Thought into Form

"Design in art, is a recognition of the relation between various things, various elements in the creative flux. You can't invent a design. You recognize it, in the fourth dimension. That is, with your blood and your bones, as well as with your eyes." 

D. H. Lawrence

 As an artist and a meditator, I am intrigued and challenged by the creative power to bring thought into form, consciousness into matter. This is what we do as artists. But what happens when form arises from open space, from non-conceptual awareness, from "a recognition of the relation between various things?"  This direct experience of things as they are allows for something to arise fresh in the moment, untouched by our preconceptions, truly revelatory for both the maker and the viewer of the creation.  New meaning is drawn directly out of the viewer's own experience, rather than presented pre-digested by the maker.  More than just an intuitive personal expression, it is the universal expression, the world expressing itself through the maker as vehicle, unhindered by the limitations of ego seeking self confirmation.

 I find it easiest to open space for direct experience of the phenomenal world through connecting with my five senses.  This brings me back into the body and out of my head; not only using sight (which is normally the dominant sense), but sound, smell, taste and touch to make contact with what is in the moment.  It is not necessary to hunt for that connection, though in day-to-day life I often only notice my senses when they warn me of danger or fill me with pleasure.  Simply resting the mind, open to the momentary sensations that are ever-present in the background of my existence will bring the experience of the body to the fore.

Slowing down the mind to relate to these moment-by-moment sensations opens a space for new information/insights about what is to arise.  This is information that is often lost in the garble of mental chatter.  This is the power of contemplation and hence its connection to the Latin root, com = together + templum = space for observing auguries[or omens]. ("contemplate - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary.")  With the quieting of the mind it is possible to receive the messages of the world, to gain a deeper insight into reality and our relationship to it.

Contemplation's benefits are of value not only to artists or makers, but also to anyone seeking greater understanding of their world and skillful ways of interacting in it.  As such, why not design contemplative space into our lives both mentally and physically?  As an artist, trained in working with the physical world, could there be a way to design the environment to encourage an awakened mind?  

This is what I will be exploring through this blog.  I encourage you to share in this inquiry and add comments as you see fit.  Welcome.