by Miriam Slater

Created on: February 09, 2009   Last Updated: February 14, 2009

Why creating art is a spiritual act

Creating art is, in the hands of an excellent artist, one of the highest spiritual acts man can achieve. It is right up there with being at one with the universe, deeply loving others and being in communication with God. An artist doesn't have to join any religion, lead a noble life or study for years in a monastery to acquire this kind of spirituality (although they can), but they do need to express themselves fully, passionately and consciously. They must also be able to effectively communicate their vision, which requires skill, thoughtfulness and dedication on the part of the artist.

There are varying degrees of art and for those who operate at the lower levels, art is not a spiritual act. Some artwork is made mainly as a source of income, an amusement, or sometimes it is simply a narcissistic act of the ego. Sometimes art is made in an unfocused or unconscious state, which negates its highest expression. All these approaches have nothing to do with the spiritual experience that the creation of art can offer. Art of mediocre quality is everywhere in the art world, but this type of art doesn't survive in the long run. Why? Because it is based on negative concepts not positive ones. Negativity creates more of the same, which is nothing.

So what components in art are necessary to make for a true artistic spiritual experience? The first aspect to consider is oneself. Who you are is the filter through which all creativity flows and being yourself is an essential part of the creative experience. To really know oneself well includes getting acquainted with your dark side which is an integral part of one's creativity and gives your work power. It is only the dark side that a person is unconscious of that has the effect of destroying the creative experience and polluting our life experiences. Fortunately, negativity only needs to be seen (and not fully gotten rid of) to become the tool of the artist. This is why an artist doesn't have to be a saint or to formally study religion in order to participate in the spiritual side of creating art. But they do have to walk through the fire, so to speak, and face the evil, dark aspects of their personality in order gain entry into the world of true creativity. Any artist worth his salt has looked at the gates of hell and overcome their personal weaknesses. The facing of one's demons is the hallmark of a spiritual journey and also of an excellent artist.

Because an artist can take the negative

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