Switching Gears, Switching Sides of the Brain

After a challenging yet valuable month of mostly left brain learning about art history, sacred codes, sacred geometry, drawing the figure, perspective, etc., we’ve switched gears.  Every trimester, there’s a 2-week intensive open to outside students, and this one is all about the right brain mode of creating – after only one day, I’m feeling much more comfortable and in the flow.  I knew I would love this, and I already do.

•  David Heskin & Aloria Weaver – ‘In Quest of the Inner Image’
– Evoking Subject Matter for Painting through Visualization, Active Imagination and Visionary Healing Modalities – to clear the path to creative freedom, inspiration and the emergence of inner visions. With special Workshops by Kuba Ambrose & Vera Aichinger.

Day 1:
After a 15-minute OM chanting circle and introductions, we followed the music into a collaborative drawing exercise that was very freeing.  Once we had done 10 minutes of squiggles on a piece of paper with a large stick of granite, we switched papers to look into the other person’s squiggles in order to pull stuff out and draw stuff in.  Fun!  We each got to work on all 11 drawings while also keeping a check on our inner dialogue.  It was actually quite freeing as there were no expectations for a complete piece and I could go from meditative detailed work on one and then try my hand at unifying another.  I liked the variety. The interesting thing (interesting if you know my history with drawing and still very limited skill in that area) is that I sometimes found myself seeing and drawing human figures (or parts thereof), knowing that someone would refine them or transform them down the road – no stress, no attachment, no expectations. Indeed, I experienced being able to use some of what I’ve learned in the past month, but in a more intuitive fashion – perfect!  I just followed the creative flow of my hand to the music and enjoyed seeing things emerge and evolve.  Near the end of the exercise, however, I did have those little voices of “oh, no, it’s so beautiful, I don’t want to ruin it” and “what could I possibly contribute to this one?”.  I would write those thoughts down, let them go and proceed.  Here’s a sample of what we came up with.

After lunch, we were taught PEAT: Primordial Energy Activation and Transcendence, a form of energy psychology.  Based on our morning’s notes, we chose the most common creative block in the group: the feeling of “not being good enough”, or self-doubt.  This was an easy one for me to focus on when it comes to drawing and the method proved to be quite effective; after several rounds of the process, the intensity of charge around this went from a 7 to 0, leaving me feeling quite calm.  I can see myself using this technique when specific blocks come up.  There are lots of websites out there on the subject if you want to learn more.

The last exercise of the day was to repeat our first, but this time on our own. Once again, I had fun and was able to play without expectations or too much negative self-talk (except when I tried to draw a human face) – turning the paper around and around opened up new opportunities and space for creative play.  This is what I came up with (click on slideshow to see all 4 directions).  What a great 1st day!

The new curriculum:

Although the Academy’s original plan was to spend the first 3 months focused on drawing (which I could still use right now as one month made only a little difference in my skills) the new curriculum consists of 1 month drawing (which is now completed), 1 month underpainting, and 1 month painting. This pattern will be repeated each trimester, but for a different theme: this term for the The Humanist Style: The ‘Western’ Canon of Classical Greek & Renaissance Art followed by The Hieratic Style: The ‘Eastern’ Canon of Ancient, Islamic & Hindu-Buddhist Art and then, in the third trimester, Combining Humanist & Hieratic Styles in Contemporary Visionary Art.  It’s still a mystery whether the school will get accredited and whether that will happen on time for me to get a visa to return after Christmas.  I have, however, relaxed and surrendered, knowing that there’s nothing I can do about it now and that if I am meant to be here, I will.  If I’m not, a different path will reveal itself.  In this, I must trust.  The good news is that the Ministry has contacted the school asking for a meeting this week to gather yet more information – so there’s progress.

Time to go to school – I wonder what kind of creative play we’ll do today.