“To achieve this cheerful serenity is to me, and to many others, the finest and highest of goals. (…) It is the secret of beauty and the real substance of all art.
The poet who praises the splendours and terrors of life in the dance-measures of his verse, the musician who sounds them in a pure, eternal present – these are bringers of light, increasers of joy and brightness on earth, even if they lead us first through tears and stress. Perhaps the poet whose verses gladden us was a sad, solitary, and the musician a melancholic dreamer; but even so, their work shares in the cheerful serenity of the gods and the stars.
What they give us is no longer their darkness, their suffering or fears, but a drop of pure light, eternal cheerfulness.”
Hermann Hesse, The Glass Bead Game
In my twenties, my longing for transcendence was shaped by meditation and chanting retreats. Today music, enthusiasm, and co-creative living have become my heart path.
I am fascinated by the impulses, themes and beliefs that thread together creative work, by the rhythms and rituals that make up the daily fabric of life, along with anything that can be perceived as mundane… The grittiness, the hidden muse, the sloppy overlapping and precious beauty of being alive… “god in the details.” How do we mesh the invisible with the prosaic, how do we compartmentalise – balance – ignore – sublimate – integrate – transcend… it all?
A series of questions around these topics forms a basis for spontaneous, open conversations, an invitation to share how creatives experience their art form. The format I follow is a variation on Proust’s questionnaire.
My focus hones in on authenticity and a need to engage in self-reflection rather than on a list of accomplishments or worldly recognition – the aim is to ignite creative sparks and share fresh insights into creative living.
Beyond its capacity to inspire and motivate, exploring creativity is a way of capturing a fleeting reflection of the people who inspire me, to spread a little of their magic.
I’d love to hear from you if you’d like to add your voice to the conversations.
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