Introduction
This is the remarkable story of a young girl who possesses an unwavering love for art, but encounters numerous challenges on her journey to acquiring the finest art education available.
The way of getting lost into the mind
Art has always been the love of my life and I have talent in it. It was the only thing I found joyful in childhood and I could draw and paint for hours after hours non-stop without feeling tired. I had no idea why time seemed to pass so quickly. The little me only knew that I was so happy when making art.
I wanted to become an artist when I was young but growing up in a money-driven city, it was like the impossible dream because the social conditioning oppressed me with the wide-accepted myth that “artists always suffer from poverty”.
Though I pursued my studies and early career in mass communications and advertising, I tried my best to fulfill my little art dream by taking courses on fine art. But unfortunately, art education that I received was rather disappointing. In Hong Kong, the focus was on techniques without proper guidance on finding one’s own creative voice. In the States, so much stress on individuality and difference from other artists on top of excellent skills, yet it was from the mind level whirling around complex thoughts and emotions. I gradually felt tons of stress and heaviness when doing art. The constant comparison with famous artists drowned me in the hollow darkness. I was completely disconnected from my inner child, and the sheer joy of creating.
Albert Einstein once said:
“It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education.”
But my curiosity failed to endure. Daydreaming and creating with boundless passion were crushed beneath the weight of societal expectations.
When I had the idea to quit my job in advertising and was navigating among potential new career paths, I thought of entering the art business – a balanced path of filling my bank account while I could work in the art circles. I spent all of my spare time on visiting many art galleries, art exhibits, and art auctions. The more I experienced, the more I felt commercial and soulless energies. I admired some artists being able to make huge fortune, but I was deeply immersed in the chaos of the outside world – business, critics, and diverse influences of stakeholders, etc. Where did the purity of art all go?
I couldn’t help but ask myself,
“How can I recapture the boundless joy and expansiveness I felt when creating art in my childhood, as if the world stood still and nothing else mattered?”
I have tried the common ways that the world has taught me but nothing worked. Empty of motivations and inspirations, I stopped art. Completely.
The way back to the heart
Quitting art was a huge decision for me. I felt guilty and painful because I had abandoned the love of my life which had unknowingly and gradually become heavy rocks on my shoulders. Yet, dropping the great burden of the mind and all that was taught by the society was the only way that I felt I could breathe again. Little did I know, this letting go allowed the Divine to guide me back to the right path.
No more thinking to turn art into my career, I fully devoted my time to spiritual growth. It was a door to the whole new world. I stayed with some spiritual communities in India and in the West, and did spiritual practices such as meditation, bhajan singing, arcana chanting, and selfless service to purify my mind which was so distracted and running like monkey to the past and to the future most of the time. Spirituality became the core of my life.
In fall 2011, right after returning home from my spiritual retreat in Scotland, my body suddenly collapsed. Far behind what my ego could expect, the beginning of big inner transformation kicked in. I became so physically fragile that I could not go out and work, of course no more traveling. I was stuck at home every day, totally hopeless and clueless. I realized the Divine could take my health and my life at any moment without warning, and thus understood that planning for future to feel secure was an illusion because life was not in my control at all. Not knowing if I would ever get physically stronger and active again, I was forced to live in the moment. To kill my time at home, I started to do drawing and painting, and learn graphic design as long as my physical strength allowed. Now I had no practical purpose on art other than for my sheer joy. Simply sinking to my dear heart, I created. Without a single thought of money, career, and fame. Without the competitive mindset to compare my artwork with others or to please the critic. The path of the mind was cut. I was fully immersed myself into my art, my imagination, and my little own world. Unexpectedly, the feeling of doing art in my childhood returned. The experience was so simple, pure, beautiful, and blissful. Untainted by worldly voices.
I also took a lot of time to rest, observe, and reflect. Deep in the meditative state, I created from the stillness within. I connected with the Source that emanates the infinite power. At times, I received creative inspirations that flew to me so effortlessly when I was in the open, receptive state of being. The strong creative energy that arose inside my body was so strong that I had to release it all through creating art, only then I felt peace and restful again.
Creative energy came in cycles, in bursts, and it’s not within my control but in the hands of the Divine. My task was to act as an empty and pure channel to the fullest extent possible, by remaining fully relaxed and present in the here and now.
“There are poets, painters, musicians and scientists who spend a lot of time in solitude, contemplating and relaxing. They withdraw from the noisy world and go into seclusion. While sitting there in a fully relaxed mood, they withdraw from the mind and its thoughts. They will sometimes slip into a deep, trancelike state; and as they come out of that state they are able to create a great masterpiece… When the mind is devoid of thoughts, when there are no disturbances, no agitation whatsoever, an awakening takes place and the dormant talents, the infinite capacities of the mind, are manifested. Revelations occur as you tap into the unknown realms of pure, divine knowledge.” – Amma
When I read these words sometime later, I realized I had experienced the deep truth about creativity. My connection with the Divine creativity in my childhood, that was broken through intense left-brain education, was regained.
