How do you define “spirituality”?
I define spirituality as the search for a greater purpose in life, something that gives meaning to my existence and that leaves a mark on the world after I am gone. I believe that to satisfy my spiritual needs, I need to find spirituality on my own. While many cultures have different ideas of how this should be expressed and achieved, I think it is silly to think that the definition of spirituality belonging to one group is superior to another. Because of this, I believe that one must be open minded to the plethora of ideas regarding spirituality, and must find their own.
Does spirituality differ from religion?
I believe that spirituality is different from religion. However, religion satisfies the spiritual needs of many, offering a greater purpose and sense of accomplishment from acting in a way that satisfies their divine beliefs. Although religion provides an opportunity to realize one’s spiritual needs, organized religion goes against my belief that spirituality should be found by the individual. Many religions are indoctrinated from birth, and can hamper individuality and the human need to question the unknown. I believe that many religions assert themselves as the truth, and can hold people back from finding their own way.
How do you define “creativity”?
I define creativity as an ability to be innovative within the constructs of society in a way that others would not be able to. It also requires one to be objective in regards to the way that they judge the benefits of their creativity. Grey touched on this objectivity, saying that “in order to experience art fully viewers must go through a mini ego death by placing themselves in the inspired minds of the artists, who themselves are out of their minds and only acting as channels of creative spirit” (p. 74). In other words, one must resist their urge to judge the creativity of another as an individual, and instead see the creativity of another in their ability to channel creative inspiration.
What is the source of creativity?
I think that there are many sources of creativity, but it is challenging to recognize the source of creativity in others. People can be inspired by a multitude of sources, including the divine, monetary necessity, or even drugs. While some may argue that certain drugs give a false sense of creativity, it is true that many drugs can cause ego death. Ego death can be achieved by many means, but one who experiences it may be able to better channel creative ideas. This is because ego death challenges the individual’s ideas about their own importance, and allows them to work in ways that better demonstrate their connection with the world and others through an expansion of consciousness.
Citation:
Grey, A. (2001). Art as Spiritual Practice. The Mission of Art (1st ed., pp. 205-233). Boston & London: Shambhala.