How does art transform everyday experiences?

Art Reflecting Life: Finding Hope in Creativity

Have you ever looked at a piece of art and felt something shift inside you? Not because someone told you it was important or because it’s hanging in a museum, but because it resonated with you on a personal level?

Art has a funny way of sneaking into our lives, shaping how we see the world, often without us even realizing it. It’s not just about decoration or aesthetics—it’s about connection. And the most surprising part? We often don’t see the full impact of art until it mirrors back at us in our everyday experiences.

Holding On to Hope

During a trip to South Africa, I was delighted to discover Hope by George Frederic Watts at the Iziko South African National Gallery. Seeing it in person was a profound moment, as the painting had long resonated with me on a deeply personal level.

Photo by Silvina Erwin

This painting resonates with me, especially during a time when I experienced a sense of separation from those I once felt deeply connected to. It’s a period where life has a way of weighing you down, making you feel bent and blinded, leaving you with little to hold onto. At that moment, the rock where the woman sits in the painting symbolizes the presence of something greater, something that holds steady through the storm, no matter how overwhelming it may feel. Call it the universe, the Creator, God—however you name it, you know it’s bigger than yourself, and deep inside, you sense it can be trusted.

For me, the Creator was with me all along, opening my eyes, picking me up, and letting me know I wasn’t alone. That single string was enough. This painting reminds me that hope can sometimes feel as fragile as one lonely string, but still, it plays—it speaks of a better future. But I won’t place my hope in a string, or in art, or in anything I create. My hope is in the One who is greater than me, the One who remains steadfast no matter what.

How Art Transforms the Everyday

Think about the art in your own life. Maybe it’s a print you picked up on a trip, a handmade piece from a friend, or a painting that just spoke to you. You might not have known why you needed it at first, but now, it’s part of your space, your routine—your life.

It’s in the way you glance at a painting while sipping your morning coffee. Or how a sculpture catches the golden light just right in the evening. Or the way a song lyric, once background noise, suddenly hits home in a way it never did before. Art has this slow magic. It grows into our lives, revealing its meaning over time.

The ‘A-Ha’ Moment

Ever had that moment when you finally understand why a certain piece of art resonates with you? It’s like suddenly getting the punchline of a joke you’ve been hearing for years. It could be an old family portrait, a sketch in your journal, or even a quirky thrift store find. One day, out of nowhere, you just get it.

For me, it was Hope. I used to see it as a painting about despair, but one day, after a particularly rough season, I saw it differently. She wasn’t giving up—she was waiting, listening, trusting that even one string could still make music. That moment changed how I saw both the painting and myself.

But here’s the thing—I don’t place my hope in a string. Not in art, not in what I create, not in what’s left when everything else is stripped away. That rock the woman is sitting on? To me, it represents something greater. Call it the universe, the Creator, God—whatever name you use, there’s something bigger than yourself, something steady in the middle of the storm. And deep down, if you listen closely, you know it can be trusted. For me, the Creator was with me all along. He opened my eyes, picked me up, and let me know that I was never alone. Hope reminds me of that. That even when hope seems fragile, like a single string, it still plays. And more importantly, the One who holds me will always be there, no matter what.

Iziko South African National Gallery in Cape Town, South Africa.

Living With Art, Not Just Next to It

The value of art isn’t in its price tag or prestige. It’s in how it makes us feel. How it reminds us of who we are, who we were, or who we hope to be. The best art doesn’t just exist in our spaces—it becomes part of our stories.

Iziko South African National Gallery in Cape Town, South Africa.

So next time you’re drawn to a piece of art, trust that pull. Even if you don’t fully understand why yet. Let it live with you, breathe with you, and shape your days. One day, you might look up and realize—it was never just about the art. It was about you all along.

Have you ever had a moment where art reflected your life in an unexpected way? Drop a comment—I’d love to hear your story.