The Canvas of Life

I am a lover of the arts. One of my favorite things about the Emerald Coast is how much the area supports and attracts local artists.

Alongside the natural beauty of Northwest Florida’s Gulf coast, our arts scene is part of our area’s distinct character, which creates such a special experience for those living at and visiting the Emerald Coast.

We have a temperate climate and abundant and diverse wildlife and landscapes that attract visitors and transplants from across the United States and beyond. But those aspects also serve as inspiration for the creatives that call the Emerald Coast home.

From longleaf pine forests to beachside palm trees, sand dunes, and dune lakes, there are a vast number of neighboring natural habitats that foster wildlife including black bears, deer, coyotes, and more. This alone creates an artist’s dreamscape.

Too, our landscapes elicit a calming effect, from the soothing ocean breeze to the quartz-composed white sands that picturesquely juxtapose with our emerald green waters. The primarily quartz sands were formed long ago from grains that flowed from the southern Appalachian Mountains by way of the Apalachicola River system. Walking barefoot on the quartz-rich sand is said to produce grounding effects, helping to clear the mind and alleviate stress and anxiety.

As our environment naturally attracts the arts, so too do our communities.

Spring on the Emerald Coast welcomes a season celebrating the arts and artists. The April/May issue of Emerald Coast Magazine is our annual arts-themed issue, and May has been branded by the Cultural Arts Alliance as “Art Month” for Walton County, one of my favorite times of year.

I recently attended the AlltogetHER event—a gathering of local female professionals—in Pensacola, presented by the Greater Pensacola Chamber and hosted by Carol Carlan. The event created an opportunity for women to connect and share inspiring stories of resilience with an overall theme of hope.

Keynote speaker Polly Payne offered insight on adopting an artist’s mindset. She expressed that we are all artists and creators in our own forms, that “your life is your canvas.” Payne encouraged us to make sure we are prioritizing time for the greatest piece of art we will ever create—our lives.

As I reflect on my own journey, it’s interesting how my life turned out nothing like I thought it would. Maybe that is the point—to release expectations of what you think things should look like. Instead, focus on how it feels.

I have experienced some messy realities and hard truths, realizing that I am not perfect. None of us are. The most we can hope for is that, when we have made mistakes, we can learn from them and expand our capacity for understanding and sympathy.

Just as art can inspire and connect others, so too can our experiences and our story. In sharing experiences and lessons, we can become a pillar of strength and hope for the next person going through a similar situation.

Jennifer Albert, a beauty and wellness entrepreneur in Santa Rosa Beach, has shared with me and others a beautiful perspective of art. She challenges us to view humans as works of art and to view our differences and uniquities as something of beauty not flaw.

I’m reminded of a quote from one yoga guru, writer, and psychologist, the late Ram Dass—

“When you go out into the woods and you look at trees, you see all the different trees. And some of them are bent. You sort of understand that it didn’t get enough light, and so it turned that way. And you don’t get all emotional about it. You just allow it. The minute you get near humans, you lose all that. And you are constantly saying, ‘You are too this,’ or, ‘I’m too this.’ That judgment mind comes in. And so, I practice turning people into trees. Which means appreciating
them just the way they are.”

During this season of spring and summer, I hope you can view yourself and others with this perspective as you blossom into the next season of life and take the time to work on your own masterpiece—your life, for we only have one.

Much love,

Mckenzie Burleigh, Publisher