Recently I took part in a spiritual retreat where I met my Sufi guide for the first time.
I'd never before been in the physical presence of an enlightened being like the Dalai Lama or Mother Therese.
Several friends told me that being in our guide's presence is very powerful, but I had nothing on which to base any expectations.
I had traveled a fair distance to this meeting, so I wanted to experience something of value, whatever that might be.
When it began, our guide taught in Arabic with a simultaneous translator.
There were about 100 people in the large, beautiful room.
I sat and listened to both Arabic and English, trying to take in the wealth of wisdom and absorb the sounds of a rich and ancient tongue, while absorbing the energy at the same time.
I was totally overwhelmed ! My chest felt tight, almost painful, and I had this strange feeling of falling asleep ! At first, I fought it really hard.
How embarrassing !And then, suddenly, I could see I was trying to figure it all out with my mind.
In that moment I thought ofall of you, and art making.
No, really, I did ! I knew I needed a dose of my own medicine.
When some of you feel intimidated or overwhelmed at the prospect of drawing or making art, I tell you to lead with your heart first, and follow with your mind later.
Easy for me to say, huh ! The precise moment I let go of trying to figure out what was happening, the tightening and overwhelm ceased.
I allowed myself to be washed in peace, love, and wisdom.
It had not been painful to open my heart at all !What was painful was trying not to open.
How does this apply to art ? Drawing, painting, or making any work of art, can be overwhelming.
Our mind is scared of the unknown, even when we're unconscious of any fear.
The mind thinks it must do all the work, and figure things out, like trying to be jolly at this dark time of year, leads to covering up our true feelings.
Positive thinking is a disservice that covers up your truth.
Please don't do this to yourself.
Are you willing to be vulnerable and open yourself up to learning what's underneath your worrisome feelings ? Can you find the sparks of love, peace and wisdom that are there inside your heart ? How can your overwhelm bring forth divine qualities ? It's a paradox that as you simply accept and observe your state of overwhelm, without trying to fix it, you will become calmer.
Emptying yourself of your beliefs, issues and stories, opens your heart to receive.
Each repetition of remembering gently opens and fills your heart with a drop of spiritual nourishment replacing a drop of your limited view.
The sincerity of your heart's intentions to open yourself to the divine qualities is the most important thing.
The more we practice remembrance, the more we are remembered.
Trust your heart to show you the way.
Determine to find what lies beneath your fears, intimidation, or overwhelm.
What courage, compassion, sweetness, strength, passion, innocence, patience, mercy, tenderness, curiosity, peace or love can you find right there in your work ? Having experienced this overwhelm in art making, I had only to make the connection, and I trusted my heart to take in all it could hold and not even think about figuring it all out until later.
It hasn't been necessary to figure it out at all.
I'm still observing the personal growth.
Instead of forcing the completion of the painting I left unfinished, my heart opening is reflected in it as it comes to life.
As the sun returns, as Hanukka spins around, as the virgin birth happens again and again, these ancient practices are symbols of what can happen naturally in each of us.
Opening to overwhelm allows the divine qualities to manifest in us and in our art work as if for the first time.
As without, so within.