In this video I talk about creativity as a form of meditation, art as meditation, and personal art as a focus for contemplation. I talk about visual art and craft – including flower arranging – but it also applies to the performing arts, of course. And even to creating gardens and home decorating, anything where you can put aside your thoughts and tune into the deep well of creativity inside you, the creative mind that, in my experience, is the same as the ‘meditative’ mind.
I know quite a few in the Beyond the Temple community who find a refuge in creativity and who create art of some form. Some of them do use art as meditation and contemplation. I mention colouring in in the video, but I also know a painter, two photographers, several musicians and many who create beautiful gardens and homes or who simply appreciate looking at something beautiful.
As I see it, everything we do is self-expression, but by focusing on self-expression in the form of something that we find aesthetically pleasing, we nurture the light that is specifically ours and help it shine forth to lighten the darkness for others.
So, please, if you’re someone who creates and has a photo of the results that you can link to in the comments, please do. I think we can all gain inspiration from what others are doing to reclaim their spiritual life.
Do you do any conscious creating? Or use art making as meditation. If so, please tell us what you do and any special way you do it, and if you have any image or recording of it online, please put a link in the comments.
(You could also try right clicking on a Facebook photo, choose copy and see if you can paste it into your comment. )
All of the art I did following my one year shamatha retreat was deeply affected by that experience. I will see if I can copy and paste a pencil drawing I did titled Shamatha:
I gather it was an inspiration. Meditation is good for that, I find. It can even be quite distracting sometimes.
I guess it’s not possible to upload photos to this comments box. Too bad.
Send a message using the contact form, then I can give you my email and you can send it to me. I’d love to see it, and perhaps I can use it in a future post.
Hi Tahlia,
It occurred to me that I do have a link to some smaller pencil pieces that were part of a submission I made to the online magazine Levekunst a few years ago.
http://levekunst.com/the-fruit-of-practice/
The piece I will send you once I get your email address is quite a bit larger.
All the best,
Bill
They are great. Amazing really – such a unique perspective on those topics. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you, Talia! If you send me your email address I have a few more to share with you if you’re interested?