In the first part of this train of thought, I mostly focused on how you remove layers to reveal your truth in art or in living. This wonderful video and artist sort of blows that thinking apart. Something I insinuated before is that truth has a final moment/stage/outcome, and it is just a matter of sifting through the filler space until you identify that truth. But, as seen above, when we participate in a living space, truth can only exist throughout the moments in which you recognize it. Trying to freeze a truth in a moment of time may kill the journey it has to take, along with the creativity that explores it.
As artists and crafters we have the assumption that there will be a finished product, even if it is an expressive product like choreography or a play. There is always a point where we reflect upon the thing and say, “Yes, it is done.” (Or at least, “This is the best I can do.”) Our cultural stereotypes of artists seem to have them suffering from both starvation and lingering doubt over whether it ever truly is done, (even when the masses pay big money to see that very incarnation of that very thing YOU made.) Is it done? Even if you feel totally fulfilled by your creation during a moment in time, give it a few years and you will be ready to see the other scenes you could have shown, or the other stories you could have told (thank you, fan fiction).
Do you remember after the Harry Potter series ended, we eventually found out that Dumbledore was gay, and that Harry really should have ended up with Hermione? J. K. Rowling can go on to explore other stories and realities, but she will never be done with Harry’s world (and yes, partially because the fans will never let her be done.) If you are both blessed enough and cursed enough to vividly create a whole world, exploration of that world will never end. The world beckons and there is always another story to tell.
So, back to Rassouli and his moving, living art. Even when this infinite world is on a finite canvas, here we go diving through moments of time and layers of truth. This artist shows us how to pause for a moment, appreciate the perfection of what currently is, then let it all go. In watching the video I kept having moments of anticipation of where the image was heading, then being surprised about where it went. And certainly, there were little anguished moments of not wanting to see the current image morph, because it was perfect as it was. It takes courage to allow the perfect moments to pass, along with the unsavory ones. I have read that in the mythologies, whenever a god falls in love with a human, it is the eternal falling in love with a moment in time. I often create things that I simply fall in love with, and because of the color or texture or shape of the thing, it counts as being a sensual love. But do I have the courage to keep creating that thing, and to allow it to transform completely? Is there such a thing as over-creating?
I imagine there is a safety in creating a series, because each piece is part of the greater story. No single incarnation has to be sacrificed or hidden into the layers, you just create a new piece and let that be the next evolution. But what if I as the creator and witness of a piece, can sustain the expression of all the layers through memory and depth? Will I become the story, by acting out the experience of the story? And is the story any less true if it doesn’t become a permanent expression of who I am?
There are a lot of artistic materials that are impractical for constant reworking ; painting is probably the best form for exploring this. I plan to start my own painting and see if I can simply allow it to keep living in the state of ‘being created.” I’ll share photos as I do – but first I need to get a canvas.
thedawnofcreation 