articles

Issue: Winter 2009

Artist, Heal Thyself

Dr. Cynthia Miller

Art for production and art for healing are two totally different approaches to creating. Art for healing, by definition, needs to go beyond the known, the safe and the judgments of what makes good art. Art for healing erupts from your guts, surges through your body and emerges into form with no censorship, no judgment and no criticism.

Art for healing is not about problem solving; it is about accessing the hidden nooks and crannies, tuning into the transcendent or capturing raw emotion. If art is created from a problem-solving mind-set, it will not heal. The body’s natural intelligence is what heals, not preconceived ideas from the linear mind. You have to be willing to go into the messy, the uncomfortable, the forbidden, and expose what is hidden.

You can help heal yourself by shifting your thoughts and creating your art. In order for you to allow creativity to flow, internal safety is required. If your body doesn’t feel safe, then the ancient part of your brain takes over, and your survival is of prime importance; everything else takes a back seat.

Our culture perpetuates the myth of the starving artist and teaches that art is frivolous. These beliefs can maliciously creep into your subconscious and sabotage your creative efforts. Patterns of feeling lack, not being good enough — all the drivel of your negative thoughts — undermine your creativity. But instead of trying to fight these thoughts off, ignore them, or hold them at bay, bring acceptance and gratitude to these negative patterns. The very act of sending gratitude to these thoughts starts the transformation process. Then, reclaim your power from these limiting beliefs and acknowledge your true magnificence. As the ancient brain calms down, your intuitive and creative aspects emerge.

When your juices are surging, art pours out of your body. The raw, uncensored emotion that begs for expression longs to emerge from your depths. This is where your power is – reclaim it! There is such a rush when creativity is gushing; energy cascades through your body, time slows down, the external world dissolves, and a deep inner satisfaction and completion arises. This inner flowing is tremendously healing for you.

Creativity comes from a source deep within, beyond linear thought and judgment. When you are in the creative flow, your essence — your inner being — is in charge. The trick is to allow your art to be. Your job is to allow the art, the artistic expression, to pour through your body. As inspiration flows through your body, great healing and transformation can arise for you and for others. When you give yourself permission to be who you really are — to design from your passion and your guts — that in turn gives others permission to express their true nature. When you touch into the transcendent in the process of creating your art, that energy is transmitted into your art.

Your art goes beyond creating something visually pleasing; it can trigger deep transformation for you and the art collector. For instance, combinations of colors create specific wavelengths that touch the body, creating new neural connections, new pathways in the brain and a different way of seeing the world. Your energetic signature is also transmitted in your art, conveying an energetic resonance with the viewer. The resonance between artist and viewer, as expressed through line, shape, pattern and color, is what makes art great. Art that lasts through the ages creates an energetic connection that goes beyond time and space. Great art can actually rearrange the patterns within our cells.

The purpose of art is to jog the mind, jog the cells, to a slightly different perspective. When the cells move slightly, everything is seen from a different perspective. Art serves as a vehicle to awaken, to bring about change and to bring attention to a new way of perceiving reality. This can be healing for the artist, the art collector and the society. Artists are the visionaries, presenting the world with a new view. Sometimes by shocking, other times by gently nudging, a new perspective is introduced into the cultures’ psyche. This visionary aspect of art is an essential component to a healthy society.

Now, go create! Bring your unique gifts out into the world. The world needs your vision and your art.

Unlock your creativity, trigger more neural pathways, and open to a new vision with the meditation and visualization MP3 download, Create!

This article originally appeared in Arts Perspective magazine, a quarterly covering the arts communities of Southwest Colorado. http://www.ArtsPerspective.com

Dr. Cynthia Miller has a Ph.D. in psychology of change and cellular transformation, has assisted clients to follow their dreams for over 30 years, and has been an artist for as long as she can remember. http://www.brainforsuccess.com

......................................................................................................© Dr Cynthia Miller 2010