Filed under: Creative Process, Creativty & Wellbeing, Flow, Uncategorized | Tags: creative inspiration, Divine Discontent
by Lisa A. Riley
“Discover your own discontent, and be grateful, for without divine discontent there would be no creative force.”– Deepak Chopra
We all suffer to some degree of a chronic, low-grade discontent. So, we seek out the next goal to achieve, a new relationship, a new job, perhaps the next rush of adrenaline or the next “something else” that will bring fulfillment to our lives. The very thing we need to rid us of this unceasing desire and bring contentment. We even chant to ourselves a silent mantra, “When I get there, I can relax, enjoy life and then I will be happy.” Yet when we get there or obtain the object of our desire it only seems to temporarily quiet the hungry voice and before we know it, the gnawing starts up again.
In our eyes, such a recurring yearn can easily be interpret as a deficiency in our life or lack in our character that needs to be remedied. When we interpret feelings of dissatisfaction in a negative light and succumb to the urgency for instant gratification, we are often left with an even greater longing for the next thing.
Religions and philosophies have often referred to this as “A Divine Discontent.” They recognize its gift as a fountain of energy, which prompts us to take the next step towards becoming our full potential. In his book, The Path of Least Resistance, Robert Fritz, compares this process to a rubber band that is stretched back to a point of tension. Within that tension manifest a natural tendency to return to its previous form. According to Fritz this results when the place we’re currently at does not match up to where we desire to be. Therefore, what wells up is a strong urge to resolve it. Within this tension lives an energy, which commonly occurs prior to a major breakthrough or epiphany.
How does divine discontent play out in the creative process? It rears its face in the initial stages of an idea and then transforms into a sudden urge to bring the vision into fruition. It can be the motivation that drives the artist to return to the sculpture, painting or novel daily. Or it surfaces in the aftermath of its completion as a desire still yet not fulfilled. Once again ignites the birth of another idea.
In Mark Epstein’s book, Open to Desire he describes this restlessness. He writes, “But allowing oneself to fall into the space that desire cannot span makes the experience complete. The little bit of lack that remains, after even the most satisfying resolution of desire, is a window into something important, something true.”
Experiencing the Divine Discontent is part of being human and even a natural quality of being an artist. It can drive us to push through moments of creative block and seek out innovative ideas. That said, let us embrace and welcome the presence of our Divine Discontent and let it become a muse that is channeled towards developing a productive artful life.
Filed under: Creativity, Creativty & Wellbeing | Tags: Creativity, Self-doubt, Validate Your Art
by Lisa A. Riley
“If you hear a voice within you saying ‘You are not a painter,’ then by all means, paint…and that voice will be silenced.”-Vincent Van Gogh
Do you look outside yourself and to others to validate your art? Is your confidence easily deflated when you hear a negative comment about your work? Do you automatically discount yourself as an artist when you don’t get the approval from others?
It’s easy to have our artistic ego bruised when we feel others don’t like our art or maybe don’t get it. Why is this? Making art can be a very personal process, often revealing the deepest parts of us as well as our artistic abilities. Our art is an unveiling of the true colors that paint our internal world. It is putting a big part of ourselves out there for others to witness and to share that experience can leave us open for possible scrutiny. This can be vulnerable and emotionally risky for the artist.
How can an artist protect his or her delicate and fragile ego? It’s important to keep in mind that each individual views the world from their own unique experiences and perceptions. Therefore, every viewer will have a difference of opinion, taste and preference. This is why art is so subjective. It’s almost impossible to accommodate every person’s unique viewpoint. To develop a strong belief in one’s own unique style and abilities, can only provide a firm foundation to stand on. Having a strong anchor can be a helpful defense against negative comments.
Secondly, hearing the opinions of others triggers our sensitivity to our own inner critic. Allowing others to fuel insecurities that already exist can energize our reaction to criticism and can cause us to feel intensely judged. We must first learn to treat our work as well as ourselves with compassion and unconditional love. Just as a parent would when his child brings home a crayon drawing of a sun and without question the parent pins up the artwork on the refrigerator for the whole world to see.
