Why art?
Since childhood, my hand has instinctively traced leaves, branches, and trees across the pages of my journal. Trees speak to me—ancient beings that have stood for eons, silent yet wise. When I gaze into their towering forms, I sometimes ask for guidance, hoping they might whisper the secrets of the cosmos. I once heard that trees are the only beings that stretch toward the heavens while rooting deep into the heart of the earth. When I draw them, I, too, feel intertwined with their energies, grounded and reaching all at once.
Art is a language that speaks not through the mouth but through the soul.
Art: The Sacred Ritual
The Artist’s Definition
Art is a sacred and alchemical ritual, a mystical dance that summons the soul to embark on an inward odyssey. It reveals hidden realms within the self, weaving the celestial with the earthly, the temporal with the eternal. Through art, a bridge emerges—connecting dimensions of existence: those lived, those yet to unfold, and those suspended in the liminal spaces between.
The artist’s creation becomes a vessel for messages—some radiant with clarity, others cloaked in shadow, waiting to be unveiled. These expressions often bear the imprint of wounds carved by illusions of shame, the distortion of societal expectations, and the mirage of separateness. Yet, within this pain resides a potent polarity—a sacred alchemy that transforms suffering into the luminous nectar of bliss. In the grand tapestry of existence, all experiences distill into two essential forces: the vast void of oblivion and the ecstatic radiance of divine union.
As the artist treads this path, celestial signposts illuminate the way, whispering assurances of guidance from realms beyond. Over time, these energies take shape, revealing themselves as gods and goddesses, the four sacred directions, the Sun and Moon in their cosmic dance, and the infinite sprawl of the stars. Each signpost stands as a reminder of the divine forces that inspire and protect the artist’s journey.
The artist’s focus—the sacred target—becomes the axis upon which their reality turns. This focus, imbued with feeling, holds the ultimate truth, for it is emotion that molds the universe. Beneath the surface of thought lies a sacred stillness—or perhaps, a primal chaos—a primordial void where dreams take root, where reflections gather, and where belief and desire weave the essence of being.
Here, in the heart of this creative abyss, dwell not only the gods and goddesses but also an array of other entities: ancestors, deities, angels, demons, and beings beyond imagination. They remind us that we are not mere witnesses to creation, but co-creators, architects of an infinite kingdom of wonder.
To walk this path is to embrace one’s dual nature—both seeker and creator, both finite and infinite—a single thread woven into the divine tapestry of existence. Each of us carries the boundless power to create worlds; through this sacred act of creation, new realms will come into being.
-Palengatia LaViolette
12/16/2024
