Anne. D - Art & Self-Expression

This Articles and Resources page has 3 sections that can be accessed in the left-hand menu: Articles and texts I have written; Books and workshops that had a deep impact on my development as an artist, but also as a human and spiritual being; Other links and things that I find helpful and inspiring.

The need to Create

Limitlessness

The Freedom to Create

Accessing our Spiritual Power

My Story

Creating the Self

A Way to Feel Deeply

THE NEED TO CREATE

Creative self-expression, is one of the most powerful ways in which we come to know and realize the self. Whichever form our creativity may take, it will always manifest in our own unique way: be it through Art, Business, Science, or any other imaginable form of creative human endeavor.

Limitlessness

Even if I find it hard to grasp sometimes, I can also imagine that there is no end to the evolution of Creation. If we accept this idea, then comes the awe-inspiring realization that there is no limit to what our creativity can produce in this world. In fact, every single person on this planet is a creator. The question is: are we conscious of it or not? And to what extent? And even when we are, how much of what we manifest is still manifested unconsciously and by default - or even following the mass-consciousness program by resignation - rather than through our true heart's desires?

It seems to me that, becoming truly aware of our intentional creatorship in this life has got to be one the most empowering realizations that we can ever have as a human being.

The Freedom to Create

To create is to live, to live is to create. And our very reality is the direct product of this creativity: both personal and collective. Our creative self-expression is what connects us most directly to our soul, spirit, Godhood, or whatever you want to call it. All children know this intuitively from the time they are born, until their multi-faceted environment and some more or less challenging life circumstances may have them forget it - partially or entirely, depending on the extent of the “damage”.

Freedom of self-expression, in all its forms, is not simply a political concept and a birth-right - yet the first and most important one in the Constitution of the United States, and for a good reason! It is the very process that makes us feel alive. This, we can all feel deeply within our hearts from the time we are born.

Creative self-expression is both:

The process through which we communicate with the world and are able to feel part of the whole, and at the same time,

The process through which we express who we are as an individual, in our own unique way.

Again, this happens whether we are conscious of it, or not.

Accessing our Spiritual Power

Hence my fascination with a never ending exploration of the subconscious in the process of creative self-expression. It seems to me that there lays the source of all our potential and power in the creation of our own present and future lives. Accessing the subconscious is like opening our own hidden treasure-chest of abundant riches: one that is never empty, and keeps on filling itself up automatically as we live. I call it the "subconscious", but it can also be seen as "this part of us" that wants to be channeled: our higher-self, spirit, soul, or whatever you want to call it. It's the part of us that the ego does not control. Its ways are hidden and not so easily shared. Science has attempted to define it, while the mystics and the artists have preferred to dive in its total mystery with the surrender of a lover. Yes, Rumi is one who comes to my mind.

For me and for many, creative self-expression is a deep spiritual process of self-discovery, self-knowledge, self-realization, and self-love. It is through this never ending process of birthing the self, that we can come to know unconditional love and compassion for self and for all.

My Story

I think that for a long time, I wasn’t able to listen to people very well because I was craving “expressing myself” and I wasn’t doing it. I wanted to experience my voice speaking to the world about my perceptions of life, my wisdom, my knowledge and my knowing, but I was shutting myself off. Because I had been stifled in numerous instances in the past, I became afraid of fully expressing myself in this way. (What I didn’t fully realize, is that almost everyone has experienced this at some point in their life. But some of us get over it faster and better than others.) As a result, I wasn’t creating much room to acknowledge myself and listen to myself, and since we can’t give what we don’t have, I couldn’t stand listening to another for very long.

And it’s the same with our creative process. When we know we can be an artist and want to be one - really doing it - it is very painful to watch another doing it without doing it ourselves. Before I started to walk on my own creative path, I had this experience numerous times with art and architecture: I was excited but also felt frustration and sadness when meeting an artist, or someone who was in Art or Architecture school. It literally felt like pain inside me: They were doing it, and I wasn't.

Even though I am a lot better now, I still notice that at times, I can't listen to someone and be really present with what they are sharing with me at the moment. When I feel that I want to speak and be heard more than I want to listen to them, then I know... it is a sure sign that I am not expressing myself in other areas of my life. Whether it is about speaking my truth when it would be appropriate, or when I need to let my inner child play, or dive deeply into painting with all my heart.

Creating the Self

It is my belief that the deepest dream any human can have in their lifetime is to “realize the self” at the highest level possible: what is called "realizing our highest potential". That is, to come to know ourselves at the fullest, most fulfilling, and most joyful level possible. This is why creating the self is the most creative endeavor we can ever undertake, and no one can do it for us. Some of us may not realize this so consciously, and some of us are too afraid to admit it, even partially. Perhaps because we intuitively know that it will mean stepping through our fear and letting go of control. At some point, it will very likely require that we detach ourselves from the too restricting beliefs and behaviors of the mass-consciousness; As the Journey Rune, Raido, reminds us, it may even require that we stand alone and apart even from like-minded others.

A Way to Feel Deeply

When we are engaged in conscious creative self-expression, the poles of duality start to blur: through the process of creating, we may become aware of merging into the Oneness of All That Is, while at the same time, manifesting our own magnificent uniqueness. Conscious creativity is our way to express our “unified diversity” as humans on planet Earth. (I am borrowing "unified-diversity" from Story Waters, Limitlessness.com)

It is no wonder therefore, that the expression of our own creativity be one of the most direct ways to arrive at that place of intense feeling of joy and love: the place where arise feelings of aliveness, excitement, passion, fulfillment, wonder, elation, bliss, peace, and much more. In my eyes, creative self-expression is much more than a hobby, it gives meaning to our lives. It is the meaning of our lives. Or perhaps it is life itself. All who know themselves as artists have well understood that. But have others?

Anne. D

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