Connecting Art and Soul
Painting is a practice for self development.
The creative process connects you with spirit.
There are many ways to interact with our innermost being but none as powerful as making art - at least in my experience. Perhaps it has something to do with the side of our brains that we utilize when we are deeply immersed in the creative process.
This month is all about significant synchronous moments that help guide us along our path towards finding our true purpose in life. To that end, I have also prepared a 16 page downloadable workbook to help you bring into focus the big vision you have for yourself. I also want you to meet a very special guest - the wonderful artist Ali Amr, whose art has been acquired by several prestigious international museums. Scroll down for more!
Photo by Alawi Kabariti
Taking time off gives you headspace, allowing creative ideas to surface.
As visionaries, we love to observe the world around us and tend to have oodles of ideas contending for our attention. It can be hard to slow down our racing brains which are inclined to be brim full with buzzing thoughts. Exhilarating as the creative process is, it can also be quite exhausting if we don’t schedule in sufficient time to rest, recuperate and refill our creative reservoirs.
I find my most inspired moments emerge when I am out in nature away from the hustle and bustle of city life. I wrapped up another very full and somewhat hectic year and headed down south on a camping trip to Wadi Rum with my family for some much needed downtime. It gave me a chance to reflect on my journey so far and all that took place last year. It was also an opportunity to expand my field of vision and simply daydream.
There are so many choices you can make - really the sky is the limit. Discerning which direction to put all your energy and focus into is key. Taking time off helps you mentally sift through all the creative possibilities out there and allows your inspiration to guide your next move towards bringing your ideas to life.
What better place to connect with one’s soul than in this tranquil, awe-inspiring spot in southern Jordan. This desert is quite simply breathtaking. Its stark natural beauty fills me with veneration and instills a deep sense of serenity and peace. I find I resonate with the vast open spaces that fill me with wonder and inspiration. Looking into the spectacular horizon or gazing up at the starlit sky above is an extraordinary experience. It always helps me to contemplate and bring into clear focus what I want to call forth into my life on this thrilling creative journey.
Photo by Alawi Kabariti
Visualisation as a tool for manifestation.
Before I got into art, I spent many years practicing the classical Japanese martial arts of Kendo, Jodo and Iaido. I remember years ago being in the dojo in Japan and one of the higher ranking practitioners talked about what he referred to as “image training”. He was teaching me the importance of going through the motions in ones mind eye before actually executing the intended action. This whole process could take place in a split second. The outcome however was all the more powerful, efficient and in a sense hit the bullseye.
This idea of bringing to life a desired outcome through visualization has cropped up for me in different settings on more than one occasion. It was brought home more clearly while I was attending a martial arts seminar in Chiba, Japan. One of the lecturers at the the International Budo University was demonstrating this very same idea. He told us about an experiment that was conducted. A Kendoka (a practitioner of traditional Japanese fencing with bamboo swords) was asked to visualize a fighting sequence, utilizing all his senses. While he was living the experience in his mind, they monitored his brain activity. He was then asked to physically perform the same fighting sequence and his brain waves were once again measured. The results were astonishing. Whether in motionless visualization mode or in the process of arduous physical activity, this man’s neural activity was identical!
Art making can be a cathartic pursuit that connects you with your inner compass.
Painting is a very profound experience that helps you tune in to your central guiding system. As a creative, you are well versed in ‘image training’. It is easier for you as an artist to visualize - it just comes naturally to you. What if you could use this gift to greater benefit and start to become really clear about what it is you actually want to manifest in your life?
Taking time out and doing something totally different to your usual routine refreshes your soul and gives you the space to envision. It fires your imagination and sparks new ideas. You are filled with enthusiasm and start to show up for your art more regularly, fuelled as you are with new insights and lots of motivation.
I’ve found when you make the time to clarify what is important to you and have a grand vision of how you would like to feel doing that, the magic begins to happen.
Synchronicity
Soul has a mysterious way of working. It manifests in meaningful serendipitous incidents. Synchronicity is an elusive topic. It is difficult to explain why or how it happens but I am sure you have experienced it firsthand. It refers to a phenomena when a number of events that are notably connected occur without any obvious causal relationship between them.
I’ve been thinking a lot about synchronous moments and how they very much appear when we are in our creative flow. These could be people, events, things or even places that your soul attracts to help you grow and and ultimately undergo a personal metamorphosis.
Perhaps you are agonizing over a problem. Someone calls you out of the blue and something that this person says offers a solution to your dilemma. It could be that you really need a certain outfit but you are not in a position to go out and splurge. A week later you find a package that a friend has kindly sent you with exactly what you need inside. Maybe it’s as simple as you desperately need to get to an appointment and are wondering whether you will find a place to park. As you arrive at your destination, someone is reversing and driving away, leaving an empty parking space for your car. The point is, soul shows up and always works in your favour. It offers you just what you need and subtly points you in the right direction.
Synchronicity works in your best interest.
What we want does not always align with what we need. Sometimes you really want something to happen and make every effort to bring it to life but the whole project falls flat on its face. Alternatively, your plan doesn’t take off and feeling slightly dejected you forget about it all together. To your great surprise, a month later an even better opportunity arises a little further down the road. Your sincere initial intentions bear fruit and before you know it the whole idea is happening in a way that is so much better than you could ever have wished.
Serendipitous moments have a lot to do with timing. Sometimes you simply aren’t ready or the people around you are not quite prepared for what’s to come. Soul unfathomably only offers what you need when and only when the time is right. This is what I like to call Divine timing. We think we have a firm control on life but actually there is something more mysterious operating in the Universe.
