What does it mean to make art?

Never in my life have I appreciated the real level of work that goes into creating art. As my mom, a writer, purveyor of art history, avid museum devotee, and active creator said:

Art is work.

A few weeks ago I attended an art opening at ICPNA (Instituto Cultural Peruano Norteamericano) in Iquitos where I was stopped in my tracks.

What had the two artists,

created?

They had generated a series of masks of Amazonian spririts from their own garden. With energy, exhaustive effort, and a willingness to share. I stood there, flabbergasted.

What does it mean to put something that you grow and nourish in the soil of yourself, into the world? It´s so very hard to do. I remain vigilant in my appreciation of what humans can do and even more to those who do it. Hats off.