Recently the circle has been speaking to me. Often, ideas for paintings come to me in my dreams, and lately I’ve been having dreams and visions of the circle. Carl Jung, in his book “Man and His Symbols”, states that circles are a universal symbol of wholeness, and when they appear in one’s dreams, they often represent a form of psychic wholeness and healing. As I step more into who I am, it makes sense that the circle would be working its medicine on me.
Recently, I have found inspiration through incorporating circles into my work. With that, I now find myself measuring out symmetry, balance and geometry, rather than free-handing it like I used to. I can feel this process unlocking new dimensions of creative depth, evolving my style into its next phase of expression. And of course, my art can only be a mirror into myself – revealing the nature of my own psychic growth. That is the profundity of creating art – it is always our own self-portrait.
The name of this piece came to me before I even put a brush to the canvas – “To Honor What is Holy.” Initially, I thought about the sacredness of the Earth – lush and bountiful forests, vast oceans brimming with life, and mountain peaks capturing inflections of light at the sun moves across the sky.
And then I thought about what is holy within each of us – our inner genius, our unique creative spark. And how when you discover that within yourself, and set the intention to use it in service to all of life, you unlock some of deepest codes of this universe. This is when the world of synchronicity opens up, and you discover you live in a realm of magic.
Now, walking this path doesn’t free you from challenges and initiations along the way. Challenges are inevitable – it’s part of the alchemical process of our growth. God knows I’ve been through my share of trials and tribulations (homelessness, addiction, depression, poverty, heartbreak, etc.) But the key is to never abandon yourself in the face of such adversity. To never lose touch with what inspires you and fills you with life. Through remaining connected to your deepest inspirations, even in the face of adversity, you build resilience and strength. You also build a love that is not limited by the bounds of your conditions and circumstances.
In my opinion, that is what it means to honor what is holy – to remain true to the deepest parts of yourself, in spite of whatever it is that you may be going through. To be your own best friend, your own guide, through all the up’s and down’s. To walk in faith, knowing that all of life is supporting you in blossoming into the person that you were always destined to be.
When we honor what is holy within us, we can’t help but honor what is holy in all that surrounds us.