Art lives and thrives beyond our logical mind. Our discipline and what we think about the world may be the vehicle that gets us to the canvass, the blank page, the camera, or the keyboard but the connection is what we are preparing for; our passion. While there may be a lot of ways to cultivate spirit in our lives, it is art that fuels the quality of our lives and it is art that allows a spiritual life access to our hearts. Art often makes our minds jealous unless we are blessed with having been able to maintain the curiosity we had as a child into our adult lives.
Curiosity takes a beating as we grow older. It threatens to kill the cat and requires a synchronistic madness to take the wheel. Threats and chaos are not appreciated by our brains who are oriented towards caution in all manner of our interests. Curiosity is often sent to its room to grow old and bitter. It sometimes takes a lifetime to reconcile a mediation between logic's need to maintain order and the wilds of instinctual curiosity but it CAN be done. It MUST be done to commune with one's soul.
That passion we cultivate in our lives is soul. I hear Hafiz calling this God. Clearly, art is where the core of our experience is constellated and where the real fun is. Art brings us closer to our own divine natures whether we make it or seek it out to experience it, we are connecting with what holds a divine charge within humanity.
https://pixabay.com/music/id-109186
Video: You are not what you are thinking; you are the Universe experiencing itself. I found this video noodling around things about the film "What Dreams May Come". I found it a visual and musical feast. The following is lifted from the video explanation on YouTube:
The music video was created by Derek Vincent Smith (Pretty Lights) and his girlfriend Krystle Blackburn (PLM's creative Director). While the two of them traveled together all over the world during 2011, they filmed as much as their schedule allowed. Locations included in the video include Detroit, Warsaw, Oslo, NYC, Vancouver, London, Paris, Prague, Australia, New Zealand, Denver and many more. The aim with the video was to accomplish multiple things:
1 - Create a visual accompaniment for the music that added depth and complexity to the emotions being channeled by the music and lyrics... Rather than tell a story, communicate a range of feelings and open ended ideas.
2 - Create a piece of art that speaks to the name "Pretty Lights" The name was originally intended to capture the essence of inspiration and speak to the nature of the artistic eye, so this video combines captivating imagery with beautiful lights in an organic and creative manner.
3- To accomplish the first two things in a way that captures the attention of the viewer and does not let go. The element of precise synchronicity combined with quickly and creatively edited shots brings the video and music together in a way that unites the two like never before. It truly is one piece of art.
Photo still is from the film What Dreams May Come.
The original post in this series of poems by Hafiz (including an addendum regarding the authenticity of these poems) can be found here. Also, my thoughts on this series a year into these poems, HERE.
The Gift: Poems by Hafiz and translated by Daniel Ladinsky can be purchased here.