Category Archives: Creativity

artistic survival….the adventure of foolishness….

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alive in flames of creative fire….

Art is not about thinking something up. It is about getting something down. We’re not doing; we’re getting. Instead of reaching for inventions, we are engaged in listening. We are more the conduit than the creator of what we express. We tune in & drop down the well. Once you accept this natural rhythm of creating, the voice of synchronicity shows up, supporting your experience…..Julia Cameron

showing up in a creative life can be the most painful process of resistance…..having absolutely nothing to do with the desire to create….it’s simply a matter of fear…perfectionism creeps in; judging rather than doing…

remember a little madness is good for the creative soul….

as well as wise grit….deconstructing a creative impulse simply means ‘follow your heart’….

we save ourselves through risk… 

The sources of imagination hover in the commonplace. Heroic expectations are blindfolds, obstructing the spontaneous response to what arrives independently of my intent. Art’s medicine involves the unexpected as a predictable expression of psyche’s movement. You’ve got to learn not-to-be, before you can come into being…..Shaun McNiff

the magic of play….physics & art

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boxes full of secrets

The second law of thermodynamics describes entropy, the fact that any transformation happens at less than 100 percent efficiency, & thus all systems tend to run down. This law requires that a bounce lose oomph over time, like a ball that eventually comes to rest. The work of art defies this law; the more we expend going in, the greater the energy going out. This may be a secret alchemical law of metaphysics. I call the defiant phenomenon ‘the bounce.’ At the heart of every successful work of art is a marvelous small impulse toward more. Our irrepressible yearning can’t resist pushing on; at the moment of completion it says, ‘and…’ Making a world bounces us into beginning the next world….Eric Booth

this is pure play….what all children know….we don’t understand the art or worry about it first….the art itself teaches us…leads us to the knowing…this is how we can make art for a lifetime….

So what remains when the self is forgotten? You realize yourself as the whole phenomenal universe. What is the self that is expressed in self-expression? When the self disappears, the brush paints by itself, the dance dances itself, the poem writes itself. There is no gap….in between. This is not an accident. It is rather the result of personal training, spirtitual development, & insight, which then manifests….John Daido Loori

absorption in art clarifies the dualistic nature of ego…the clarity of soul & intent rather than ego & outcome work it out….awkwardness transforms….

 behind a mask & the mask becomes the expression…

making the journey our own

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golden journeys

Spiritual direction is largely about listening. To hear requires that we slow down & make space both in our schedules & within our hearts to create a receiving place. Listening demands we grow quiet, so that we might encounter the essence of things. This practice is a way to go beyond the rational, chattering, divisive mind & feel the language of connection. Practices that ground me in the stunning plains of silence & the vast river of the imagination help me to cultivate a stance of openness & wonder to what the world around might be revealing in a given moment. This deep rootedness in the rhythm of my breath, which draws me to the present moment, creates a space in which I can begin to observe my own inner dynamics with a curious & compassionate heart. The art that emerges from this inner space is an authentic expression of the movements of my soul….Christine Valters Paintner

what a statement of confidence….wow….lots of quiet time required there….inquiring why we’re not in that space though is an equally valid way to create our own defintion of where we are, why we are, & ulitmately defines ‘how much’ we need to understand….

this can be a pitfall of a spiritual journey….another way we perceive ourselves ‘not measuring up’…..

such a beautiful mantra, yes?….lots of ‘soul movement’ & self-expression becoming clear by ‘allowing space’….but beware….make sure you define your own journey….

I find the most exquisite ‘soul movement’ in the unlikeliest of places….

those spaces of catching the light in the window….the silence late at night….the quiet produce aisle…stirring a pot of soup….that little dance & twirl when I think of something funny….

this of course is more about living a creative life than having a creative life; what I would call ‘pure imagination’….

Our relentless human search for new ways of being & relating, our dreams of beauty, our longings for mercy & justice, these are exercises of the imagination….

