“Artists are visionaries. We routinely practice a form of faith seeing clearly, and moving toward a creative goal that shimmers in the distance – often visible to us; but invisible to those around us.” —– Julia Cameron
In the swirl and blur of your present existence, clarity is at times relegated in the rear view mirror when it pertains to creativity and vision. We are all to often so stuck in our circumstances that we willingly surrender perspective, perception and any possibility of creative consciousness. Why? In the many years I was an educator, the arts whether it was choral, instrumental, industrial or directly involving art which embraced paints, oils, water colors, fabric, etc., was part of the curriculum that encouraged the beauty of personal expression, connecting with the inner possibility of creative energy. Another aspect that I found really connected with “my charges,” was creative writing which gave students free reign to conceive ideas which related to them personally, or created another dimension of their choice. Unfortunately, in many instances this facet in education has been abandoned, except in rare cases when performance arts schools are coupled with academics in a rare environment that nurtures conscious creativity.
I know how challenging it may be to sustain a semblance of creative consciousness, or inspire that in others when life’s journey pulls all of us in directions that compound our days. That being said enhances these words of Julia Cameron, “We will experience the life we have the faith to experience.” Which brings up another question . . . what are you willing to do in the present moment, and for how long? What sustains you? What are you looking forward to and why? No one is going to take you by the hand and walk you through your choices . . . this responsibility is yours by default. Stop the slide, curtail the inevitable, face yourself, establish your priorities and re-invent the being that has always existed, but this time with the present awareness of consciousness which changes the game and your life.
Of course, you can continue kidding yourself, postponing the inevitable and keep the fog of misunderstanding, unknowing realities and sustained fear a constant in you life. This will continue to spin your wheels, keeping you in flux without grounding, priorities or direction. This may work for a while, and then something happens, clicks or jumps up and shocks you into some form of conscious reality putting you in a set of circumstances beyond imagination. Take heed in the words of Edmund Burke . . . “Hypocrisy can afford to be magnificent in its promises, for never intending to go beyond promise, it costs nothing.” Go beyond promise, create and envision a reality that meets your ability to break through to a new essence necessary in your life . . . energize that consciousness within, establish your creative vision while stimulating the faith that has always existed. JLR