A friend of
mine, a forward-thinking soul with ‘positive intentions’, recently mentioned
to me that if only he could master putting enough of such forward thought
and energy into his spiritual efforts, he looked forward to less “interference”
and being granted the means to devote himself entirely to his Art - a new-found
talent that he’d not been previously aware of. Now, while I applaud his
discovery, and admire his wish - and love him dearly - I couldn’t help
but smile. Perhaps part of it was a gentle touch of incredulity. “Have
I become jaded?”, I asked myself…”or did he strike a chord…”
Far be it for me to question anyone following their dream
- I know that he simply means to conscientiously honour his perceived connection
to the Divine. However for those that ‘create’ I told him, in any form,
be it a singer, wordsmith or poet, artist or artisan, designer, architect
of buildings…or Life; look at us all! - we ALL long for that - to make
it our raison d’etre (if not a successful career). From cave painters onward...
Yet Life is not the hindrance to fulfilling our goals and efforts. I told
him I thought it is The Worldly that in fact gives us the ‘experience’
to create. I put forward the notion that it is not The Worldly that stifles
us, rather, it’s the manifestation of the Spirit of Creation inspite of
it that allows us to see the Beautiful, the Sublime, the Mystical within
the Everyday, inside, or out.
“To Create” is likened to breathing for many… It’s been
called Divine Inspiration, “a Fax from God”; a spark of insight - it’s
a quest, a drive no matter, like giving birth…and the process can be as
painful as it is utterly and unspeakably fulfilling. Never mind that most
of us have had our innate Creativity dampened throughout our formative
years. To rediscover its presence is like stumbling upon ‘The Burning Bush’!
We’ve also all heard the notion of artists suffering for its sake, not
being recognized in their own time but much later on, if at all. Conversely,
even for those who “make it” in their time, the price of fame has its own
dire costs. The world is often a fickle place - always has been. It’s funny
what we wish for, I thought…
Perhaps my friend means to set the world right, at long
last, by discovering and implementing the “secret” of being A Successful
Artist. And, I’m still smiling. Why?! Maybe it’s because I believe that
no matter where that ‘spark’ comes from, it’s the spark of feeling alive
and in touch with that which drives us, not necessarily pending how the
world receives it. To me, that is the gift. May we all endeavour to leave
a thread of the things we have witnessed, experienced, and learned from
in our lifetimes! But neither the legacy, nor the ‘reward’ are things that
can be so easily measured, and it’s precisely this enigma that keeps us
‘in touch’ while also keeping us looking, inside, and out…
~ There are two tragedies
in life: not to get what the heart desires, the other; to get it. - George
Bernard Shaw
Walk between the worlds,
and see what’s on the side of Light;
But do not fear knowing both paths well ~
For the Artist sees God in every detail;
the Poet finds God’s fruition in each word…
And ah, the Singer,
the Singer takes us home!
