The Treasure of Art

How do I take 'Time to Treasure' the art of making?

When I first thought of this theme for the Gift of Time project I didn't know how I would relate this to my art process! But the more I thought about treasures, things started taking shape for me.​

When I talked in my last blog post about a treasure being inspiring, something that fills me with joy or touches my heart, I realized that is exactly what my art does for me!

I'm constantly inspired by making art, through being able to create things with my imagination and then with my hands. I'm inspired by seeing how others create and make art too; how they use different materials to convey different ideas that they have only imagined as well. I'm inspired by being able to experiment with different ideas that I have, to learn new processes, and try new things and these are all moments that I treasure. Time creating is a treasure for me.


Treasures have also come with experiences that I've had and people that I've met because I create art. The list of people I've met because of my career path or projects that I've worked on is something that I can't fully quantify. Even the path that led me to move so many times for new jobs and experiences has led me to meet so many treasured friends over the years. Although there are many that I've lost touch with over time, these treasured memories are still of value to me. Let me share one experience and the treasures that unfolded within it.

After I graduated college I had the rare opportunity to complete a summer internship at Maine Media College. My responsibilities were small in the sense of what I was doing daily, mostly mixing chemicals and setting up supplies for photography classes to be taught to visitors each week. But there were so many other treasures that I gained along the way through this experience.​

The whole of my experience there set a foundation for my art path that I didn't fully understand until years later. It helped me to see the vast options for art careers available in photography, all the paths I could choose to take, and how people had been successful artists despite the odds. I listened to so many lectures from professionals who came in weekly to teach workshops. They talked about their work and how they got started and I treasure the insight and inspiration that they shared with me even today. I treasure the fact that while completing this internship, this little nobody country desert girl, was able to live where I could walk to the ocean every day and experience what it was like to live by the sea. I treasure the things that helped me to stretch and grow in personal ways as I continued to choose who I wanted to become. I treasure the kindness of strangers I met, those who welcomed me into their homes for the short time that I was there and became my temporary family. I treasure that I have been able to share the knowledge that I gained during this internship with many others over the years have passed since.

This is just one experience full of treasures!​ I have so many, many other experiences like this!

Each little treasure of knowledge I gain, each little treasure of joy I feel, each person I can meet that I can create with is a treasured moment if I choose to look at it that way.

We often think when we are searching for treasure that we are looking for something big and sparkling, something hidden or hard to obtain. Rather than looking for something like that, the treasure lies in the small things that add up over time. It's more like finding and collecting sea glass on the beach. We find one treasure here, one there, one through this experience, and one through that experience. Until one day we have handfuls, basketfuls, bucketful's, of treasures. We have enough to enjoy them for ourselves and we have more than enough to share with others as well.

What are your art treasures? I challenge you to take some time in the next few weeks and write down the small treasures you have gained through your art experiences and pay attention to how they add up over time.

The Treasure is in the journey. The Treasure is in the experience. The Treasure is in learning and growing. The Treasure is in the creation.

It is a gift to take 'Time to Treasure'.