What I'm reading this week that inspires me, as I work toward my own philosophy of art, my own aesthetic: (some of these are like old friends which I revisit many times over, year after year).
- A New Earth- Awakening to Your Life's Purpose by Eckhart Tolle (2005, Penguin Group)
- The Weight of Glory: And Other Adresses by C. S. Lewis (rev. 1980, Harper Collins Pub.)
- Walk in Love- Episcopal Beliefs & Practices (2018, Forward Movement)
- Icons of the True from Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art by Madeleine L'Engle (1980, Crosswicks)
- Myth: A flight to reality by Thomas Howard, from The Christian Imagination: Essays on Literature and the Arts (1981, Baker Book House Co.)
Many of the above essays may found reprinted in my old college text book, Encounters: Connecting, Creating, Composing by Epperson, Givens, Gray, & Hall (1994, Kendall/ Hunt Publishing). This thoughtful college text book asks provoking questions and gives a rich selection of readings with themes from ecology, community, responsibility to self and others, spiritual authenticity, moral perspective, individuality, and relationships.
One of the most heart-opening essays is written by Leslie Marmon Silko; Landscape, History, and the Pueblo Imagination. This insightful essay looks into sacred ecology, the interconnectedness of all things, and Hopi spirituality which realizes the riches of relationship with all beings (pp. 588-599, Encounters, 1994).
In defining my own aesthetic, I rely heavily on the writings of Sayers, Lewis, l'Engle, Howard, and others. I also look to the poetry of Rilke, Frost, Dickinson, and Elizabeth Barret Browning as a kind of compass to inspiration.
What I hope comes from all this pondering is an aesthetic which will guide my own work in creativity. For me, beauty, joy, and peace are intrinsically woven into this idea of art. No, maybe not peace, though that might be a byproduct of interaction with art. Instead of peace, maybe I should say truth. By truth, I mean those universal truths that we sometimes stumble upon, those “aha” moments when we finally recognize something that was there all along. I use the term "art" in a very broad sense. For me, art is what we call this creative process. And maybe that is getting to the heart of it.... Art, for me, is about deeper connection, to my own inner landscape, to the Creator, to the universe, to other humans, to other beings, to transcendence, to truth. It might include visual arts like cinematography, sculpting, painting, etc. It also includes written arts such as literature and poetry, lyrics, music, and composing. Art encompasses theater, cinema, drama, comedy, and performance art. It might include artisanal cuisine, event planning, gardening and landscaping. This is not an all-inclusive list. It barely scratches the surface of our creative expression. But what it gets at is a profound interaction between artist and participant. I do not say "audience," because that implies a kind of passive response to art. No, art is something which Sayers calls incarnational and triune. I'll talk more about this idea in the future.
What I'm listening to this week: I compiled an eclectic playlist of iTunes. I call it Sacred Ecology & Aesthetics, ranging from Michael Jackson's Earth Song to Michael Gungor's Beautiful Things to Vivaldi's Four Seasons to Tibetan meditation music to Naturescape sounds to Eva Cassidy's What a Wonderful World and Fields of Gold (from Live at Blue's Alley), plus many more. My guiding principle in selection? Pick music that makes me feel joy or peace or beauty or a sense of transcendence.
I also have been listening to Sounds True meditational videos, like Eckhart Tolle's talk about our inner awakenings.
What I'm exploring this week in creativity: I started expressing my own sense of inner beauty and joy in tiny little music videos on iMovie. I find piano music I wish to play, then practice and play around with it until I find my own version of the music. I lay a sound track, then add my own videos and photos. I'm just creating something that I find joy in. I'm a barely functional piano player, in fact, you probably couldn't actually say I'm a pianist, as I am such a novice. But I find joy in trying to play the piano, so I keep practicing. I'm just having fun creating something. I hope others find it inspirational, but even if they don't, I'm enjoying being creative, trying to express beauty in some small way.
I've also been in the recording studio, laying down vocal tracks on collaborative music projects with our little church's praise band. It feels good to get back into recording!
And I've picked up the ukulele, thanks to my younger sister's encouragement. I've been learning new songs on the ukulele and the guitar, as part of my creative expression. The driving impetus: finding joy and beauty and following my bliss!
What I'm doing as spiritual discipline: This week, I’m embracing the physical and spiritual discipline of fasting. I’m embracing both water fasting (no food) and OMAD (One Meal A Day). I can already feel better mental clarity and focus. And by Day 2, I no longer feel hunger. That is not to say that I’m not tempted to eat, but I recognize that my desire to eat is often driven by boredom or habit, rather than true hunger. I’m embracing this fast for a number of reasons, which I will not bore you with. And yes, after a few days, I monitor my vital statistics like blood glucose levels and ketones. The truly wonderful byproduct(s) of fasting for me are the mental clarity and incredible physical energy I get from it. I need even less sleep when I am fasting. My body feels completely energized. So, yay for fasting!
What I'm doing to improve my relationships: adapting to the external world from the inner world-
I'm being much more intentional in my relationships with family which have been highly dysfunctional and reactive. Thus, Eckhart Tolle's book revisited. In A New Earth, Tolle explains how we are constantly reacting to others, instead of functioning from a center of transcendence or consciousness. I've seen my relationships devolve into a kind of action/reaction/reaction to reaction, unhealthy dynamic. I cannot control others or how they perceive me, but I can control my reactions. I can "be the change I want to see." I can stop reacting negatively. I can breathe. And rethink my attitudes.
So, I'm being much more intentional in how I speak with my family members. I'm choosing to be positive in the face of negativity, rather than reacting negatively to the perceived negativity and bitterness of others.
I keep reminding myself, life is a pilgrimage, a process. One step at a time. No one else can change my relationships. Only I can change my interactions with others. Family can get into ruts, constantly pushing each others’ buttons, reacting to each other....it can be debilitating. But today, I choose to BE peace, to BE joy, to BE the beauty and grace I want to experience in others.
What’s your philosophy of art (aesthetic)? What inspires your creativity? What deep inner motivation guides your creative processes? What are you doing to develop your own sense of joy, of greater connection?
I hope you find the courage to listen to your own inner voice, to follow your bliss, to express that pure joy in some way.
Cheers,
Gigi
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