Individuation: The Hidden Purpose of Art
How creativity and authentic expression challenge us to move beyond the known.
Ultimate Iris, a watercolor painting by Leslie Montana. Keynotes: Creative Action, Radical Individuation. Prints of this painting are available on my website here.
Pondering on the nature of self-responsibility this July.
Individuation happens regardless of familial and educational environments. We all grow up to some degree, even if barely. The next steps, if we choose to take them, will see us grow beyond the confines of what we already know and have experienced. Understandably, this can be scary for those who are on extremely limited pre-prescribed paths.
The mechanism to grow beyond all that is simple, though: reach higher, be willing to be vulnerable and make mistakes, and not know the next step before it’s taken. Life brings tests repeatedly, and there’s no way of second-guessing its mysteries or where it will take you.
Being in the space of not knowing can be a potent reminder that we don’t know much, and maybe we’re not supposed to. However, we can always align, and that’s the key to entering the zone of creativity, also known as the stillness.
Muse Notes, July
I was born to be an artist. It’s not a charmed life or a romantic existence. Following a path of creative authenticity requires fierce insistence. Call it commitment or maybe even stubbornness. Being an artist is a way of life.
Thankfully, my creative foundation was strong from the very beginning. From the day I could make marks on paper with crayons, I knew I wanted to be an artist. Whatever that meant to me at two or three years old, it still holds significance for me today.
Along the way, I encountered many unexpected things—things I found difficult to understand. The most critical were essentially life lessons. As I followed my dreams, my craft improved, and I enjoyed that very much.
However, the artistic and creative environments I frequented early on became more stifling as I progressed. Power dynamics in the art world and school created an undercurrent that had me heading for the nearest exit. But before I left, I learned a few important things.
Today, I credit much of my success to learning how not to be an artist. Fast-tracked in those early days, protecting my sense of expression and authenticity became the focus. It was not easy. It pushed me to individuate as a young person and also as an artist. Those formative years played an important part in shaping who I am today. And now I am an elder with decades of relevant experience behind me.
Which brings me to the topic of artificial intelligence.
AI has a role to play and may eventually serve humanity as a whole. But caution and discernment are necessary as AI is in its infancy and only as evolved as the people who program it.
Human beings are creative by nature, and that means multidimensional. AI is a one-dimensional replica that features qualities we recognize in ourselves. It can be useful and even entertaining, but it is not us.
Creative nature is an embodied type of sentience we are born with. It sits in pure potential until activated, and is more sophisticated than a program could ever be at this time, in this era of change on this planet.
AI cannot replace human creativity. We must all discover and cultivate our creative nature. It’s just part of being human, which is something we need to keep.
Ultimate Iris - Video & annotation
I’ve made a video for you —Ultimate Iris, a poem in video form, 5 minutes. Some of it is below in bold. The rest is an annotation. I hope you enjoy it.
Individuation: The Hidden Purpose of Art
The process-oriented life of an artist-creator defies logic. This can be maddening for some, which gives direct insight into the importance of creativity. Stepping out into unknown territory is fertile ground for the creative soul. It requires following one’s inner guidance with curiosity. A sense of discovery leads the way and it’s exciting.
Life wants authentic expression through us, and when that is denied, we betray ourselves, whatever the reason may be. And maybe there is a good reason. But life is not all about reason. And as I mentioned, the process-oriented life of an artist-creator defies reason.
Locate your joy and call it home. It’s where spiritual health and wholeness live. If you’ve lost the thread and can’t find it, the adjustment is here. The energies of these times will push and pull you from every direction until we surrender happens. It’s never been easier and harder all at the same time.
The painfully good news is that no one really wants to go along with the old program anymore. Inauthentic well-trodden pathways are calling desperately for renovation.
Exquisite Paintings on the Nature of Flowers is a body of work based on a sophisticated visual analysis of Nature's frequencies = LOVE. My long-standing body of work, ongoing and now in phase two, began in the early 1990s and is the culmination of a lifetime quest—a sacred journey into the heart of Nature, beauty, and healing the myth of separation.
Those who haven’t followed their dreams can sometimes react negatively to those who do. I’ve experienced this firsthand and it is always an unpleasant surprise. Jealousy and the behaviors that accompany it, agenda-laden praise, and other distortions can take many forms. It’s just weird.
Embracing creativity has always been an excellent way to find alignment with oneself and power. The hidden purpose of the arts lie in this region. The arts have the ability to reveal the best of humanity, introducing us to our highest potentials. It’s meant to lift and remind us that we are vessels of the energies we choose to align with.
For the artist, or artistic soul, acquiring skills and knowledge is usually part of the deal. Authenticity, on the other hand, comes with your own personal package. It is built-in. No one can teach you how to be authentic.
Behind the scenes, there is an inner space where the mysteries of creativity lie awaiting discovery. It calls to us through the frequencies of love and beauty, which are not easily ignored. The call from inside is strong. For this reason, creativity is kept at a distance, even on a pedestal. It’s just too unpredictable, as is the nature of art and artists.
As we invest in our creative nature, issues bubble up on the inside and our movie plays, confirming the script that’s in rewrite. Navigating the terrain can be challenging, which is not a bad thing; it’s the initiation we signed up for.
Appreciation of the arts and creativity can be tremendously useful in the process of individuation. It offers a doorway into a space where we can wash off the dust of life, feel renewed, and take pleasure in the process.
The desire to create is driven by an internal force. It comes from a desire to individuate, which is natural. It’s part of becoming a mature adult, but culture discourages it. Rites of passage that challenge us to take responsibility are rare, if they exist at all these days.
Regardless, taking responsibility is an ongoing rite of passage we all must make. Our planet requires it. Earth is a living spirit, a sentient being, and she is alive within us to the degree we can hold her light.
The wish to collaborate with Mother Nature and all of Life is the big adventure. Like it or not, we’re all on this journey together. Earthen bodies, animated by an indwelling and individuating spirit, are part of what makes human beings what we are. We are uniquely equipped to create.
And so, we walk the line between worlds alchemizing the myth of separation, because a new way of being is calling.
Love’s frequencies are getting louder.
The heart hears its song in the zone of creativity, the flow state, the stillness.
Invisible networks connect us with each other and the wholeness of life.
We crave connection, but sometimes mistake it for phone addiction, social media, cookies, etc.
It’s not sustainable. Now more than ever, we crave connection. Yet we also need our own space so we can feel our connection to life. But the world is noisy, messy, and looking like a giant compost heap at the moment.
Humanity is building something new as the phoenix rises from the ashes, or perhaps the compost heap.
As things get more extreme, there’s only one way left to go, and it’s inward. But it’s not about isolation, being all alone, or sacrificing our lives for a cause.
It’s about authentic participation. Just being is enough when authenticity and a willingness to follow our deepest inner knowing are present.
Get quiet inside.
Claim your space because the stillness is calling.
It knows your name.
There is an unmistakable sound within that some call the stillness, and it is incredibly full of life. When I’m around trees, I sense it loud and clear. It can be hard to hear it with distractions, but that bandwidth contains everything we need.
It is the call of our time.
Listen with your heart.
We are the builders of what is to come.
You and I are the bridge between worlds.
—Leslie
Thank you for reading Muse News, Beauty in Your inbox, The Mind Behind the Artwork. I’m an independent artist, on fire for life and creativity. If you like what I’m doing, I welcome you to donate with a secure one-time donation any time you like. Your support is sincerely appreciated. Glad to have you along. —Leslie