Marc Chagall once said, “Art seems to me to be a state of soul more than anything else.”
It’s a statement that does more than define art—it reveals its essence.
Art isn’t just something we make.
Art is something we feel, something we become, something that comes from a place far deeper than technique, skill, or talent. Art rises from the internal landscape where meaning, emotion, memory, and intuition intertwine. It is the quiet, inner voice expressing itself in color, gesture, sound, or story.
In a world overloaded with noise, comparison, and logic-driven productivity, returning to the soul—through creativity—has become not just optional, but necessary.
The Soul Behind the Canvas: What Chagall Really Meant
When Chagall said art is a “state of soul,” he wasn’t talking about aesthetics or artistic rules. He was speaking of a mood, a spiritual state, a lived inner experience that becomes visible through expression.
Art, to him, was not decoration—it was revelation.
- It reveals inner longing
- It reveals what we cannot say in words
- It reveals memory, pain, wonder, and hope
- It reveals the truth of being alive
Whether it’s painting, writing, music, or even a simple doodle on a piece of paper, art mirrors the state of the soul at that moment. The finished product is never the point—the act itself is the experience.
Art Speaks Where Language Fails
There are times when emotions have no vocabulary.
Grief that tightens the throat.
Joy that floods the chest.
A quiet ache that sits behind the ribs.
A sense of belonging we cannot explain.
Art is often the bridge between feeling and understanding. It expresses what logic cannot:
- Love without conditions
- Sadness without words
- Healing without explanation
That’s why art has such power. It bypasses the mind and goes directly into the heart. You may not understand an artwork intellectually, but you feel something move.
That feeling is the message.
The Psychology of Creativity: Why Humans Are Born to Create
There is a deep psychological truth: human beings are natural creators.
From the moment a child can hold a crayon, they instinctively make marks, shapes, and stories. No one teaches them the desire to create—it’s something that erupts from within.
Creativity serves powerful psychological functions:
1. Expression
Art allows us to let out what we hold inside—whether joy or sorrow, confusion or clarity.
2. Integration
Through creativity, experiences and emotions that once felt scattered start to form meaning.
3. Healing
Art has been proven to reduce anxiety, soften trauma responses, and create emotional regulation.
4. Self-Discovery
When we create, we often discover who we are beneath our roles and responsibilities.
5. Connection
Art invites others into our inner world, building bridges through shared human experience.
Making art isn’t about talent.
It’s about returning to the self.
Art as a Mirror of the Inner World
Every brushstroke is a confession.
Every poem is a window.
Every melody is a memory disguised as sound.
Art does not lie. It shows the truth of the heart at the moment it was created.
You can see it in:
- A trembling line drawn during heartbreak
- A bold color used during a period of transformation
- A messy page written during emotional overwhelm
- A soft, detailed piece created during peace and clarity
When we create, we leave traces of our emotional state behind. Our art becomes a map of our becoming.
Everyday Ways to Connect to Your Inner Artist
You don’t need to be a painter, musician, or poet to live a creative life. You only need to be willing to listen inwardly.
Here are small, daily ways to reconnect with the state of soul Chagall spoke about:
1. Draw or doodle without purpose
Let your hand move without thinking.
Let shapes form on their own.
The point is not a masterpiece—it’s honesty.
2. Keep a creative journal
Write fragments, ideas, lines of poetry, or emotions that come up throughout the day.
3. Take “aesthetic walks”
Walk with the intention of noticing beauty—shapes, colors, patterns, light.
4. Create something small every day
A sketch.
A melody.
A piece of writing.
A photograph.
A thought written in your notes app.
It all counts.
5. Give yourself permission to make “bad” art
Art isn’t supposed to be perfect.
It’s supposed to be real.
The Courage to Create: Why Art Makes Us More Human
To create art is to expose your inner world.
To expose your inner world requires courage.
But in that courage is transformation.
Art asks us to:
- Slow down
- Feel deeply
- Listen inwardly
- Be honest with ourselves
- Express what we often hide
And that process—more than the art itself—makes us more human.
Because when we create, we are not performing.
We are experiencing.
We are being.
We are connecting with something timeless inside ourselves.
Art, at its core, is the soul speaking to itself.
Conclusion: Living With an Artistic Soul
Art is not a luxury.
Art is not a hobby.
Art is not a product.
Art is a way of being.
It is the reminder that inside each of us lives a soul longing to be expressed—softly, honestly, beautifully, imperfectly. And when we give it space, we rediscover who we are, what we feel, and what truly matters.
Chagall was right:
Art is a state of soul.
And the more we create, the more we learn to hear our soul clearly.

One response to “Art as the Language of the Soul: Why Creativity Is More Than Just Creation”
Thank you for this writing. So nicely delivered. It’s a joy to read! Indeed, it’s a great reminder to us, that art is a way more than just some scribbly lines or a color on canvas, it has a deeper purpose, plus healing properties. Have a lovely day.
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