Told by Co-founding Director, Lisa Rasmussen

Art is Moving has received numerous thank you notes, surveys from participants filled with words like happy, relaxed, inspired, invigorated, and so much more. Every year at Art Break Day we hear stories from our amazing volunteer hosts about strangers becoming friends across an art table and folks exclaiming they are headed to the art store to buy their very first set of paint or pens or clay because they felt the positive impact of art. We love hearing these stories. They continue to fuel our passion for making art part of every person’s daily life.

I want to tell you one of those stories.

It happens to be about my super supportive (and one time Art Break Day host) Tara. First and foremost, she does not consider herself an artist. She considers herself a “wannabe artist,” who understands the benefits of art. Second, Tara really embodies the concept that the magic is held in the art process itself.

It all started in 2013 when she took the leap and volunteered to host Art Break Day in Rogers, Arkansas. After hosting for two years, she began inviting friends to her house to make art together. One friend used to be an artist, but had stopped and the other had never created art before. By the end of the day everyone was photographing each other with their artwork. After a few art making parties and posts on social media of the artwork created, the friends were contacted by a local art walk committee to start showing and selling their work. Tara has now participated in four Art Walks and sold several of her own artworks like the photograph below.

She feels more confident, wishes she had more time to take an art break, but always feels relaxed when she does get a chance to create.

Here’s what Tara has to say to anyone hesitant to take an art break:

You don’t have to be an artist to do it. If you’re sitting down and being creative and doing what you want, it doesn’t have to be perfect. Whatever you do and enjoy is perfect.

What a beautiful testimony to the

power of taking an art break

and the positive impact of art.

 

Check out our chat below. Listen to the end to hear Tara’s answer to our always asked question, “What does art mean to you?”

Do you have a Take an Art Break Story? Share it with us! (takeanartbreak@artismoving.org)