Live Bold List 21: 6 Ways Art on my Tshirt makes me bold and happy

I’ve been doing it all wrong!
(For a little while)
Life, that is…

My perspective somehow got nudged a teeny bit off, and I have been finding it hard to do things without painful self-consciousness…
like getting a sinking feeling when 300+ updates have come in on Facebook – instead of anticipating the fun of connecting,
like thinking I’ll ‘miss out’ if I’m not up-to-date on my RSS blog reader – instead of knowing it can bring either relevant inspiration or easily-moved-on-from non-matches,
like feeling obligated to hurry up and make art cos it’s What I Do – instead of trusting that joy and ideas and time will be available for making art.
When with someone admired, I was even feeling a lack, that I was being Not Them. Instead of Being As Me As Possible.
That’s not how to be happy!
I’ve decided it’s worth prioritising being happy, being as me as possible; the other things will truly sort themselves out.

So having corrected my own perspective (for now!) I would like to talk about the joys of art on tshirts today.
Whether it’s a painting framed and hung on a a wall in a gallery (or cafe or home), a beautiful graffiti painted ON (the outside of) a wall, a knitted jumper (sweater/pullover), knitted ‘graffiti’ on a tree or a painted bike or any one of a huge number of wonderful things, it can be art; and I include Tshirts as art. In honour of that thought I bring you…

Live Bold List 21: 6 Ways Art on my Tshirt makes me bold and happy

1. Being yourself is being bold. It doesn’t matter whether others are living some kind of generic lifestyle that you don’t relate to, or whether they are living their own rock star life, it’s still theirs. You get to live yours. I get to live mine. So if you wear art which resonates with you, it’s part of your statement to yourself. Choose wisely and if people say, “That shirt is SO YOU!” you will know it to be true :) Don’t you love it when that happens?
2. A tshirt could be a promise to yourself, an act of care, a physical through-the-day reminder you that you intend to live in a creative positive manner.
3. One of the functions of art can be to to change the way you see your world. Art on a tshirt could help make you content or joyous, or see your day through a different viewfinder. Or simply uplift your spirit with bright and happy colours
4. It’s wonderful to support artists – hinty hinty :) When we support each others’ creativity and creations we are helping to keep the ideas and images flowing
5. Art draws inspiration from life. Life draws inspiration from art. To me, that means FUN! I am happy in the picture above partly as I am holding a plum from the tree in Thriving (the lino print), and also I’m wearing the very picture that I invented for the lady in the lino print. Art came from life, then life borrowed from art, and became more art, which is part of life.
6. A tshirt is by it’s nature used everyday, highly practical and portable. It’s a great way to imbue art into life, whilst out and about.

Would you believe that plum I am holding is the final plum of the season? The first photos I took this morning were under the plum tree. The tree threw that last plum at me! Thanks plum tree! We have enjoyed your juicy bounty :) I hope you enjoyed your washing water today. Not the water from the purple dyeing, for people who know me on Facebook, it was from a different load of washing! (Come to think of it, I am going to read the dye package again, wonder what is in that stuff that I sent down the drain out to sea?)

I hope you will join me in the comments with other thoughts, cos I’m pretty sure – and relieved – that I can’t think of everything!

Tons of love and happiness,
Meg x o