Are we praying when we create? Who or what do we attribute our creativity? How does our spiritual life impact our creative life or vise versa? Is the work we create our way of saying thank you? Meister Echart said, “If the only prayer you say in your life is thank you. It will be enough.”
I wrote a post in April titled, “Going to Church with Mark Rothko”. I had been in Houston at the annual conference for the Global Alliance for Art and Health. One of the sites to see was the Rothko Chapel. It’s a glorious sanctuary with large works of his hanging on the walls. The chapel is quiet with benches and meditation cushions. It’s a place where you can be with Rothko’s larger than life presence, his art, and with your larger than life presence, you!
On Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday, she interviewed Rainn Wilson. Many people know Rainn Wilson from his years on NBC’s The Office. This is one of those interviews when you realize how little we often know about those in the public eye. We think we know people because we read a People magazine article or a fifteen second blurb on Entertainment Tonight, but most interviews don’t give the individual the time to explore and express their inner life.
Wilson was quite articulate about his personal life and his beliefs. What caught my attention was when Wilson said, “Taking a paint brush and touching it to the canvas is no different than bowing your head in church.” It was so profound and poetic. It meshed with my own beliefs about art and spirituality and how they are one in the same.
Going to our studios is like going to a chapel. It’s a sacred space that gives us the freedom to express ourselves with purity of heart. Our moments of creativity are transcendent. I believe that any time you can express yourself completely, authentically, and honestly you are in the presence of the divine.
It may sound funny, but I’ve been having this inner dialogue about “giving up pretty” and “striving for meaning”. It’s not that pretty and meaning can’t cohabitate, but I’m starting to think it can’t always be the lead story of the day.
Some may say I’m preaching, and this may sound like a sermon, but the reality is this is my time of ultimate self-expression. This is when I can convey and share some of my deepest thoughts openly. Writing has become a practice, a place where meaning prevails, exploration is key, and peace prevails!
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Time to Live Creatively 