I have posted my Sumi-e painting above on Instagram, as I do periodically. Among many “like”s there was a comment; “Did you paint this? The question surprised me…..”Who else?”, was going to be my reply. With my awakened ego, I hurried to check who this person was, that was questioning the authenticity of my painting….The answer to my curiosity was that he works in the field of child psychology… There was no surprise any more for me. I was actually flattered.
I talk often in my blog posts about the quiet place within, where we are connected to the source, from where the creativity comes from. This is where we’ve come from ourselves, as ultimate creations of the universe. Children are without inhibitions and conditioning. All their actions come from play and imagination; definite ingredients of creativity. Most of the time they are not even aware of what they are doing (the awareness comes from the mind). In fact, when someone asked of my friend’s 5 year son if he could paint a painting similar to the masterpiece (literally) he had created earlier, he replied “I don’t know, I don’t remember”. This is the reason why children’s art is so pure and innocent.
A question to all….When you look at one of your creations that you are pleased with, and find successful, do you remember what was going on in your head while you were creating it? To speak for myself, I don’t. All I know is that when I paint/create, it feels as if I am an instrument for something bigger than I that creates through me. It allows me to enjoy my artwork afterwards without any possessiveness.
As adults, to be able to create sincerely, we have to by-pass the mind in an attempt to undo the damage of becoming a conscious adult. I find this letting go is the biggest challenge for all, including my students at the Sumi-e classes, but the reward from even slightly going beyond the mind is magnificent.
So, do you remember creating? Share your experiences please.