Finally, I received the real education.
This life experience was a blessing in disguise for my inner transformation. It cut me off from all societal expectations and the mind’s pendulum swinging between the past and the future, so that I had no choice but turn inward where the answer has been waiting for me to uncover!
The way to divinely inspired service
My body gradually got back its strength day by day. In early 2014, I received the inner calling to visit the Amritapuri ashram in India. A new life phase awaited: I received a chance to do selfless service at my guru’s university.
One day, my working team gave me an urgent task to promote the department’s Master’s program. The existing poster that had been used for three months was ineffective in drawing good enough applications. I was given the complete freedom to break the creative grid, throw away all rules, and started completely afresh. But I only had one day to create a new poster.
My mind raced as I attempted to familiarize myself with the background. To accomplish this, I not only needed to grasp the program’s intricate details but also conduct swift research on our counterparts – university departments specializing in our field, both in India and overseas. By the time I completed this preliminary work, night had fallen, and my mind was overwhelmed with new data and information. I recognized that forcing myself to create something randomly on my computer would yield no fruitful results.
I sat upright, consciously relaxing my body and taking deep breaths. I entered a meditative state and centered myself in my heart space. With unwavering focus, I fervently prayed for divine inspiration to guide me in creating a poster that would captivate potential students. Exhaustion soon overcame me, and I fell asleep swiftly. Several hours later, as I transitioned between the realms of dreams and wakefulness, the word “Mastermind” surged vividly into my consciousness. Instantly awakened, I promptly noted down the word and sketched a basic poster layout, with “Mastermind” as its catching point. Simultaneously, I felt a powerful surge of energy flowing through my chakras. This sudden flash of inspiration, accompanied by the surge of divine energy, was the answer to my prayer.
In the morning, I diligently created the poster, paying careful attention to the fine details on my computer. In the afternoon, I presented it to my team members, and they were enamoured with the remarkable creative idea: the clever wordplay of “Mastermind” instantly captured the curiosity of our target audience – potential students seeking a Master’s program in Philosophy. With a few minor changes to the copy, the poster was promptly sent for printing without any delays. This creative concept was further adapted for online platforms and various other promotional channels. In the end, our program saw a staggering intake increase of 300% compared to the previous year.
As I review my graphic design work, I often sense a profound harmony, tranquillity, and wholeness radiating from the composition of shapes, colors, text, and structure. I acknowledge that the true Creator is the Divine Source, and I humbly consider myself merely an instrument in this creative process.
Osho offered a profound differentiation between subjective art and objective art, highlighting their distinct qualities. Subjective art involves expressing one’s subjectivity through painting, poetry, music, and various forms of creativity. It can be seen as a mental and emotional “vomiting” which primarily benefits the artist. However, those who observe such art may experience discomfort and uneasiness. Subjective art originates from a state of chaos, saturated with the clutter of the mind.
The opposite is objective art. It emerges from silence, emptiness, and the blossoming of love and compassion. To engage in objective art, meditation becomes an essential prerequisite, guiding individuals toward becoming true creators. Meditation brings one to the center of the whole existence, where boundless bliss, peace, silence, and beauty abound. 99 % of art is subjective art. Only 1% is objective art.
“Objective art is meditative art, subjective art is mind art.” – Osho
This elucidates the profound reason behind the overwhelming feelings of weightiness and bewilderment I experienced while engaging in art activities during my school years, as well as when observing art in galleries, exhibitions, and auctions. Furthermore, I consistently discerned an energetic disparity between my own creative endeavors and the artistic works prevalent in the commercial world.
Conclusion
Now I create from the depths of my heart, drawing upon intuition and psychic channeling, allowing divine inspiration and multidimensional energies to guide and illuminate my creative endeavors. This process is imbued with such immense joy that it effortlessly becomes a deeply fulfilling experience.
I am inspired to foster a greater understanding of creating from within, as it is crucial to impart the true essence of art education to our children and future generations.
Creativity is our inborn gift.
Let us embrace silence, stillness, and openness to receive.
May the path be revealed to us, guiding our way.
References:
Amritaswarupananda, S. (1996). Awaken, Children! Vol. 8. pp. 98-99. India: Mata Amritanandamayi Mission Trust. p.98-99
https://www.oshoteachings.com/osho-on-objective-and-subjective-art/
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