Article January 6, 2014 Issue

Art and reflection

Suzanne Dickson Albert

Many years ago, as a fledgling artist, I attended a workshop with several other women on an island in Maine. I was so intimidated by the whole process of “doing” art and being critiqued in front of all those others, that I was overcome by a frustrating bout of “artist’s block.”

I called an experienced Christian Scientist, whom I’d known for some time, and explained the situation to him. To my surprise, he said that while I am involved in creative work of this kind, I’m actually loving. I wondered how I could be loving while sitting in the middle of the woods or at the water’s edge all by myself. Wasn’t loving an action involving others?

However, the thought that creating a painting was a form of loving stayed with me, and that afternoon I sat under a big fir tree depicting its beauty in a colorful pastel. The week proved productive, and I had no further trouble enjoying my work on the island.