Finding Meaning in Art: Lessons from Maui's Wildfires

[@SchaeferArt]

What is your purpose for creating art? Post a comment and let me know :)

[@WendiWells]

Thank you Brandon ❤. I appreciate your courage in facing your fears and filming yourself outside anyway. I struggle with that too, but haven't taken that step. Finding a purpose for my art and sketchbook practice… even if its just for me… is crucial. Right now the purpose is because it brings me a sense of calm, let's my brain breathe, and helps me to recover a sense of joy. This was a beautiful video, thank you for taking the time to record, edit, and post it.

[@SchaeferArt]

Thank you Wendi, much appreciated :) Thanks for watching. That's really a great purpose - sometimes I overthink the purpose when sometimes it can be as simple as it's something I love and brings joy or beauty. So true!

[@sandradonofrio413]

Nice eulogy for a place. I’m glad you have your paintings.

[@SchaeferArt]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@willmendoza8498]

This was a good meditation on the value of art. Thank you

[@SchaeferArt]

Thank you for watching, more to come :)

[@joycegilley]

Excellent 'rant' and empathy for the town of Lahaina! So much devastation most of us don't know. However, you understand their loss because of your past. I'm so pleased you got good sketches when you were there. Life tends to be a great teacher, in the oddest and even worst of times.

[@SchaeferArt]

Absolutely! Yes the sketches are great to look back on now.

[@trontosaurusrex9532]

Great topic. I've never been to Hawaii,but I'm from California. So the wildfire hits home. Memorizing things is an interesting topic. Where i live there was a nice local restaurant that's now just a parking lot for a corporate chain. Thanks for the lessons!

[@SchaeferArt]

That's a bummer to hear. Thanks for watching and for sharing :)

[@dorykrysz]

Humans have used art to document things since they started, cave art is the prime example of all this. It was always important and it should always stay important. Art is the perfect way to capture the essence of a place, event, person ect. It's very very important and photographs in my opinion can't give that back unless they are professional (and in most cases, they aren't)

[@SchaeferArt]

So true and well said. You're very right. I will continue painting for sure :)

[@bazzinator7477]

Brandon not many people your age can think as deep as you do. I say that as a compliment. You speak of purpose, well here is a purpose you may not realize. I for a few years now because of getting older and health issues I get to experience the things through your eyes that I use to be able to experience first hand. Looking forward to your sketches as always.

[@SchaeferArt]

Thank you for the kind words :) I will keep documenting and creating. Hoping to get out and sketch more. More to come

[@Prin.c24]

It feels so light and great at the same time to hear your thoughts. Keep it up I really admire you a lot✨️

[@angelssing7510]

Hello Brandon, thank you for your beautiful and inspirational video. Well done for facing your fear in recording this, I'm glad you did. I hope that you continue to find purpose and meaning in your art. I have just started regular sketching outdoors after realising it doesn't matter whether what I create is 'good' in the eyes of others or not. I'm loving really 'seeing' my environment and appreciating the beauty in the most ordinary things. I hope you find inspiration in where you are living now. I look forward to your next video.

[@SchaeferArt]

Thank you for the kind words :) great thoughts and I agree. It's all about enjoying the moment and having fun.

[@jessinelson1796]

You def gotta get out there and paint more my friend. Art is sentimental in so many ways. Sorry to hear what you had to endure when you were 15. Inevitably it made you appreciate and empathize with others on a personal level. Thanks and I look forward to more of your vids. :)

[@SchaeferArt]

Thank you, I will. And well said :)

[@Iloveflowers2024]

I loved this video. It's spot on. I love that you opened up and shared your heart. I think it takes courage to put yourelf out there to Film and speak about feelings and You did a great job. It is because of you I did some paintings of a trip I did with my husband. I did one plein air while I was there and the rest I have been painting from photos. We weren't there for long and we were so busy everyday. And the one day when I had time to do another plein air it was SO windy. 😂 So it didn't happen. But what you're saying about photos getting lost on the phone, camera or wherever. It's So true but with the paintings, sketchbook you know exactly where they are. I am so glad you had the opportunity to go to the island of Maui and were able to paint and take photos when you did. It is a terrible thing that has happened. You have great empathy for the island and the people, I can tell. I have always felt you're a sensitive person, a feeling person so you may feel these things more than perhaps others. I know you can relate because you've experienced losses of a sort yourself. I'm sorry you have been through those hard times but You have deep insight to recognize the lessons and blessings that have come from them. Whenever we go through difficult situations when we are in the thick of it. It's so hard to see. The pain and struggling is hard and raw at the time. It's difficult to believe that there will be light ahead. But more often than not it does come. Life can be a challenge at times, that's for sure. It's not easy being human. I know you said that where you're living you may not get as inspired to paint. I thought the tree behind you where the bike was to the left was kind of nice. There is blue poking through in the background. I thought even you could paint your bike as that's your mode of transportation. Maybe the bench that you were sitting on. Just a thought. Hopefully you'll find little snippets, little vignettes of life around where you live and find more things that will inspire you. I can imagine you will probably move eventually like you said and so make the best of where you are. I have been following you for years now. I think you are a special person. I love your art and your videos and I keep learning from you. Take care as always. Peace to you. From Heather L. 😊 I hope you didn't mind my long comment. 😁

[@SchaeferArt]

Hi Heather, thank you so much for your long and thoughtful comment. Means a lot! :) You hit the nail on the head on pretty much everything you said. I read it all and the whole time I was thinking - "yep, exactly" haha. I'm glad you got to paint, if only once, on a trip. It's a cool experience and memory to have for sure. I paint from my own photos all the time too! You know what, you're right. For some reason, I've never thought about painting my bike, but I definitely should because I am moving within 1-3 years most likely and will have to sell many things, including my bike - so it needs to go in the sketchbook for sure :) Thank you for that idea. And yes, that bench too - it's a place near my house here that I've been to a few times, it's very peaceful. Need to paint it as well. Hope all is well, and thank you for following my work all these years and watching my videos. Really greatly appreciated! :) More to come, as always.

[@Iloveflowers2024]

@@SchaeferArt Aw that's lovely you replied. Thank you and you're welcome. I look forward to seeing the paintings. 😊

[@juststartingover2735]

I new to your channel (just last week) and when I checked out your playlists and videos I saw that you had done a lot on Maui. I immediately wondered how you must be feeling and that you may have documented important places that no longer exist. 😞

[@SchaeferArt]

Yeah it's a bummer. It seems most of the buildings I painted are gone :(

[@CelesteLunaRael]

Thank you for this video. I feel like i should try drawing live subjects and all.

[@SchaeferArt]

Go for it!

[@nyx8851]

great video bro

[@SchaeferArt]

Appreciate it

[@K.ART_vlog]

very nice ❤😍👍

[@SchaeferArt]

Thank you :)

[@dexterque]

很棒！