i am learning to dwell in a constant state of peace. everything swells around me, pulls and stretches me, and yet i am finding there can be a constant inner quiet-a place to escape to and know that it will never let you down. a place of deep settlement & knowing~a certainty that all will be well.
it must be a practice however. we seem to lose our way to this place if we do not cultivate it through love, priority, and time. it is not unlike a glorious work of art~we must keep coming back~leaving that which demands our attention for the higher and the better. we must keep returning to add that next color, to sketch that next line, to chip away that fleck of stone in order for the beauty to emerge.
in this time of incessant learning, it becomes imperative to feed our souls with food that will add to the peace we desire. there have been two such provisions of late that have become nourishment to the peace i long for. these provisions will follow me throughout the next several days, coming to mind that i might learn something new from them; see them through new eyes.
one such refreshment has come from one of my favorite speakers, erwin mcmanus. he refuses to succumb to the thought that human beings are only worker bees, and that is all they are good for. instead, he relates creativity as the easiest and simplest link to spirituality. that by simply being a human, you are an artisan and your life is meant to exude creativity. this is not simply for those few who are incredibly skilled in drawing, painting, theater or dance. no matter what you do, you have a say in creating & furthering the beauty of this world.
what if this concept is true of YOU? what if you let yourself in on that thought for just a moment-what does it mean for you?
life & peace break forth when i hear this.
additionally, mcmanus describes the work of an artisan as an essence emerging, untainted and unique. however, just as any type of artist knows, this essence does not always come through in a pure fashion. when it does, that is when the magic happens. but, when the artisan is too informed by the artificial around them, when they allow the other voices too much say in their work, they lose their simple, transparent craftsmanship. and that craftsmanship? to truly develop it can seem so obtuse sometimes, that we feel it is not occurring quickly enough. but if we rush the process, if we let the voices speak so loudly that we drown out the inner peace, the inner self, we are not acting as true artisans, but as standardized clones, losing touch with our unique craft.
as mcmanus states
"we want to be a work of art, but we do not want the process."
but as artisans, we must be in tune with our souls. we must be authentic. we must know what informs our creativity. "all you can create is the product of the essence of your being." (mcmanus)
additionally, at the prompting of a good friend, i've been reading r.m. rilke's letters to a young poet. this collection of writings is one side of guidance from the author to another who wants to become like she is. she gives him these thoughts:
"Read as little as possible of literary criticism. Such things are either partisan opinions, which have become petrified and meaningless, hardened and empty of life, or else they are clever word-games, in which one view wins , and tomorrow the opposite view. Works of art are of an infinite solitude, and no means of approach is so useless as criticism. Only love can touch and hold them and be fair to them. Always trust yourself and your own feeling, as opposed to argumentation, discussions, or introductions of that sort; if it turns out that you are wrong, then the natural growth of your inner life will eventually guide you to other insights. Allow your judgments their own silent, undisturbed development, which, like all progress, must come from deep within and cannot be forced or hastened. Everything is gestation and then birthing. To let each impression and each embryo of a feeling come to completion, entirely in itself, in the dark, in the unsayable, the unconscious, beyond the reach of one's own understanding, and with deep humility and patience to wait for the hour when a new clarity is born: this alone is what it means to live as an artist: in understanding as in creating."
again-spending time cultivating the inner thought life, the indispensable inner voice & peace. as we mull over certain things, not rushing them but letting them grow as they will, eventually we will come to clarity: through epiphanies we will find ourselves growing, and we will be better artisans in the end.
may you seek out the time to find peace & carry it with you throughout your days.
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