“As we advance in life it becomes more and more difficult, but in fighting the difficulties the inmost strength of the heart is developed.” - Van Gogh
It invokes awe and wonder.
Louise’s need to face painful experiences in life is a courageous quest few embark. It is a journey that takes you beyond trauma and transcends any pain crippling you from living your Dreams with hArt . Your masterpiece becomes a series of moments entitled LIFE. You're in it for the long haul and that's beautiful.
This quest requires perseverance and promises the victory of self-
You freely live life despite what fears may arise.
You no longer question if your dream is a possibility. You seek how to make it true.
There comes a time in each artist’s life where we must choose light or dark, yes or no. It is a life or death question. Do we create art so we can live? OR Do we live to create art? Which have you chosen?
Are you being asked to choose again?
When an artist is ready to engage that quest as a lifestyle, is when they slowly emerge from the shadow side of the artist archetype into the experience of illuminated awareness.
The Shadow Artist never allows creativity to develop or thrive. When in the shadow's domain we forget to CREATE. We forget that as artists we are creators. We CREATE the experiences we want. We CREATE our responses to the experiences we don’t want. We forget the art of creating our lives. If we don’t create what our ideas inspire - who will? If we don’t create what we truly want in life - who will? Whom do you expect?
Life as an artist truly lies beyond the blank page. Artists embody the personal art of living and it’s through the realization that freedom is experienced - Freedom to experience and share your hart. Creative living means you accept it's YOU that creates your life. It feels like Louise got that.
There's nothing sweeter than realizing you'll never escape pain in this life or the experience of fear. It will never be the right time or perfect conditions. Once realizing this, I experienced relief from years of dealing with the roller coaster called depression. Honestly, I used to create art to live. It’s how I made my way through the despondency, created my way out of it, and ultimately completely transcended it into a life of freedom from what if and rooted in how-to.
Instead of living with the pain of dying ideas, I began living with the idea of thriving.
Are you living with the pain of dying ideas? Do you know how this feels? If so, what do you need to begin thriving?
Don’t underestimate the power of this choice. It changes everything.
What could or has it changed for you?
23 Comments | What are your creative thoughts?:
Hi Stephy,just wanted to say that I found this post very inspiring, thoughtful and beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Dyan,
Thanks for spending time to stop by & share your comment. So glad you found it inspiring! Cheers to thriving-Have a great weekend!
Stephey,
Nice post...I just found out about an artist in South Jersey who was killed as a result of Domestic Violence....It's a quiet killer and as artists, we need to be courageous and speak about our own trauma and memories so we can help others speak about theirs...
Good Post.
GIna
Hi Gina,
You're right we do need to be "courageous and speak about our own trauma and memories so we can help others speak about theirs..." this is the best way to empower ourselves while empowering others - this cures that sense of "I have no idea what to do, or I have no choice, or how?" it cures that sense of powerlessness and there's nothing, well, more empowering.
Hi Stephey, found your site thru the Flying Lessons course - it's beautiful, thank you for the inspiration. I was really touched by this post about living thru the shame and pain and transforming that to feed rather than destroy your creativity. I work with charities for children and adults who have been abused and the power of creativity to strengthen and heal, to give voice to the voiceless, always amazes me. Thanks for your words of wisdom.
Hi Jane,
You are so right! Learning to use the tool of transformation to feed creativity rather than destroy it is key. It can mean the difference between accomplishing your dreams + experiencing them as reality and wishing your dreams were a reality - one IS and one has yet to be. This can be a frustrating pursuit. I like that you expressed creativity's ability to " strengthen and heal, to give voice to the voiceless.' This is sooo true! It is empowering to create! Thanks for your awesome insight please come back and share more at anytime!
Dearest Stephy, this triggles alot of thoughts for me. Your words are so inspirational. I believe in "I am a thriving artist"...and love this saying as "we live to create art". I really agree with Louise Bourgeois's idea of "face your fear, shame and pain" rather than pushing/blocking them away.
Thank you so much for sharing! I always LOVE visiting you for your always have very inspiring thoughts to share! Have a lovely merry happy weekend and love to you!
Hi Stephey! Wonderful writing. I love the image of the "shadow artist". I also love how you talk about that as creators we create our reactions to what we don't like in our lives. I'm gonna let that one sink in today - it's so true and something I so often forget. Thanks for reminding me!
Have a beautiful day and thrive, thrive, thrive!!!
Kristen
Hi Jacqueline! YOU ARE A THRIVING ARTIST! and I'm so glad you stopped by!
Hi Kristen,
I don't think many artists pay attention to what they create in the shadows. I think most artists suffer the shadow but don't realize it's the shadow and needs to be moved into the light - it's that shift where AMAZING THINGS HAPPEN! I want that for everyone! me included, cuz I go back & forth sometime, perhaps it's not an end goal but a lifestyle - a process.