Another helpful tip to survive negative comments, is that you have the power to choose what you wish to allow in or not. Although being open to “constructive” criticism, is necessary to evolve artistically, it is crucial to separate out helpful observations from the personal preferences. Regular practice of discerning feedback, leaves you less susceptible to being a victim to criticism and instead helps you be a more empowered artist.
Lastly, as an artist you must first and foremost validate yourself and your work. All that is required of you is to develop an unwavering belief in your natural yearning for self-expression and on going surrender to making art. Creative individuals often possess such an innate drive and passion to create and externalize their world that more often then not they are willing to take the risk. It requires courage to stay true and honor this drive. That in it self is the core validation to your work. In other words your work is valuable simply because you created it.
Content © 2008/2009 by Lisa A. Riley, The Art of Mind’s Blog. All Rights Reserved.
Filed under: Creative Process, Creativity, Creativty & Wellbeing, Uncategorized | Tags: Grief and Art, Grieving, Loss
by Lisa A. Riley, MA
There might come a time when the safe cushion of our routine lives is suddenly jolted by a loss. It could be an unexpected loss of a job, an ending to a relationship, a death of a loved one or a dream we watched slip out of our reach. In either situation, grief can result and often consume our lives during such times. This can disrupt the flow of our routine especially in our artistic life. Startled and paralyzed, we are unable to tap into what was once a river of creativity. Although, grief is a natural remedy to move us towards healing and recovery, it can often put a suddenly halt to our creative process.
Grief may require us to shut down both physically and mentally in order to cope. The very same energy that once cultivated inspiration is now forced to focus on recuperating. This can often leave us feeling creatively dried up and dull. Yet, in the midst of suffering also lies an opportunity to heal from it and what better avenue then to try to express it through our art.
During grief, our creativity pulls from a different source, our own emotional suffering. Sometimes emotional pain and trials can force us to become more introspective, present and sensitive to our internal world, allowing feelings to be closer to the surface making it much easier to tap into. We can clearly see this occurring in the pieces of some of our old masters.
For example, Picasso’s well-known “Blue Period,” was prompted by the sudden suicide death of his friend Carlos Casadgemas. His grief can be felt through the blues and greens that dominated his paintings during this period. Picasso also painted multiple portraits of Casadgemas as an avenue to express the deep loss and yearning for his friend. Another example is a writer telling the story of his own trauma over and over again as a reoccurring theme in his writings. For instance, Shakespeare’s repeated theme of death that shows up in his plays can be attributed to witnessing multiple fatalities in his family. Because of the high mortality rate during his time, many of his brothers and sisters died at an early age.
The intense feelings of loss and grief can be overwhelming. Being able to process some of these feelings through our art can help lesson the intensity as well as bring some relief. Creatively expressing our grief can help us work through the pain and bring more meaning and depth to our experience.
Just as Picasso began his Rose Period soon after his Blue Period, we too can have hope that there is a light at the end of the dark tunnel.
Content © 2008/2009 by Lisa A. Riley, The Art of Mind’s Blog. All Rights Reserved.
Filed under: Creativty & Wellbeing | Tags: balancing wellbeing, daily creativity
by Lisa A. Riley
At the beginning of a day or week, when one sits down to practice the common ritual of creating a “To Do” list, are there items that can be categorized as “Have-Tos” and “Want-Tos?” Or does the list only include the “Have-Tos?” The items that we aspire to do usually contain the very things in which we express our creative selves, such as painting a sunset, writing a poem, journaling, arranging flowers picked from the garden, trying a new recipe, daydreaming. These morsels of creative nourishment often take a back seat in our lives as we regularly place them at the bottom of the list or leave them for those extra free hours we hope to have at the end of the day.
The other night I watched a movie titled, “Pollock” which showed the turmoil and successful life of artist Jackson Pollock. In one scene they depicted a day in his life. Every morning he would roll out of bed, grab a cigarette, a cup of coffee and first thing, head out to the studio to paint. Doing his art was as essential as having breakfast in the morning. Although he struggled with Bipolar Disorder and alcohol abuse, he appeared most at peace when he spent his time painting or laying in the grass on his 1.5 acre property, watching the clouds drift over head.
