I���ve walked through countless museums in my life, and it never fails to amaze me: the roughest art is often the most profound.

And the simplest art? The most accomplished.

At a poetry event in Berkeley years ago, I heard poetry written by homeless women. Their words carried a raw, unfiltered depth, far more captivating than anything polished by English lit grads.

And I���ll never forget my first encounter with the quilts of Gee���s Bend. Made by poor, uneducated women in the South, they���ve been described as some of the best examples of modern art.

I think about a friend���s husband who once criticized Garrison Keillor���s ���terrible��� voice and questioned how he could dare sing on Prairie Home Companion.

It hurt my heart to hear him dismissed so easily.

It reminds me of Yo-Yo Ma speaking about playing just a single note���with great feeling. Or Dubuffet���s belief that simplicity is the measure of great art.

Even Einstein said, ���When the solution is simple, God is answering.���

Simplicity moves us. We���re not stuck in our heads, untangling layers of complexity���we���re just present, connected, and alive. Simplicity allows us to feel. 

#simplicity #art #creativitymatters