Hi Stephey, what you share is so empowering, That WE ALL create our own living and accepting that means we take responsibilities of our own actions!I am still learning to transcend making art to live and instead LIVE ART!It's such a beautiful and powerful thought!
WOW girl! You really got me. Now I am going to live to create art! Thanks so much. XO And, btw...I am adding you to my favorite blogs list!
What great words! The process of making art as therapeutic a way of facing those painful experiences - I so can relate to that and often didn't realize I was working through my pain but my work saved me in many ways. "Do we create art so we can live? OR Do we live to create art? Which have you chosen?" Very thought provoking. Thank you for another great post!♥
The thing I love most about art making is how it eliminates stress and helps me to find inner peace. I really enjoy the information that you have on your site and the contributions that have been given by the comments. Thank you all!
Thank you for introducing me to Louise Bourgeois. Very inspirational. I will look into her work more deeply.
@ EVA DIVA
"still learning to transcend making art to live and instead LIVE ART!" me too this is so a lifestyle - day to day - choice. Think of it like running or playing the piano, in order to be any good you gotta practice! It's the repetitive nature that allows the transcendence to take place and root. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts.
I love your blog and recent post! I resonated with what you wrote " I know I'm not walking alone, even though at times it feels this way." YES! It's important to connect with other artists so we can support + be supported in our journey of living creatively. Truthfully, it's so what I envision for this space!
Hi Shanie, OH! an ah-ha moment I love those! Thanks for taking time to visit and thanks for adding me to you blog roll - fun!
HEY IVY! I know - right! Art is so therapeutic and did save my life! Now it's time I pay homage to the creative muse!
By the by IVY, I love your new collage image "Ripple." It breaks my heart that it had to be born from such a tragedy. My mom and I were talking about spending some time in July to help clean some of the animals. We have a week of vacation then. The drive isn't that far from us to offer help. I know it won't save every animal and a week isn't that much time but it's what I have and I truly want to do SOMETHING! I hate how powerless it make me feel. yuck! be well Ivy!
HI Mantradevi You are right creating art does eliminate stress. It does this because when we enter the blank page we disappear into the muses embrace and want for nothing.
I stopped by your site and like your concept about expanding and meditating. I have a post coming up about expanding into our vision!
Stephey,
You've certainly given me a lot to process with this post. I'm deeply touched by your words about artists living the ultimate creative life... making choices about creating our responses to the things that happen to us in life and looking at our lives like works of art that we create daily.
I am proud to have the strength to call myself an artist and your post has made me realize that there is a huge strength in those words that I never considered. I can use that "title" to inspire the ways in which I create my life and my world... and in turn, the life experience of my children and family.
This is just HUGE for me... looking at my life as my ultimate work of art. This has inspired me beyond words. Wow.
Now, what am I going to create today?! The possibilities are endless!
JENNY!
Everything you wrote is spot on!
ESPECIALLY about having the "STRENGTH" to call yourself an artist.
Strength, endurance, perseverance, adaptability and commitment are all needed to be an artist - to live a creative life Engaging these attributes bear the fruit of fulfillment - it's what dissolves the shadows of the "starving artist" into the illuminated awareness of the thriving artist.
It's the ultimate act of creation as an artist! OUR THRIVING LIFE.
Yes! I say let's bear the "title" of artist with spiritual pride and honor - we've earned it and it's time we reclaimed the TRUTH of what being an artist is - creating a life beyond the 5 senses, creating our reactions on and off the page, creating whatever we want to experience regardless of the materials life give us!
I was raised by an artist, my mom, she taught me this through example. It's a priceless gift! She hasn't had an easy life, yet, despite the heart breaks, betrayals and trauma she remains spritely + creative + humorous. She had to have her humor raising my sister and I plus cats, dogs, fish, hamsters, rats, ferrets, birds and all the other neighborhood kids! Our house was a safe haven and it's doors always open to art, magic and unconditional love. I've seen these attributes in action and they work in releasing the muck, while creating a new, and expanding deeper into creativity - into the Muse's embrace. It's not always easy but does work and brings an inner peace, a state of being, that's unshakeable. It's the kind of stuff I'm sure serves my soul and can be taken with me when I die - because of her I create my ultimate master piece, a tender heart wild with creativety and easily inspired with love.
You too bring the same to your family and heart - beautiful - the gift of art that keeps on giving - talk about an heirloom!
Your words are so beautiful and touching.
There was a time in my life when I thought that if I could just have the right thought or experience, everything would magically fall into place and I would live happily ever after. Realizing that there was no magic ending and that it was just a process for ever and ever was so liberating. So much more creativity came forward knowing I didn't have to get it right...
I really resonate with your statement..
"We CREATE the experiences we want."
I think Louise B is really a master at psychological portraits and relationship sculptures. I'm very interested in the drawings of her dreams.
This body/house really sticks in my mind ..
http://www.kickingwind.com/assetseod/lb4.jpg
Post a Comment