The dictionary defines freedom as ‘Freedom is the power or right to act, speak or think as one wants. Freedom is the state of not being imprisoned or enslaved.’
Freedom to….
Freedom from…
Freedom to be…
There are not so many jobs that allow you freedom, being an artist is one. An Alexander Technique teacher, my other hat, teaches about freedom… to be free to move, free from pain, free to feel, intuit and express yourself…
I don’t know that I consciously realised just how important freedom was to me until recently. Reading several books about William Wallace, (1270 – 1305) a local hero, got me thinking about what freedom is.
For me freedom is following and trusting the creative impulse (harder than it sounds) to express a truth and live a good life.
Art allows freedom from restriction and freedom from being told what to do! In a world of rules and regulations, should and ought to’s, art challenges you to stay free and true to your self. (Again harder than it sounds). I guess that’s why I chose art – of all the subjects at school it was the one that allowed the most freedom. It was both the easiest and hardest at the same time.
A lot of my artwork is also about freedom… feathers floating in the wind, galloping horses, dandelion clocks flying, wild animals, stormy seas…
Our freedom is constantly being impinged… our freedom to eat natural food, drink pure water, breathe clean air, our freedom to roam, our freedom to use our time and speak our truth. We are being spied on by our computers, by cameras in the street, by our phones. There are rules and regulations that we blindly obey…
Freedom. for me, encapsulates words like trust, love, caring, understanding, compassion, acceptance, tolerance, kindness, allowing, generosity, nature, creativity, movement, wildlife, wilderness…
My art it is about looking for ways to to express ideas about freedom whilst keeping the process of applying paint free too, because being free is the most fun you can have on your own! (And again harder than it sounds.)
What does freedom mean to you? I think it is worth pondering…
William Wallace was hung, drawn and quartered for his belief in freedom. Personally I don’t do politics being more a believer in a need for a global consciousness to save our planet but I do believe in freedom from tyranny, in standing up for yourself and having a moral code such as do no harm to others.
Freedom, surely, is a right!
“I tell you the truth, freedom is what is best. Sons, never live life like slaves.” William Wallace.
A Quiet Conversation by Kirsten Harris, Acrylic and ink on canvas, 150 x 100 cm