Photo by Alawi Kabariti
Life helps you to align with your purpose.
Just as plant miraculously sprouts from the arid sands of an apparently lifeless desert, so too can your deepest dreams come to life if they are in service to your higher purpose.
Move through life with awareness. When you have synchronous moments take note of them. Trust that they are pointing onto a path that will actually open many doors for you.
As a creative, you need a change of scene for inspiration to burgeon and bloom particularly when you hit a creative dry spell.
I certainly felt refreshed after my brief escape to the magnificent outdoors. Sometimes taking off for a night or two is all you need to shake off the cobwebs and recharge. As a species we thrive when we change perspective.
Diversity really is what makes the world go round. You see this in nature. The staggering variety in the plant kingdom alone is truly astounding. As individuals, we are all so different and this is what adds spice to life. It would be quite boring if everything was similar. You would quickly tire of experiencing the same thing again and again.
Differences in your artwork stimulates the senses.
Diversity is what creates visual interest. The same applies to your art. For example, place two complementary colours on opposite sides of the colour wheel next to one another and see how they pop. Yellow complements violet beautifully. Orange works wonderfully with blue as does red next to green. Placing a large shape next to a small shape or a dark area next to a lighter one also creates strong visual impact.
We thrive on differences so set yourself up for success and begin to think outside of the box. Ask yourself, how does your life feel at the moment? Are you excited to get going when you wake up in the morning or do you feel dull, uninspired and a little staid?
The thing is, our art and life are inextricably linked. If your life feels a little monotonous and unexciting, chances are your art will reflect the same. Perhaps it’s time to shake things up a little.
Ignite your creative spark.
You know you are moving in the right direction when you are passionate about what you do. You have a lot of energy and things just seem to flow. If this is how you are feeling right now kudos to you! If not, chances are you need to take some time out and reflect on where things stand at the moment and what would make you happier.
Immersing yourself in a place that resonates for you is one way to go. I always find I return with renewed enthusiasm and plenty of inspiration for a new painting or even a new body of work. The painting below emerged after this short uplifting break away from my usual routine.
It also really helps to have some prompts to help you expand your vision. It is only when you clarify what is of greatest value to you personally that you can begin to envision the road ahead with excitement, energy, optimism and a clear game plan. I created a workbook that you can download below for you to do just that!
Happy painting!
Sara xo
New Painting in Shop
Into the Deep - mixed media abstract art on panel
Quote of the month
" Synchronicity is an ever present reality for those who have eyes to see."
(Carl Jung)
I’m thrilled to introduce you to a very special guest artist, Ali Amr. He was born in Kiev, Ukraine in 1976. After obtaining a bachelor's degree from Amman University and a diploma from the Institute of Arts in Amman, he joined the National Academy of Fine Arts in Kiev and embarked on a journey of academic study and true professionalism in the visual arts. In addition, he later pursued his studies in art at the University of Jordan to obtain another bachelor's degree in 2006.
Ali held 5 solo exhibitions in Amman and participated in numerous symposiums and group art exhibitions in Jordan, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the United States of America, Qatar, Belarus, Poland and Lebanon.
He won several prizes, including: the first prize for "Jamal Badran" prize in 2014, the first prize for the fourth competition for creativity in 2004 and the first prize for the best children's book drawings from the "Analind" organization in 2009. Moreover, he worked as a lecturer at the University of Jordan, and an art consultant to the 1001 Inventions Foundation.
Ali’s work has been acquired by several international museums, most notably the Kathie Kollwitz Museum, Berlin, Germany, Ackland Art Museum, North Carolina, USA, Museum of University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA and the National Museum of Montenegro.
Ali has helped me personally on my own studio practice and I had the great pleasure to study under his creative genius.
Tell us a little about your creative process and what inspired you to become an artist?
I don't remember what inspired me to be an artist, because this is whom I always wanted to be since my childhood. My love to recreate visual objects drove me to the path of art. As an early inspiration, it was everything that surrounded me, starting with simple nature, and ending with facial mimics and expressions of characters and people I used to observe.
What inspires your subject matter?
I like the figurative approach in visual art. My best way to express my ideas in my artwork is to use the visual body language and gestures of a character I paint, alongside with a specific combination of simplified and abstracted shapes and spaces of color, that are related to, and merged with the almost realistic visual part of the figure or figures.
I love your use of colour. Can you tell us what inspires your colour palette choices?
I can't say there is a particular inspiration for using specific color-palette. I'd rather say that I like to experiment with different color combinations within a certain compositions and find new solutions of color harmony in my artwork.
I love how you combine realism with abstract art - what draws you to this way of painting?
In my opinion, abstraction leads to simplicity and to strength of expression using the visual forms. It is a tool that intensifies and strengthens the visual impact of what you see on the canvas. The visual realistic approach of painting visual forms is a bit different than realism, which is a subject, visual approach and style. Realistic visual forms connect us more with our realistic world. The abstracted forms take you to the world of imagination and the unknown. This interesting combination of these worlds is intriguing enough to let me attempt this combination.
What in your opinion is the benefit of painting for those who would like to pursue a creative path?
Painting is a creative process on its own. It widens your visual acceptance and understanding of the surrounding world. Eventually it is a vital thing for the visual experience to deal more skillfully with more conceptual part of any artwork.
What words of encouragement and / or advice do you have for emerging artists who want to make it as successful artists?
Hard work is the key to success in anything. Art word is not an exception. Nothing is impossible. But some effort has to be made.
Anything else that you would like to add?
To be honest with what we do with our art is far more important than searching for a style to obtain uniqueness.
Find out more about Ali on Instagram.
