Art As A Spiritual Journey

I'm always walking a path. This is especially true of my art. It's always a work in progress/process, because I can never really reach a point where I can say, “That's it. That's all there is to know and do. I can't go any further.” Because there is always more to do, to know, to understand, to explore.

 And this is deeply locked into my spiritual journey, as the more I know my art, the more I know myself. Unless you only work on a surface level, your art is a very personal and deep expression of you, of what you are, of what you are becoming. I can't separate my artistic journey from my spiritual one because they are one in the same. Maybe other people can, but I can't.
The Journey Is The Destination


This journey is like a river—it twists and turns, rushes and recedes, floods and even sometimes dries up—but it is always flowing forward toward some unknown destination. Or maybe there really isn't any destination, because the journey itself is the destination.

 Sometimes we get so caught up trying to see what's around the bend that we forget to pay attention to where we are and enjoy that. Being present is an important part of the journey. Being present and paying attention to the experience you are having right now is the whole reason for the journey. 

 It's also important to be open to what's ahead of us. As much as I plan, there are always unknown things that come up. I try to embrace these things that present themselves because they are opportunities to expand, to grow. Sometimes the surprises are the most rewarding parts of the journey. They may change our direction into a whole new area that we never thought of.

 But this is often difficult for me because I can resist change, because I like the familiar. When I find something that works and I enjoy it, I want to stick with it. When something different comes along, I can be stubborn and resist it, not wanting to move out of my comfort zone. But when I do, amazing things happen and I end up looking back with a sort of, “Why was I hesitant to do this?” 

 This journey keeps showing me new areas, both inside myself, and outside. Even this blog post started out as one idea and changed into something different..Sometimes you just have to ride the wave and see where it's going.

 ~ MB


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