Blue Morning Glory II flower mandala
Lately I've been thinking a lot about spirituality and art. So far, my thoughts are vague and unformed, but I'm aware that in my own life, my work as an artist and my spiritual development have been running in tandem for a long time, often intersecting.
I'd be very intersted in hearing from others their thoughts on this: on how either making or experiencing some kind of art has related to their sense of themselves as spiritual beings, and their growth in this area. Spirituality has been so much a part of art, and art so much a part of places of worship in all cultures and, as far as I know, for as long as there have been places of worship, that they must be intricately interwoven in the human soul. It would be interesting to start to figure out how and why, and how to tweak that interweaving in our own lives to make both more accessible.
Please let us know your thoughts, either here or in the parallel post in the Art, Healing, and Transformation group.
More anon,
- David
David J. Bookbinder, LMHC
Discussion:
Spirituality and Art / Spiritual Art
Art, Healing, and Transformation group
Flower Mandalas Project group
© 2008, David J. Bookbinder
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Funny you should ask. I have been pondering this issue recently, too.
I have recognized for a long time that the space artistic inspiration comes from, and the place I “go to” in meditation seem to be the same. Now I see that one is expressed outward as the creative principle, the other inward as transformation, and returning to Spirit. It’s all dancing in the bliss of my true nature. Sometimes Shiva’s dance creates the universe, and sometimes it pulls it back in. Some things are always being created and some dissolved.
When I express myself in the world coming from the Self, I embody the creative principle. It makes no difference if I create something material, an idea, space for yoga students to evolve. Even the most mundane activity can become art when it is performed with consciousness. It is Spirit expressing itself in a material way. It’s true that the specific make-up of our present identity gives its special flavor to what and how we create. That’s how we can bring our gift to the world. Sometimes/ often artists have unconscious access to the deeper levels, perhaps from channels created in previous lives. In this light, the preverbal big ego of some artists is a cosmic joke. It just reflects what the yogis call avidya, the case of mistaken identity we operate under in this life, in a big way.
david,
i too am an artist and my most true work is based on my spiritual nature.
one does not exist without the other in my world.....all is spirit, all is art.
i am sane when i take time to make beauty and order.
thank you for doing your lovely mandalas
jan
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