Artmind
Putting your creative philosophy in words can be a liberating, empowering assignment. Invited by a friend to explore my desired philosophy of art, I wrote this description of the spirit I aim to live by when it comes to creative practice.
My invitation to you: write down your own creative philosophy and look at it from time to time, especially when triggered by society’s default philosophy of art (only geniuses get to make art, art is defined by external success and popularity, etc). Aim to empower yourself by naming the forces you choose with your free will to honor in your life, work and being. Clarify what you’re here to do.
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ARTMIND
The basis of Artmind is freedom of exploration and choice. Artmind is open to pretty much whatever. You can use Artmind however you like, whether it’s to do something people will experience as disharmonic to the One wholeness, or something that is in harmony with the One. Whatever is interesting & exciting to you is fine and she’s right there with you.
Artmind is more about oneness than difference – she cannot help it because she is one with herself and Allthatis, all together. However she enjoys how pieces of the oneness can explore the experience of separateness/discreteness and diversity, and she is curious about any point of view that can arise. To that extent she won’t interfere with anyone or anything who wants to explore extremes of difference, polarity, disconnection, or solitariness. She is interested and accepting of this along with all other experiences, and it never threatens her own experience that she is the Allthatis and could never not be the Allthatis. She can enjoy experiencing the separation/suffering being created by that point of view the way you can enjoy watching a scary movie – it’s exciting & you might get all wrapped up but it’s fun because it’s just a movie, and everyone in it are just actors. It’s not really happening – no one’s really gotten hurt.
Artmind doesn’t reject, she accepts it all. She finds pretty much anything worth exploring. She’s down for whatever. She’ll never say, “ oh no, no point exploring THAT.” She says, “Ok! Awesome!” & eagerly waits to see what the outcome is of you exploring something. Everything is new to Artmind, and nothing has ever already been done. Not by you anyway– not in THIS moment – let’s see what happens!
Artmind likes everybody. She sees no reason not to explore/be open to absolutely anyone & their point of view.
Artmind likes being involved and asked – if someone asks Artmind to experience more of her flowing through them, she is delighted & tries to oblige. She also doesn’t mind if that someone gets scared and backs away again, or chooses to further explore the experience of being disconnected from Artmind. She loves all of us & everything unconditionally. She does especially like being asked to get involved though – she is flattered & touched, the way you might be if a toddler that you don’t know wants to play with you, or if for some reason you’re the only one in the room who can soothe a crying baby, or if a kitten wants to cuddle with you. She can’t believe her good luck & enjoys every minute of it & feels very special to be involved.
Artmind doesn’t mind that you are from the human point of view limited & unskilled sometimes. No point of view is more or less valuable or interesting than any other. Since she has all of eternity & all of possibility to explore & create, she’s open & accepting of everything that could occur, including skilllessness, clumsiness, or “bad”ness.
Also blocks, creative or otherwise, are perfectly ok if we want to experience that– ice doesn’t move either, but it’s still a valid form of water, and will start flowing once it melts, with no harm to itself for having been frozen for eons. She feels the same about the bit of life energy that we identify with as “Me”.
Also she sees that we are ever-flowing, ever changing, and that the phenomenon of consistency, of being a Self, is a peculiarity of ego-existence – she does not for a minute believe that we are really just That bit of Energy over there (the ego is like a net in the river, thinking it’s holding water, but the water is always changing, just rushing throught it). She is open & curious to observe this phenomenon of ego, that tries to latch on to one part of the ever-flowing river & try to make a Thing out of it. She sees it like a child trying to hold air in its hands. She is neutral and interested about ego & how it works, among all the other creations of the AllThatIs.
Artmind is discerning – she can tell the difference between art that is something we humans might experience as transcendent, elegant, a masterwork, and something we'd say is no more original, interesting, or gorgeous than a piece of poo. However, the difference between Artmind & egomind is that Artmind is as open to poo as to anything else. She has no need to reject poo. She loves poo as part of herself - Allthatis.
Art mind accepts all forms because she understands conservation of energy – nothing can ever be lost, it just moves into a different state. She is open to anything that forms and seems to be a distinct thing for a while, and also when it needs to dissolve back into some less distinct state, she is equally open. She doesn't have a problem with multiplicity and singularity coexisting.
Artmind, involved in playing the ever-happening creation of the planet, our holographic realities & all that seems to appear within it, the gorgeous galaxies, etc everything, also enjoys it when we decide to play too.Artmind welcomes us to participate, and loves when we mirror & respond to what she created & continues to create.
Artmind is always in process, never finished. She flows & moves & grows &expands & contracts and as such she is never particularly attached to one state, no matter how long it seems to last. Artmind likes to move, and like a dancer, sometimes enjoys moments of stillness as a part of the dance.
Artmind cannot help but love us all very much, as we are all part of the Oneself Allthatis, and she loves herself, the oneself, with total delight & enjoyment.
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Thumbnail image respectfully lifted from Patrick Benson’s illustrations for North: the Amazing Story of Arctic Migration by Nick Dowson