Take The Journey

 

“I want to cast my line and capture your mind, then have you turn, take over the story, and somehow make it your own.  I want to inspire you to some deep feeling, but can’t tell you what that feeling should be.”
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That sounds like someone’s artist statement doesn’t it?  To me it sounds like the goal of every photographer who shoots with purpose….or any visual artist, for that matter.  It could easily be my own statement.

But it isn’t.  It comes from a book that I read about two years ago that completely changed my life: The Great Western Divide, by John Spivey.  Like I said previously, I’m not trying to write a book review (I don’t have the vocabulary to do this book any justice).  All I can say is if you never read any other book in your life, you need to read this one.

I wrote a short blurb for the book on Amazon.  It reads, in part:

"John Spivey invites us to explore the landscape of our minds in this inspiring and thought provoking journey through California's Sierra Nevada. Part autobiography, part environmentalist, part history, with much philosophy, this book takes the reader on an adventure not soon forgotten.

Without sounding preachy, Spivey challenges us to see things differently; not to abandon already held religious or metaphysical beliefs, but rather to dig deeper and to question How we came to believe these things, and Why."

I discovered the writings of John Spivey during a time in my life when I was beginning to question things of a spiritual nature, but also was having a bit of a creative crisis.  There was a convergence of sorts, where at one moment I felt as though I was in a fog; I couldn’t see, I couldn’t feel. I didn’t know what to see or feel, but I knew that out there, there was something more.  Then suddenly, things became so clear.

The first thing I read of Spivey’s was an article he wrote (based on a portion of The Great Western Divide) called Energy and Imagination.  The line that woke me up was: “Energy without awakened imagination is eternal damnation.”

Think about it.  We all have a certain level of energy within us.  Not only physical energy, but spiritual energy, creative energy, intellectual energy.  Imagine walking through life with eyes closed (metaphorically).  Maybe some of you are.  Maybe you don’t have direction in your life.  Maybe you are unaware of how to fully release your creativity, therefore you feel stuck and stagnant.  Eternal Damnation.

I am now fully awake.  I may not know exactly where I am going, but I know that if I listen to the voice inside, if I am true to my own vision, and if I leave myself open to the possibilities, I’ll wind up right where I need to be.

~Chantal

Comments

[ndiginiz]

Tena koe ehoa
Very interesting conversation piece Chantal. I can say that I know of and believe that everyone has a natural energy of their own. My awareness and belief is somewhat related to my spirituality though not the normalised concept of spirituality.

I think there are moments in the lives of everyone where the balance of what we want to do and what we are doing is metaphorically out-of-balance and more so it's an inevitable fact that happens.

For some people they prosper at and in the moments of pressure this exerts upon their mentality, physicality and spirituality. While for others it's perhaps best desribed as a low-point where life is not as enjoyable and is in a stasis of disharmony. But I think it's in the best and worst moments of our lives that we as people of individual character are tested.

As I mention in the previous paragraph for some people the worst is the best moments of their life and they relish in knowing that from chaos their character and functionality is at it optimum best and continually being tested. And in that testing they learn about themself and what makes them as a person, as an indiviual, click.

I think for us all the voice inside is invariably different because we as people and as individuals are without question different. The nature of man and the facility that makes humanity interesting is that we are different. You may have heard the comment.... "Your are individually unique, just like everyone else"

What good is character if it's not tested?

I know what love is because I have defined by exerience, hate.
I know what joy is because I have defined by experience, sadness.
I know what want is because I have defined by experience, being without.

There is for my own way of thinking a point in our life that is defining and continues to be defining because it continues to evolve as we continue to evolve.
A birth that is forever happening, a new awakening of realisation and self definition.