just that, a skill. As a skill, it becomes better with practice. Like a muscle, it becomes stronger with use. But even though you have an innate capacity for art, I believe that art is NOT art until someone appreciates it. As you know, art appreciation is entirely subjective. But in terms of your life becoming a work of art, the only opinion that matters is yours. In other words, who will appreciate the work of art that is you, if not YOU?

I'd like to tell you a story about my dad. As long as I can remember, he's kept his loose change in a place in his top dresser drawer. Every day when he came home from work, he emptied his pockets and changed out of his work clothes. He'd open the drawer and place his spare coins into a little lump of an ashtray-paperweight-thingamajig that I'd fashioned out of clay in pre-school.

He'd remind me over and over, "You know, you made this for me sweetie pie." And each time he'd tell me, I'd wonder why he kept it. It was like a blob covered in a truly unsavory brownish-yellow glaze. It wasn't good, it was embarrassing. In fact, it was sinfully ugly. In my immature opinion, it seemed unrecognizable and not like "art" at all.

But my father saw something different. He loved and kept my artwork, because he adored the tiny hands that created it and to my dad that made it beautiful. The value of art to him, or any observer, comes not from the work itself but from those who see it; those whose vision goes beyond the surface to recognize:
- a unique perspective or
- evolution or
- intention or
- love

Art isn't art until it's seen. So what is seeing? Seeing is about vision. Interestingly, the word vision is derived from a root word meaning "to know". So, to have clear vision is to have real knowing. Therefore, the ability to recognize your life as a work of art doesn't require a well developed self-image, but a growing self-knowledge.

How then do you get to know your self? Well, if you're always engaged in the process of becoming "somebody", then your orientation is to external actions. What I'm suggesting is that constant motion precludes true vision. When you're going full speed ahead, you can only focus on what's directly in front of you and the rest is just a blur. But when you slow down, you can safely look around and invite deeper knowing. So… what do you know? What can you learn by looking? What can you notice and name and finally appreciate?

The question "How can my life become a work of art?" can be answered this way: by laying down the brush and setting aside the paints; by becoming the canvas itself as you enter into and honor what IS.

You know, you don't have to become a great artist. You have only to develop your vision to appreciate the existing work of art that lies beneath judgment, behind your goals, and beyond the limitations of those whose own blindness prevents them from seeing or knowing your unmistakable beauty.

When you allow the truth of you to surface from beneath the cover of doubt or shame or unworthiness, then and only then, will the masterpiece that is you reveal itself upon your canvas. Your work then is not to perfect your craft, but instead to sharpen your focus by looking long and hard.

The creative work that is your life will come to light in keeping with your ability to discern, and then share, the splendid truths you've always believed about yourself. When you know that, others will also begin to know that… about you and then perhaps, about themselves.

It was the Indian philosopher Osho who said "Drop the idea of becoming someone, because you are already a masterpiece. You can not be improved. You have only to come to it, to know it, to realize it."

Until next time, I leave you with abundant peace.

Need 5 minutes of Inspiration? Watch The Peace Movie at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHyQRHLIclk