Maybe it happens for great artists, but for most of us, what we create rarely ends up looking quite like what we had in mind. But whether the end product is something we judge a failure or whether it turns out to be a delightful surprise, the work we undertake out of love for the task always leaves a beautiful trace on our souls.
What form of creating has left its mark on who you are?
The most important one is music. I’ve played an instrument of some type for thirteen years now (about half my life) and I occasionally write music as well.
Music is incredibly important to me and the impact my continuing problems with my hands/wrists/arms have on my ability to play an instrument is the aspect that bothers me most about those problems. I’ve had to give up transverse flute entirely, an instrument I would have otherwise earned a degree in (I would have only had to prepare for and play one more performance). During the times I couldn’t play an instrument at all, I’ve sung.
I don’t know what I’d do if I couldn’t even do that. Music, both as something to listen to and as something I create myself, is a major reason why I’m still alive today. Music is also the way I understand God. I pray to and believe in the music of the universe – which is a too complex theology to explain here.
Of lesser importance is writing. I’ve had one poem, one short story, and one essay published so far. Another two poems have been accepted and will be published soon.
While I don’t write poetry that often and short stories even less, I write every single day. I’ve journaled every night for several months now and sporadically (with periods of prolific writing and periods of barely writing at all) for about half my life. I also post to groups and keep up letter/email correspondence with several people.
I don’t generally view these things as art, but they are a form of self-expression that require some creativity and that have formed who I am today. Being barely able to write German (as a German living in Germany, but who has spent most of his life in the US) bothers me a great deal.
I’m on the same page as Martin with music being a doorway to spiritual experience. It has shaped my entire life by bringing me into relationship with others (including my wife), providing me with an outlet for creative expression and a being a refuge from the pressures of daily living.
In general, I love the arts and I occasionally dabble in painting when time permits. Last summer I took a week-long class in life casting the human body. I also enjoyed photography as a hobby back in the pre-digital era, which was a very different, and more organic experience from today’s technology.
I consider the visual arts to be a fun and relaxing pastime but I don’t take it too seriously. My music, on the other hand holds a very special place in my life. Without it, I would not be the person that I am today.
Everyone has the music inside them. We should all strive to open up and set it free and share it with others while we are here together in this life.
What form of creating has left its mark on who you are?…
Spiritually and emotionally – Shamanic Healing; other Magics; Singing, Songwriting; Poetry (mostly Erotica); some Short Stories (horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and some humour); Art (landscapes, charcoal skethcing, pencil sketching, pastels, and some photography); the naked human body (any gender, any age, any ability or disability – we are all beautifully Blessed by The Presence of The Sacred, within us).
Namaste & Brightest Blessings!
Dwayne