To dedicate oneself to art is to dedicate oneself within. This seems like a selfish choice, but I’ve realized that for me this is not really a choice at all. The thing is, when you haven’t devoted your life to developing and maintaining a skill as intangible as music or as unnecessary as a painting, you soon realize that the monetization of that skill becomes a necessary evil for survival and this can be the end of some people’s journey or the catalyst to begin one. A selfish way of life is to be devoted to your self, yes. But what that looks like for me is a lifetime of self examination through the acquisition of skills that – in the end – make it easier to express myself more freely & clearly.

I’ve experienced many difficulties along this journey that reach further than just the inner turmoil and existential dread accumulated by examining one’s every experience and emotion. Things like, maintaining and managing relationships, the societal pressures of what makes an artist successful, as well as the overriding desire we all have to fit in have made my life – at times – isolated, exhausting, and unbalanced. However challenging these things may be, the truth is they pale in comparison to the importance of what is gained.

A finished piece of art is a mirror, it shows all of your shortcomings as well as your strengths; learning to appreciate both is a lifelong endeavour but one with countless positive returns and ripple effects throughout life. A word that has become a mantra for me is “chiaroscuro.” It is an Italian term used to describe the dramatic effect of contrasting areas of light and dark in an artwork. It comes from the combination of the Italian words for “light” and “shadow.” A beautiful word for an intriguing and magical facet of any art form. One of the paramount lessons I’ve learned from art is that balance is a necessity for life itself and therefore an essential element for all creation, be it artistic or biological. The deeper understanding of myself and the chance to experience the eternal and unbound stream of egoless childlike creativity is truly a transcendent feeling and very much a highlight of my life.

I hope that the lines in my art give you a moment of stillness to reflect and see the connections and parallels we all share in this great swirling and bubbling stream of consciousness we call life.

- G. Lundstrom

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