Coming to a Feeling of Oneness in Artistic Creation

The world loves to produce. We all love to build things.

On Process

Creation happens in those instants when you have everything at stake and you risk it all.  After creation, something else begins. Something to be regarded, experienced–an object. Something external with its own life and consequences.

Maybe there are three steps to creative communication.

Step 1. Get Over Yourself

You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to strive for a kind of ideal–namely, that you can get to that place where good ideas come from.

Getting over yourself is getting into the present moment. One method of doing that is to contemplate impermanence. This moment and you too will pass. So don’t let a minute pass without being either totally productive or totally at peace. Creation happens in the present moment.

The second method of getting into this present moment and over oneself is to listen to your gut and get in tune with your heart. Let your gut ground you and your heart balance the energies ricocheting inside your head. A lot of people know a lot about chakras and energy meridians. I am not one of them.

Step 2. Get Clear

So you’re in your body and you’re mindful of the present moment. The next step is to articulate, to bring meaningful order into being.

Persistence is fundamental at this stage as well. This means listening to your internal student/teacher dialogue to continually propel you further. Criticism is fine as long as it is constructive and takes a back seat to playfulness.

Step 3. Reach Someone Else

Everyone has a different concept of audience and how to think of your audience during the creative process. Receptivity and courage are needed– receptivity for what will reach your audience and courage to be original.

It’s crucial to remember that it’s not the size of the audience that matters–it’s the depth of impact. Your work must first have a significance for yourself and carry a type of psychic truth, beauty or goodness. Then it is able to reach others in a similarly profound way.

Too many artists get discouraged because they view the world as a great uncaring mass. As a result, they limit themselves. Don’t do this. Be like Cy Twombly, who, in a rare interview, gave his opinion on the years he spent living and working without receiving much attention from the rest of the world:

I didn’t have to bother with ­myself ever, except as a vehicle to look for subject matter.

Popular Related posts:

The Artistic Link Between Altruism and Fulfillment This just in! I recently uploaded a slideshow presentation entitled...
Write Just Beyond the Edge of Your Expertise Dean paints what he sees and doesn’t try to make...
The Three Stages of Intent in Writing The question comes to every writer once in awhile: Why...
The Haiku in English: A Guide for Writers It is difficult to interpret all that has been written...
Wellness Immersion Retreats in Italy and the Caribbean We believe in offering a full array of activities that...