There is a deep place within each of us all, from which stems that mysterious force we experience as inspiration. Inspiration seems so fundamental to our being that sometimes I think it is overlooked. There is an impulse that lies at the heart of all Life which drives it ever forward in to activity and evolution. It takes a different form through each creature and being, thus manifesting through the various peculiarities that are unique to each and every type of Life. We see this in the patterns and activities which sustain Life but it is also that which expresses its glory and magnificence.
In animals and plants we see these things emerging in mostly unconscious ways but they are no less inspired by the same fundamental principle of life which appears to precede even the processes of the intellect. This can be clearly seen in the natural artistry of nature and which of course makes its appearance in humanity through our many arts and articulations of our forms. The inspiration which drives the urge to rebirth oneself through the reproductive cycle is also the heart of the inspiration which leads the painter to paint, the musician to sing and the dancer to dance. The energy which starts Life is the same energy which continues through all of its motions and manifests as the infinite array of experiences. It is the dreaming of the dreamer.
Humans have reached a certain degree in their development of self-awareness that they have become able to begin to perceive this process. Not only just on the surface in expression but there are those who dig beneath the surface and begin to trace the original inspired impressions which lead up to the outer expressions. This strange impulse which emerges from the depths of one's being and manifests itself as the arts - music, written word, imagery, construction, dance, etc - it is no wonder that the ancients perceived the idea of spirits such as the Muses which inspired humans towards these fantastic works. Searching for the root of inspiration takes one far in to hidden and odd realms where the places of dreams and waking reality seem to cross over. Many there are that find inspiration from their dreams in particular.
This ability to access a deeper level of creative energy seems innate to human experience and even those of the simpler states of intellect may experience rich inner worlds of experience which they may only scarcely describe. Indeed, it is to the words of poets and mystics that one must look in order to get a sense of what is occurring beneath the guise of waking consciousness and the creative activity that takes place in the dreaming levels of awareness. The creative individual has tapped this natural dreaming ability and is able to perceive it in the mind as a reflection. In dreamstate this perception can be seen as a reality. Some find a veritable magical path through this exploration and still others find the inspiration for the physical life. Supposedly Einstein discovered his theory of relativity by a dream in which he traveled on a light-beam. Dreaming and creativity thus seem to go hand in hand.
When the musician is playing music they are not creating something from nothing. They are tapping in to a resource which is available deep within themselves. They are tapping in to Music as a greater concept than just the sounds that are being made and which exists on its own beyond the musician. Just the same, the painter, even one who replicates a scene, is drawing from that internal resource which connects them to that outer reality of Beauty which is beyond their own individuality and which lies in a collective state of reality where concept and manifestation occur simultaneously. So too does the dancer draw out a natural movement of Beauty from the well of inspiration. This deeper unconscious resource is a reservoir through which the waking reality may be grasped in ways which would appear to counter the common sense. The dreaming mind can be brought in to waking reality through artistry and the boundaries of reality are wavered by the crossing.
The act of creation in any art is an act of destruction of the boundaries of reality. In the destruction of the boundaries of the current state of reality there is a re-arrangement of perception and deeper aspects of reality are able to emerge from beneath the surface appearances. This is why the musician, the poet, the artist and the dancer are all the aids and attendants of the mystic and are the gateway to the Muses which inspire the creative work of magical evolution. This is why since ancient times song and symbol have held an important place in all things sacred, mystical and divine.
There is no further proof needed for the cosmic origins of humankind other than the immense creativity which we are capable of in many varied forms. That there is something deeper than merely the animal brain and its instincts is clearly evidenced in the lofty notions and grasping of the artist, poet, musician, dancer and mystic. Further it is seen in the expression of Love. Creativity often appears where Love is concerned, whether it is honoured or threatened. The basic creativity of survival gave rise to the slew of technologies which we now enjoy and at times abuse. Sometimes we use the creativity of others at the cost of our own. Sometimes the opposite. From this fundamental creativity came all of the motions for civilization and the building of relationships. Without this inspiration at the heart of humanity we would be all but lost to instinct.
It is the creative flame of Life which spurns the heart and mind to reach further in to the mysteries of reality and draw from there the answers to our unending explorations. Learning to be silent and listen to the movement, the urging and yearnings of this flame is the root of all meditative endeavour and to empower and enliven it is the aim of the magician. Together, these intentions can form a state of self-awareness which would seem unlimited and yet which is held in delicate balance.
Once the door to the infinite creative self is opened there is the responsibility that comes with the knowledge of self. Once you have seen you cannot un-see and you must honour your creative vision. To do otherwise is to invite Death. To let your creative impulses die is worse than Death for then you diminish your Life and can hardly be said to be alive or dead. It is by allowing the inspiration that wells up inside you to flow that is the key to self-realization. So long as you hold yourself back you keep yourself at arms length from your own self. To embrace all that you are is to embrace all you are capable of and to do that is to begin to tap your own potential. Be not afraid of great works but instead let your passion and inspiration drive your will forward.
Life is inspired. The will to live is the inspiration at the heart of Life, Grasp this will and live to the fullest self that you are able. There is no simpler path of magic than art to attempt to embody that which you are - infinity reflecting upon itself.
IP
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