Wendy Wright

dance into mystery….

deep play & the faeries rediscovered

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call the faeries

call the faeries to play

the faeries are patient….they wait for the intuitive call….they bide time…sit in the studio with reminders to waylay rational thought in that ‘no time’ before creation awakens…

they help us to commune with our innate force….the drive which can so easily slip away….the rich moist ground of waiting…

they remind us of…………….

all the sweetness of the dark

all the rich layers of play which come from falling down

all the whimsy we can behold in simply imagining….

all the deep breaths we miss

all the choices of color we forgot we discovered

all the unexpected capacity in subtle grace

don’t forget the power of flying

Learning to trust the unfolding of one’s own life is awkward, painful work that often leaves one feeling exposed & vulnerable. A critical part is the willingness not to know where one is going.

….Sherry Anderson & Patricia Hopkins

making the invisible visible….the artless art of living…

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define your soul era

Even a brief shock (when discovering the moon over city roofs or hearing a sharp bird cry at night) can yield an experience of the order of no-mind: the poetical order, the order of art. When this occurs, our own reality-beyond-meaning is awakened, & we experience an affect that is neither thought nor feeling but an interior impact. Both the magic of art & the art of magic derive from & are addressed to experiences of this order. They function evocatively, not referentially; like the beat of a shaman’s drum, not like a formula of Einstein……Joseph Campbell

it’s wonderful to escape to a place where reason is uninvited….the harmony of art & magic touches our need for aesthetic wanderings….such small & delicate wishes!

like arrranging the dinner just so…like draping a little sprig of ivy over your hut….like suddenly remembering your ancient roots in an old teacup….like burying a stone for luck….like remembering your devout faith as something inevitable….

All the way to heaven is heaven itself.

…Maezumi Roshi

beseeching the infinite….in a moment before dinner & after a long day…

The process of discovery is the endless spring of creativity, always bright, fresh & new, brimming with life. Where it comes from is not too important. What matters is that it’s already present in each one of us, waiting to be uncovered. Ultimately, engaging the artless arts means to see into one’s own heart & mind, & to bring to life that which is realized- embodying the arts of simplicity, mystery,, spontaneity, & suchness……John Daido Loori

flying our wishes out in a stream of magic….an ode to joy…

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whimsy wands...

I make what I call ‘whimsy wands’……a variation on the magic wand……I have sold  them at craft shows & I give them to kids & kids at heart….they elicit the most wonderful response……joyful, caught of guard, playful….made of sticks & shells, feathers & ribbons & other fun stuff…..a little magic to be strewn about….lightening our load with a laugh & a wish…

this is the essence of our beauteous & vibrant existence…..the one we forget we own….the contradictions of a seemingly unexceptional self….a belly laugh rising like a beast from the mysterious depths of ordinary life, hurling us out of our usual identity….an intensity of living becomes available, graced with the authenticity of joy….

something special about a childlike, whimsical, make-believe moment…

When the puer (‘child’ in Latin) shows up, it offers great promise. We may find the puer rising after a period of cool discontent or fallow wintering of the soul. Its appearance signals a renaissance of possiblility. The puer is our creativity. The puer is an aspect of the spiritual side of a man or woman complimenting the deep, downward, grounded soul. It keeps us moving, looking ahead, creating & imagining…..Thomas Moore

find a little heart space… 

When we feel joy, our whole life lights up. When we feel joy, our light extends to everyone in our experience. In our presence, people who hide in the darknesss of judgment & criticism suddenly see the light that shines inside themselves. If you want to do God’s work, find the light that lies in your mind & heart. Feel the fire in the heart that comes from your gratitude, your appreciation of your life just the way it is. Because you feel joy in the moment, the warmth in your heart is given wings. ….Paul Ferrini

the kingdom of night…wild hearts & wild beasts escape…

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gentle souls of the night...hearts beating...

creating in the night reveals a vast kingdom of exotic animals in the mind…a place to roam….like being blind in a tunnel of white, hot light….sight by osmosis….constructing a new meaning of wild-heart authenticity…

questioning by diving into no-time….unshackling the doors to presence, to vivid color, to a more succinct expression of soul initiation…

The art studio becomes a safe place where ‘escaped goats’ invite the body to speak its own heart through relationships with each other & its works of art. The ancient Greeks believed the organ of perception was the heart, holding a microcosm of the world or natural law connecting all beings with the order of the world…Within the walls of this ancient abode, the imagination resides….Mimi Farrelly-Hansen

this night place allows us to plunge our hearts safely, fully, experientially….the walls of our studio hold the walls of our hearts…..secrets emanating & containing all spontaneity, all honesty, all contradictions of human creativity…

a natural movement into what is…heart pumping a new imaginal intelligence….

