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Celebrating World Art Day from the Heart of Home
When we hear the word art, we’re often taught to picture something hanging in a gallery or framed above a mantel. But to me, art is so much more than paint on a canvas. It’s not always about the medium—it’s about the message, the meaning, and the hands behind the work.
And that’s why, on World Art Day, I’m honoring the kind of art that lives quietly in gardens, kitchens, and handmade homes.
Homesteading is my art.
It may not come with gallery showings or awards, but it’s deeply creative, endlessly expressive, and profoundly fulfilling.
Let me tell you why.
Bonus Recipe: Rustic Herb Skillet Bread
Equipment
- Garlic Press
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp dried herbs like rosemary, thyme, or Italian blend
- 1 cup buttermilk or milk + 1 tsp vinegar
- 1/4 cup melted butter or olive oil
- Optional: flaky sea salt for topping
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and herbs.
- Add in the buttermilk and melted butter, stirring until a sticky dough forms.
- Lightly oil or butter an 8-inch cast iron skillet or round baking pan.
- Pour the dough into the skillet and gently press it into an even layer.
- Sprinkle with flaky sea salt or extra herbs on top, if desired.
- Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 20–25 minutes, until golden and the top springs back.
- Let cool slightly, then slice and enjoy warm.
1. Homesteading Is a Creative Process
At its core, homesteading is about creating—creating food, creating beauty, creating a life that reflects your values. Whether I’m planning a spring garden layout, choosing companion plants, or fermenting vegetables for the pantry, every step involves thought, intuition, and care.
The soil becomes my canvas. The garden, my composition. And each harvest, a celebration of creativity and patience.
Even meal planning can be a form of artistry. Cooking from scratch with whole ingredients—especially when you’ve grown or gathered them yourself—brings a sense of accomplishment that can’t be replicated with store-bought shortcuts. The way herbs blend in a pot of soup, or how fresh eggs change the texture of a cake… it’s alchemy and art in one.
2. The Beauty of Handmade
There’s something sacred about using your hands to make something—whether it’s a quilt, a jar of elderberry syrup, or a crocheted blanket for a new baby in the family. These aren’t just hobbies. They’re acts of creation rooted in intention and love.
In our fast-paced, pre-packaged world, handmade items carry soul.
They whisper, I was made with care.
They last longer. They mean more.
Art doesn’t have to be pretty to be powerful. The lopsided first loaf of sourdough, the patched-up jeans, the chicken coop you built with scrap wood—those are testaments to skill, learning, and heart.
3. Nature as the Ultimate Muse
Homesteading keeps me in constant relationship with the seasons, and there’s no better muse than nature herself. The colors of spring radishes, the patterns of frost on the windows, the silence of a winter snowfall—each moment is a quiet work of art, if you take the time to notice it.
And that’s something homesteading teaches you: to notice.
To slow down. To find the extraordinary in the ordinary.
Even failures are part of the creative process. A failed crop, a burnt batch of jam, a broken jar—all of it teaches resilience, improvisation, and the kind of flexibility every artist must learn.
4. Passing Down the Art
One of the most beautiful aspects of homesteading-as-art is how it gets passed down. Just like folk songs and heirloom recipes, these skills and stories become our legacy.
Maybe your grandmother taught you to can peaches. Maybe you’re teaching your grandchild how to gather eggs or sew on a button. That’s art in its most meaningful form: the kind we share.
Art doesn’t need to be sold to have value. When you teach someone how to make something from nothing, you’re gifting them more than a skill—you’re gifting them confidence, connection, and purpose.
Final Thoughts
So today, on World Art Day, I’m celebrating the quiet, meaningful artistry that often goes unnoticed. The art of kneading bread, saving seeds, weaving love into every corner of your home.
Homesteading is my art—and if you’ve ever mended, planted, baked, or built with care, it might be yours too.
Not all artists hang their work on walls.
Some of us hang herbs to dry, gather eggs in aprons, or craft comfort from scratch.
And that, my friend, is a beautiful way to live.
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Free Download: My Handmade Year – Homesteading Skills Tracker
Homesteading is more than a lifestyle—it’s a living art form. And every loaf of bread, every jar of preserves, every seed tucked into the soil is a small masterpiece in the making.
To celebrate the creative, seasonal rhythm of handmade living, I’ve put together a special gift just for you.
🌿 My Handmade Year is a printable Homesteading Skills Tracker designed to help you celebrate your everyday accomplishments—season by season. Whether you’re new to homesteading or have been at it for years, this simple and beautiful sheet is a reminder of just how much heart and creativity goes into the life you’re building.
✅ Track your homemade wins
✅ Reflect on what you’ve learned
✅ Set intentions for what you’d like to create next
Print it, hang it on your fridge, tuck it into your planner, or add it to your homesteading journal—and let it inspire you all year long.
✨ Click below to download it for FREE and start tracking the art you live each day.
👉 Download “My Handmade Year” Tracker
