Of Dimensions of Experience, Mystery and Feet of Practicality…

Climax follows a time of crisis in a story.

As the narrative heads for resolution the protagonist must decide how she or he will evidence not only their survival and triumph of the great battle she or he has fought, but how they will manifest those that shift in consciousness, that change of heart, in a way that will allow the experience to remain alive within them.

Then, and only then, can she, or he truly know the victory over death whose roots lie in fear, doubt and disbelief.

So many times we sabotage ourselves into thinking that we are less than what we are.

Likewise we ground our identity of who we are and our purpose in life on the erroneous belief that we do not matter, and that what we have to offer means little if anything.

This is often the case for writers and artists of many kinds.

We come to this work in an effort to heal, and  teach, to learn that we are strong, and that our efforts towards creating hold purpose and meaning.

Sadly we withdraw and shrink from the balm that offers the greatest possibility of mending our broken spirits.

For artists and writers this almost always relates to money.

The finances we seek have little to do with our need to rule and dominate others, rather what we yearn to experience is our ability to earn a livelihood from doing that which we love and gives us joy, while feeding our souls.

We also long for family, and connection.

The American culture tells us that artists are not mentally well, that we earn little money and those artists who do carve out a viable and sustainable income do so with the use of illegal drugs and by engaging in less than moral and physically safe behavior.

How often do we read or hear about an actor or actress who has been in a longstanding relationship and maintains long and healthy connections with friends, and family?

Not very, and, rarely if ever.

To be sure, there have always existed artists who remain committed to her or his work, and family, and who also garner a sufficient income that allowed them to establish and sustain a healthy family.

Likewise the world has also known artists who held and maintained close and intimate relationships with family and friends wherein those interactions fed her or his work.

The baroque composers Bach and Handel provide historic examples of artists having achieved this.

And yet it is Mozart, also a genius in his own right, whom we often speak.

Though sad, the drama around Mozart’s short life of 33 years is quite scintillating.

And yet the greatest and most productive artists of quality work who held healthy and meaningful interactions with those closest to them have managed to keep and infuse the energies of heightened drama, and emotions of life into their artistic creations.

They remained careful to maintain a middle path of consistency and security in their personal, private and ultimately the business sides of their lives.

Like the protagonist of any novel, the writer/author lives many lives. Her or his feet stand planted in various and varying dimensions of the human experience.

We enter and exit these dimensions when creating. Our hearts, souls, and minds lie in the world of our responsibilities to family, friends and ourselves, and also those of our characters.

We are at best individuals of many fragments held together by our ability to impress ourselves upon the world as guided by the creative spark that dwells in us, a flame guarded and protected by discipline and commitment to a larger task and goal–that of approaching the mystery of our work, the creative process to which the universe continually summons us, but doing so with feet strengthened in practicality.