Art, Soul & Destiny… How To Find Inspiration ?
I met Jill Steenhuis during an exhibition in a private house in Paris.
The meeting was brief but the connection was instantaneously good. Jill is a very warm, big hearted and delightful women !
At the time (November 2011), I was preparing a Networking event on Business, Art & Creativity and I offered her to participate. Her schedule didn’t allow it but we kept in touch from time to time.
January 2013, Jill sends out the most beautiful and touching greetings message and announces the release of her book “Art, Soul and Destiny”. I replied to her greetings and to my great surprise generously offers to send me the book. Of course, I accepted and I received it a few weeks later ! Wow ! Thank you Jill ! 🙂
Art, Soul and Destiny is a beautiful, thick, large book, the ideal size to enjoy Jill’s paintings to the fullest. It is an auto-biography illustrated with Jill’s amazing canvases. A wonderful, magical way to discover the journey of an extraordinary painter !
In the silence and beauty of Provence’s nature, Jill describes how her senses are engaged, developed and so how her soul and art is. In the nothingness you find the core, the essence, and peace.
Here is one of my favorite part, where Jill Steenhuis explains how she gets creatively inspired, how she interprets nature to trigger emotions through her paintings:
“In my painting, the catalyst is nature – being immersed in it, my soul is moved to create. A multitude of elements envelop my being, embrace me, enter my soul. In the act of painting, my soul engages in a dialogue with nature. The mystery is before me. Silence – I must enter the realm of silence.”
« I must render, not state ; suggest, not complete; remain sensual, not intellectual; pure, not litteral; courageous, not safe and never misuse the powers I have been given. There are so many choices. Focus on one. Which one ? The one you love. How do I start – from the inside out or from the outside in ? Begin from within, placing your shadows to give birth to the light. In my silence I can hear. In my blindness I can see. In my spirit I can touch the mystery. ”
Going through the pages of Jill Steenhuis’ paintings, poetry and deep wisdom; you will find pleasure for your eyes, for your heart and your soul. Almost a soft healing… Or at least you will feel a kind of soothing sensation. A feeling of her sweetness, of the peace she enjoys in her Provence sacred home probably…
In short, Art, Soul & Destiny is a boog to read to nurture your soul ! 🙂
So, now, you might wonder why do I share this on a Marketing blog ?
Because Marketers are also artists: Marketers are always challenged to keep being creative to promote companies, products and services. Artists are great models to learn how to be creative, where to find inspiration, how to vehicle emotions, how to find the essential of things. In Art, Soul and Destiny, Jill Steenhuis shows us that creativity, inspiration comes from observing nature and humanity. By embracing life with all our senses, we give our work a soul and we touch people’s hearts.
By fully embracing a cause, you give it a soul, you can share what really matters and be remembered.
Géraldine Cavagnon, GC&Cie
Thank you for sharing your response to my book, full of encouraging words. I will be back in Paris on September 19, 2013 for a show at Espace Z. Hope to see you then.
Jill, I will be happy to see you again in September and share about your exhibition. Take care 🙂