Art is cheap therapy

Finally, the Economy …Times are tight for all of us, and I don’t mean to belittle anyone’s struggles to survive this economic slow-down. After all, I myself am trying to survive on a retail income. But, I did want to try to shine a ray of hope on the situation.

I’ve lost count of the times I have been told that the economy was crashing, or the world was coming to another end, and that we can’t make it financially. If I closed the store every time someone said we wouldn’t survive, this year would be approximately our 8th closing. Somehow we always pull through just fine. Sometimes are rougher than others, but it always works out, I don’t know how, it’s a mystery.Some people say that the ‘Arts’ are not needed. That, in times of economic downturn, people need food, not art, and that what we do is simply a luxury.

I know that during 9-11 we had customers coming in, grateful that we were open, so they could get the supplies they needed to express themselves during the tragedy.

Stress related illnesses have increased over 500% in the last 10 years, this was one statistic I have recently heard, and I believe it. We are all moving at top speed, working as hard as we can, and running ourselves ragged.

Art, in my opinion is cheap therapy. You can get a lot of pencils and paper for the price of only one visit to the Psychotherapists office. As a matter of fact, you could probably set yourself up quite nicely to paint professionally in Watercolors for the price of one visit. (No offense intended to the many friends I have in the various healing arts.)

As I reminded my mailing list customers during the end of the year last year: My wish for you, is that you find the time to tend your own creative fire.

I hope that you can do something for yourself creatively. Whether you decide to doodle with your kids, splash some paint around, make a lovely greeting card for someone you care about, or get your hands dirty with some nice earthy clay, I only suggest that you give yourself permission to have some fun.

To twist a phrase: Sometimes you really DO have to stop and DRAW the roses.

Thank you all for helping us “always make it somehow.”
Chelsea Lindner
Manager;

Artist’s Mediums Inc.