Objectives:
- Discuss the differences between spirituality and religion
- Examine spirituality as a generative force and a well spring for creativity
For this chapter, I explored how spirituality can cause art and be the result of it. The artifact below asked us to define spirituality and compare it to common perceptions of religion. Then we were to think about the genesis of creativity and its relationship with spirituality.
Artifact:
How do you define spirituality?
For me, spirituality is a deeper understanding and coming to peace with one’s place in the world. Spirituality connects humanity, both through time and across cultures. This is why religion has such an enormous impact on our world, because people are always searching for something to unify them and give them a place of belonging. For many of us, spirituality is found in things outside of religion, but it always has to be something that can answer life’s hardest questions and connect people in need of sharing in the human experience. Art is one of those things that allow people to find meaning in life and share that meaning with other people, eliciting the kind of emotions that can only be found in that kind of other-worldly realm.
Does Spirituality differ from religion?
Yes. Religion is a venue for spirituality to be obtained but they are not the same thing. In my blog post, I called making music “a religious experience,” and I meant that in creating, I am able to connect to the world and find answers that are similar to those answers that people seek when they find religion. Of course, if someone were to make the argument that music is a religion or that types of philosophies are religions then the line is blurred a little bit. However, I tend to define religion as requiring a god and answering questions about what happens after life.
How do you define creativity?
Creativity is the ability to express oneself in a way that is novel. I tend to consider something truly creative if the product can encompass the experience of others as well. The ability to take something personal and have it resonate with multiple people is a special kind of talent. The most creative people can make the most mundane and normal life experiences feel special, much in the way Ellen Dissayunake describes as crucial to art.
What is the source of creativity?
I do believe that a great deal of creativity is inborn. People have to have some innate ability to take experience and express it, or else they will never be able to be creative. I think the people with the best potential for creativity also have a great deal of spirituality and empathy for others. It is also crucial to understand oneself, which can be a problem. Too many people are not quite in touch with their own feelings to be able to connect those feelings with other people. Furthermore, if a person can only understand themselves and feels disconnected with the world around them, it is more difficult for them to create that type of connection. In the end, creativity comes from life and understanding everything that comes with sharing this planet with other people.
Reflection:
My favorite part of this chapter was that it helped me think about the kind of spiritual experience I get out of being creative by showing me examples of artists who get the same kind of spiritual experience out of making their art. It even allowed me to look at how my Catholic background inspired my creativity. (Please Understand) Sometimes, as in the previous example, I was inspired out of negative experiences from coming out of a conservative religious community. Yet, I am able to find an answer to the questions that drive me through expressing myself in this way and that is spiritual. I am able to understand my place in the world better by creating out of my experiences.
The importance of this chapter cannot be quantified. When Shahzia Sikander said “the sheer act of doing [her art] gives [her] peace” (2003), I felt as if she was speaking directly to me. I absolutely understand how creating something out of nothing, and subsequently seeing it have a positive effect on people, can bring the kind of happiness that I have not found in anything else. An artist is a literal translator that takes his life experiences and turns them into a universal experience that everyone can connect to (Grey, 2001, 75).
I feel like the primary thing I can do with this chapter as I continue to grow as an artist is to keep trying to be a translator. I need to find the spirituality in every day life and continue to produce creative responses that answer my questions about the world. This chapter reaffirmed purpose in my creativity and I will continue to seek the peace that comes with making art.
Artifact One – Understanding Values
Artifact Two – What is Art For?
Artifact Four – The Art of Personal Adornment
Artifact Five – The Appeal of Horror
Artifact Six – Creative Spirituality
Artifact Eight – Remixing Culture