Divine Dictation

Divine Dictation

9" X 12" watercolor paper, altered photo, angel stamp (Stamper's Anonymous),
 curly border stamp (Stampabilities), Derwent Inktense watercolor pencils.

I was reading that terrific book, "The Creative Edge", by Mary Todd Beam, and thinking about the artist's responsibility to make visible the invisible, so to speak.  I've been thinking about the role of the artist for some time.  Years ago, in art school studying Oriental Art History, I ran across the idea that, in ancient times in Japan, the artist's task was to bring the beauty of nature to those absorbed in more mundane work.  I still believe in that purpose of art and art making.  Now I am looking at other artist's tasks.  

Connecting to the "Great Creative" (Julia Cameron's description) happens automatically when engaged in the creative process.  In creating art that connects to spirit (however you see him, her, or it) artists bring forth messages from the unseen realms. These messages, I think, nurture not only the artist but others who have the chance to view such art.  I don't think it matters if the artist or the viewer consciously understands what the work "means".  There is a message passed from the symbolic aspect of the artwork to the symbolic realm within the viewer as well as the artist.  I like the idea of the artist being a conduit, of sorts.  I feel humbled to be able to occasionally take "divine dictation".

Joseph Campbell said it more eloquently:

"Their task (creative artists), therefore, is to communicate directly from one inward world to another, in such a way that an actual shock of experience will have been rendered: not a mere statement for the information or persuasion of the brain, but an effective communication across the void of space and time from one center of consciousness to another".