The studio creates an environment that supports the soul’s first freedom…the freedom to imagine…& a place where cultivating images for their own sake is supremely valued, quickening the soul to its images in the heart. The heart is not so much the place of personal feeling as it is the place of true imagining …..James Hillman

lead the way oh, ancient heart….dusk is upon us….

so the blind may see… 

an unimagined life & surrendering to the raised eyebrow

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inspired to blossom

The flower doesn’t dream of the bee.

It blossoms & the bee comes.

Mark Nepo

the eccentric artist is a prevailing myth….destructive…& persistent because of the strain of truth in it…full expression is often uncomfortable in polite company….misunderstood, stifled & shunned….a new mood may seem unruly, embarrassing, & inappropriate….but no, it’s simply experimental, exploratory, provocative. It is easy to turn away from what we do not understand. But edginess, when supported, is essential risk-taking work in an artistic life.

The artist who most keenly feels the need to tell the truth will make the fewest concessions, will resist falsification the most, & may, like a scorned prophet, find herself vilified & misunderstood. The artist who is most accommodating, however, who more willingly embraces the commercial & the false, may himself be embraced but may wonder if he is squandering his precious time on earth…..Eric Maisel

maybe we live better when we walk softly, but firmly…dance wildly, but lovingly… .live fiercely, but gently….create fearlessly, but knowingly…always recommitting to the only life we have…ours…

Living long enough, we each find ourselves surrounded by an old way of being, thinking, or loving that is going up in flames. In that unexpected moment, we usually find ourselves full of fear, feeling trapped by an old way of life coming in on us. But this is the passage of rebirth that we must move through if our lives are to unfold….Mark Nepo

it’s ok to be a little out of the box

flames of divinity blazing in pure color

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cold stones...soft soul...

The most beautiful poetry & music have come from people who were in turmoil. Great art comes from the depth of one’s being. You can experience these very human states without getting lost in them or resisting them. You can notice that you notice & just watch how experiencing loneliness affects you. If you sit within the Self, you will experience the strength of your inner being even when your heart feels weak. This is the essence of any spiritual life…..Michael Singer

this reminds me of an unconditional need for color…..eons of deep crimson, vermillion, teal essence, buttery yellow & the bluest blue….where do you find your passion? your muse? your wayward angels?

can the seeker still be present to vulnerability, yet invisible to the uglies of the heart?

where does your generosity burst into flames of color?

The art of the inner work, which unlike the outer does not forsake the artist, which he does not ‘do’ & can only ‘be,’ springs from the depths of which the day knows nothing…Eugen Herrigel

what spills from your vesseled heart?

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painting the moon & the phases of intent

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moon haze

it’s a ‘catch the moon rays kind of day’….alive with creative energy…painting, moving, moving, painting, moving, painting….

A creative life is determined by a will moving across time…the fierce determination to succeed, to make sense of the world, to use whatever means to unravel some of the mysteries of the universe…..Csikszentmihalyi

we become more grateful when we realize how perfect each moment of creativity is…no matter what disassociative & disintegrative issues may waylay….knowing that paint to canvas & pen to paper always have the final say……we can say yes to intention….

There are four major sets of obstacles that prevent many from expressing their creative potential. Some of us are exhausted by too many demands, & so have trouble getting hold of & activating our psychic energy in the first place. Or we get easily distracted & have trouble learning how to protect & channel whatever energy we have. The next problem is a  lack of discipline for controlling the flow of energy. And finally, the last obstacle is not knowing what to do with the energy one has….Csikszentmihalyi

it’s the ebb & flow…..the moon phases & cycles of our forever changing levels of fear…it’s about our faith & how it flows into color…..

let your moon glow sweep you up….

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