Painting With Purpose #3: What I Believe Artists Are Called to Be

I believe artists are translators. We take what we see—what others might miss—and turn it into something you can feel. Something you can sit with. Something you can’t ignore.

Artists are visionaries. Messengers. We stand in a space between what is and what could. We see into other realms - emotionally, spiritually, metaphorically - and create footholds for those visions to become real.

That’s not small talk or a sound bite. It’s sacred work. It’s culture-shaping. And it carries weight.

The more I sat with that idea, the more I realized: if I can create something that shapes how people feel, think, or see the world—then I want to do it with care. With purpose. With intention.

Because let’s be honest: the world is already full of pain. Fear. Violence. Disconnection. We don’t need more of that mirrored back at us unless there’s a redemptive thread woven in.

So I made a decision. I decided that my art would be a channel for what’s good.

Not perfect. Not shallow. Not sugar-coated. But hopeful. Anchored. True.

My work is about remembering beauty. Reclaiming joy. Not in a cheesy, self-help way, but in a way that invites people to breathe deeper.

That doesn’t mean it’s soft. My work has edge. It’s loud and vibrant and a little messy underneath—just like life. My landscapes might feel dreamy or surreal, but they’re built from truth. They carry emotion.

As woman we often say beauty is pain because we say it because its often true. There’s often pain woven into beauty. There’s frustration that comes with growth. I don’t deny that in my art - I honor it.

But I don’t stop there. I move beyond it. I choose to show a more beautiful version of reality, not to escape it, but to remind us that becoming something more is possible. To believe again. To reconnect with something bigger.

Some artists explore shadows, and I respect that. But I want to shine a light.

That’s what I believe artists are called to be. Not just observers. Not just commentators. But catalysts. Bridge-builders. People who bring the unseen into the seen—and shape cultures and reality in the process.

Next week, I’ll share more about how this belief shapes my actual process, from the moment I step up to the canvas to the way I finish a piece.