Creative Manifesto

1. I believe we are born to be creative, and that we can all make art.
2. I believe creative acts are vital for living a full life.
3. I believe art making can be a substitute for voice.
4. I believe making art helps us be whole people.
5. I believe in process art – the process of making art illuminates life.
6. I believe art comes in a variety of forms such as painting, poetry, dance, music, and much more.
7. I believe art and spirituality are related.
8. I believe creative lessons are just as important as math or science lessons.
9. I believe consistent creativity results in self-awareness, which leads to better mental health.
10. I believe self-care happens during creative sessions.

I wrote my manifesto this spring. Google Dictionary defines manifesto as “a public declaration of policy and aims.” And so it is. This is my, Amstutz Creative’s, declaration about art and creativity.

Riffing on the second sentence Google Dictionary uses with the word “manifesto” I came up with: “A party manifesto that would change the course of world art.” At first I wrote that for fun. It feels like a big vision, and I’ve been encouraged to think big.

Upon further reflection (like several weeks of reflection), my thought is that I may not change the big world, but I do influence and change people in the world around me. And that, my friend, is a big thing!

Oh, and I reserve the right to change or modify my manifesto at any time as I evolve and grow in my creative experiences.