By Lori Welch Brown
Artists and creatives are often asked, “Why?” Why did you paint that landscape? Why did you write that story about a young mother who lost her son to cancer? Why do you work in metal? In other words, why do you do what you do?
It’s an interesting question and not always easy to answer. We get so bogged down in the ‘how’ and the actual doing that we forget to ask ourselves the most important question—why. And, for the record, I don’t necessarily think that ‘why’ is relegated to creatives. Why did you go into law? Why do you run? Why do you want kids?
Many years ago, I ran a professional organizing and concierge company. My ‘why’ was that I loved to help people. My company’s tagline was, “Life just got easier,” and that was at the forefront of everything we did—we made our clients’ lives easier. Now I find myself in a new chapter—pursuing my artistic endeavors—and I’ve struggled with my ‘why’ beyond that it brings me pleasure and I find it soothing. It calms my monkey mind.
So, I dug a little deeper…
Because I like making order out of chaos. Because I like problem solving and resolution. Because I like to start with something unrecognizable—ugly even—and make it into something that brings joy. Because I like cutting and pasting and playing with different supplies and letting my imagination wander. Because I like shutting myself away in my studio, turning on a podcast or some music, and losing myself. Because I like to envelop myself in memories—memories of riding my minibike across my grandmother’s field with the neighbor’s collie racing behind me, memories of our vacation in Italy, memories of…Because I love color—especially bright, bold ones. Because I love trying to capture nuances in nature and objects. Because I like to start with a simple mark and see where it takes me. Because I love the feeling of accomplishment.
We often go through life checking boxes and doing things because they’re expected or because a door opened and we walked through it without really asking ourselves ‘why’. Maybe you ended up in finance because your uncle owned an accounting firm and offered you a job. Maybe you ended up marrying your first boyfriend because your parents liked him, he asked, and all your friends were getting married. Maybe you forgot to ask yourself ‘why’…
Kids ask ‘why’ all the time. Go to bed. Why? Pick up your toys. Why? Don’t touch the stove. Why? George Washington was our first president. Why? It’s their tool for learning and simultaneously driving the adults in their lives bonkers. For the record, in my house, the answer to ‘why’ was always ‘because I said so.’
As adults, we’ve lost a bit of the curiosity and wonder in our lives. Maybe as we age, our ‘why’ gets replaced with knowledge and wisdom, but we’re never too old to keep learning and wondering—as well as wandering down different roads.
Maybe if we flexed our daily ‘why’ muscle it would help us in a myriad of ways.
Why am I eating this fifth slice of pizza? Why am I pouring another glass of wine? Why am I slicing another piece of cheesecake? Of course, you can always say, “Why not have another slice of pizza and open another bottle of wine?” Why am I so mad at my partner? Why am I sad? Why am I so irritated at this driver who clearly doesn’t know how to use a turn signal? Why can’t the line at Target move faster? Why can’t Amazon deliver my leggings in one hour? Why can’t Jon Hamm take his shirt off in more scenes? Why can’t this moisturizer remove these crow’s feet? Why can’t everyone stop complaining about egg prices and start raising their own hens? Why can’t everyone be perfect like me?! God—if only…alas, the world is imperfect and it’s the perfect people who must suffer the daily consequences and inconveniences.
As you can see, it’s easy to get lost in a sea of ‘why’s’ so perhaps start small. Like why are you reading this column when you could be out biking or hiking or eating another piece of cheesecake.
Happy Mother’s Day and Happy Memorial Day! Lots to celebrate this month—no reason to ask ‘why’. Just enjoy.
About the Author: Lori Welch Brown is a local writer, painter and pet lover who loves to share her experiences and expertise with our readers. She has been penning a column for the OTC for over 25 years. Please follow Lori online on Medium for more missives like this.