Lessons from Art: Happiness is a Choice AND a Practice

​Throughout 2018, I create a piece of optimistic, happy artwork every week for my One a Week Art Challenge. I challenged myself to meet this goal and I was committed to it and succeeded. 

But to be honest, 2018 was a hard year for me and I learned that choosing happiness is not always as simple as it sounds.

In our country's current political climate, when truth and facts are blurred and integrity and ethical behaviors are not the norm – it is SO easy to feel the negativity. It is SO easy to be consumed by seeing the bad in others and SO easy to forget to find the good. On top of that, personally, during 2018 I experienced a series of circumstances in which I was disappointed and let down by people that I trusted and respected. Candidly, there were times throughout the year that I felt like I had lost my faith in humanity.

​But there I was, creating a HAPPY, POSITIVE, OPTIMISTIC piece a each and every week and often, that felt in conflict to how I was feeling.

So, to be inspired to create happy artwork, I had to purposely find the good. I sought out positive stories and looked for the beauty in our world. I practiced gratitude and I made creativity a priority. I worked hard to stay grounded in positivity.

Had I not had this One a Week Art Challenge in 2018, I know that I would not have remained as optimistic as I did. That's how ART taught me that Happiness is BOTH a practice and a choice.

How do you practice HAPPINESS?

Make it a HAPPY day!