Our lives may not always accommodate the same luxury, but perhaps adopting some of those similar practices on a daily bases might enrich our lives with deeper meaning. It isn’t always necessary to dedicate an entire day to doing art or quit our day job and become a starving artist. Even an hour or two a day can be enough to keep the creativity alive and well while still attending to the “Have-Tos” list.
Making time to nourish the creative aspects of ourselves should become as equally important as
the time we take to eat, take our supplements, go to doctor appointments, exercise. Yet we often leave our time for art on the back burner. Creativity is not only an essential part of being human, but can also sustain our emotional and spiritual wellbeing. Honoring pockets of our creative expression can prevent irritability, bouts of discontent, apathy and boredom. If we starve our soul, does our soul begin to scream out in the form of neurosis? Whether it be over eating, drinking, spacing out in front of the TV or depression.
A life supplied with regular doses of imagination, inspiration and even good common daydreaming is an essential part of being a whole person. Not only do we honor our gifts and aspirations, we also validate the authentic part of us; the part of us that calls us to “come out and play,” to draw doodles in the sand or mold clay with our hands.
Next time you sit down to draw up your “To-Do” list consider placing the act of doing your art and expressing yourself creatively near the top, Therefore, making these nurturing morsels a priority and a required supplement to living a balance artful life.
Content © 2008/2009 by Lisa A. Riley, The Art of Mind’s Blog. All Rights Reserved.
Filed under: Creativity, Creativty & Wellbeing, Uncategorized | Tags: authentic self, Creativity & depression, depression, repressed creativity
by Lisa A. Riley
“The distinctive characteristic of human beings is namely, to influence our own evolution through our own awareness.” – Rollo May, The Courage to Create
To be creative is to be human. We were born with the innate drive to pursue creative inclinations. Creative energy has motivated us to build shelter in challenging climates, find food when resources were scarce or develop weapons to protect against predators. Our built in innovativeness has also motivated men and women towards advancements in medicine and technology, driving artists to create masterpieces on ceilings or philosophers find meaning in life’s complexities. It has helped us to survive as a species.
But what happens when one does not pay attention to this instinct to freely convey their creativity? When one buries such needs under the fear of disappointing others or under the expectations of society or family, it finds a way to express it self and in ways that are unhealthy. Creative energy turned inward and suppressed can manifest into depression.
In The Woman’s Book of Creativity, C. Diane Ealy, Ph.D. mentions that, “Repressed creativity can express itself in unhealthy relationships, overwhelming stress, severe neurotic or even psychotic behavior, and addictive behaviors such as alcoholism. But perhaps the most insidious and common manifestation of repressed creativity in women (and men) is depression.”
Depression is most commonly known as a quiet suffering, however perhaps it is a silently screaming of the soul to express it’s authentic and creative self. In addition to the sadness and hopelessness that is commonly experienced with depression, we feel disempowered, invaluable and non-existent.
“If you do not express your own original ideas, if you do not listen to your own being, you will have betrayed yourself.” – Rollo May, The Courage to Create
I have found when my clients begin to honor their creative voice and give it the nurturing attention it deserves they feel more alive, more themselves. They become empowered by the discovery and appreciation for their own sense of uniqueness. Found in the act of art making there might be a renewed meaning and purpose in their lives. Rather it is through a visual image, a poem or a piece of music, they reconnect with those authentic parts of who they truly are. These qualities can counteract some of the aspects of depression and maybe serve as an antidote to a loss of self. In turn, as one’s genuine voice becomes louder the voice of depression perhaps grows fainter.
Next time feelings of discontentment or depression come knocking on your mental door, maybe it might be helpful to pause and listen to what your true inner voice is asking. Perhaps it is creative time and self-expression is what the soul is starving for. Honor that voice by providing an avenue to thrive and exist. To censor one’s creative voice is suppressing one’s need to be truly human.
Content © 2008/2009 by Lisa A. Riley, The Art of Mind’s Blog. All Rights Reserved.
