Discussions/Essays – Page 7

The magnificent Toshiro Mifune, in one of his most iconic performances — playing the role of a master samurai with a very powerful state of mind. From Akira Kurasawa’s **Yojimbo.**

“The object, which is back of every true work of art, is the attainment of a state of being, a state of high functioning, a more than ordinary moment of existence. In such moments activity is inevitable, and whether this activity is with brush, pen, chisel, or tongue, its result is but a by-product of the state, a trace, the footprint of the state.” — Robert Henri

In a cult of productivity and consumption — the preoccupation of our times — it’s all too easy to lose sight of our state of mind. What do we mean by this? Well, it means that we’re rarely aware of what and how we’re actually feeling when we’re doing what we’re doing.

For instance, we can be so busy trying to hit a deadline, to satisfy others or even to meet a pre-concieved expectation that we have of ourselves that we lose sight of the act itself. We’re animating/painting/writing etcetera but we’re really not because we’re not present. Instead we’re racing ahead. We mustn’t forget that the event itself is both unique and most important, just as the materials and tools themselves are, the creative challenges at hand, and the atmosphere in which the work takes place. To embrace it all physically first, then mentally, is what it means to be fully attentive, fully present.

“I want the hand to be, if not ahead of the mind, at least simultaneous.” — Philip Guston

It’s dangerous to have the head too far ahead of the body. When that happens, we’re no longer connected to the act. It’s one of the reasons why preparation is so important; once prepared and practiced, the artist can just “do”. The professional athlete in the heat of the moment has little to no time for thinking; all his/her energy is required to hit that ball when it comes, when it counts. When his mind gets too involved, he misses. An effective mind is a clear mind, one that is calm, engaged and proactive. That’s also when operates at its best.

“Separate thinking from doing. Man is a thinking reed but his greatest works are done when he is not calculating and thinking.” — Suzuki Daisetsu

Sometimes, the best thing to do when we catch ourselves thinking during the act is to stop. Calm the whole thing down. Re-align mind and body. Stopping things is also an opportunity for asking the right questions, like if the action we’re about to take is even relevant — that is, are we even making the right/best choice. Pain, either physical or psychological, like the pain of failure can also be, is a signal that it’s time to stop. Remember, it’s just as bad an idea to waste time worrying about doing the wrong thing as it is to keep rushing head doing the wrong thing. The artist that’s in sync doesn’t rush towards his goals nor does he avoid or escape his problems. He looks and reacts. Despite adversity, there’s self trust and acceptance.

“I can’t go on, I’ll go on.” — Samuel Beckett

Our state of mind defines the quality of our engagement. If we’re nervous, fearful or excessively ambitious, our work will reflect that since a muddled mind leads to muddied results. I experience this personally with my students and clients all the time. Their work tells me everything; I merely translate what I see to the artist who’s not quite ready to see it themselves.

“The eyes can see only what the mind is prepared to comprehend.” — Henri Bergson

In closing, remember this: attention is the key. The quality of one’s experience depends entirely on the qaulity of our attention and so, too, the outcome of our actions.

Hayao Miyazaki’s ***The Wind Rises*** is a beautiful and mature film about love, dreams and living with self trust.

“Self trust — it’s a very hard thing to achieve, for me. To trust yourself. Because we don’t really do it, you know?” — Philip Guston, Painter

Oftentimes, we get so busy that we forget that we can choose.

But we can. We can choose to live with self trust or with continuous doubt and fear. I think it’s clear how a majority of people live, even if they might not realize this truth consciously. For, to live with self trust means, not so much in following established beliefs, but in refusing to accept living in a way that’s almost completely disassocciated from reality. It’s the plight of modernity to live in constant fear. If we can’t recognize our malaise, we will stay in it.

Consider this metaphor: God (the universe, or whatever the powers may be) has invited man to his/her/its home. He enters the abode and finds the surroundings filled with immeasurable abundance including a vast array of food, comforts and entertainment. There’s almost an endless supply of delicious concoctions enough to delight every taste and need, and all of it offered to him openly and perpetually. But despite all this, he’s discontent. Although he was at first delighted by the generosity of his host, he’s now grown accustomed to what’s been given and begins to demand more than what’s currently available. He wants more of everything; more variety, more comfort, more fun, more delicacies, more convenience and more security. And, as if that’s not enough, he gets bitter, hateful and even violent when it doesn’t arrive exactly when and in the way that he desires. He’s forgotten completely that he’s only a guest here. And in advancing his greedy selfish agenda, he seeks to exploit and destroy all that’s in his way creating conflict and war everywhere he goes, living with and extending his continuous fear.

“Decisions, not conditions, determine what a man is.” — Viktor Frankl, Psychiatrist

Can we live differently?

In living with self trust, one can begin to accept things. Self trust is in a sense a trust in the intelligence of the universe. To acknowledge that we don’t know and can not know everything. And it’s actually great. Taking a humble stance when viewing life and its offerings counters the strains that come with our inherent biological insecurity. We see more clearly. We see we’re a part of nature and that we’re all connected to each other. We learn to accept struggle, failure, loss and even death. We stop chasing and stop worrying all the time. And we can stop clinging and let go of the past. We don’t follow the crowd that’s brainwashed by propaganda, that organized lie that preys on our desires and fears. We accept challenge and change. For everything, including knowledge itself, is provisional.

“Reality always outruns apprehension. ” — Terence McKenna, Writer

To me, the phenomenal art of Katsushika Hokusai represents the powerful and magnificent journey of human existence.

Instead of forcing things, and hoping for things to turn out, we focus on just being. Attention is paramount. We make art instead of talk about making art. We avoid the superficial, the empty, and the banal. We lose any concern for what others may think of our insistence on living authentically. Our time is spent on observation, exploration and creating. Instead of comparing and competing with others, we cooperate and connect with them; we build synergy. We grow beyond the limits of our existential immaturity and refuse to judge and label others with our ideations. We focus on attending and giving. Life becomes about quality, not quantity or quickness. With self trust, we stop doubting that deep urge inside us that says to do what we might mentally fear the most. We trust the intelligence that’s beyond our understanding.

And we will be rewarded.

LIke a painter who walks around his model, we begin to see from different perspectives of what’s in front of us. We expand our powers of perception; we see wider, deeper and clearer. Each moment carries greater meaning. Each step we take — the stroke of our pen or the turn of the clay in our hands — has value because it contributes to real and honest living. Instead of the ideology of a commodified and financialized world, we choose the reality of being. We choose humanism over mechanism. And in all that we do, there’s no idea of pride or glory but only a view that’s generous, like that of our creator, both completely benevolent yet ironically self-sufficient. We focus on making things and appreciate what’s been made. Here, unmeasurable concepts like virtue, learning, journey, discovery, creation, gratitude, play and love all equate to the same thing. Death becomes vital and a part of life. We don’t worry about control or order. With self trust, we create our own order. All things become simpler. Day to day existence becomes selfless and beautiful. Life becomes, as in our greatest dreams, “a life worth living.”