Skip to main content

Greetings

Hello everybody I suppose I better start blogging again! I was blogging over at wordpress for a little while but I just couldn't get to grips with the format. I like that this blog is easily linked to my other accounts, it gets automatically shared with my twitter and facebook, so that makes life easier. So what is this blog all about? Basically, this is my online diary where I can write about the stuff I'm doing. I often share pictures and things on my facebook page, but my blog enables me to go into more detail and write several paragraphs, if you're interested in reading more about what I do.

What is the purpose of my art? When I was a little kid, I wanted to become an artist so that I could communicate the lovely things in my imagination with the rest of the world. I wanted to bring the imaginary to life. This is why I do what I do, because I believe in the importance of imagination. What you have in your head is not insignificant. The thoughts and images that pop into your head are powerful things. Where do they come from? Are you in contact with some strange otherworld?

A few people who have helped me learn about the workings of the mind are neuroscientist Sam Harris and philosophical speakers Eckhart Tolle and Alan Watts. They have helped me understand the mystical or spiritual experience of enlightenment, in a very down to earth and scientific way. As I understand it, this is a state of mind in which we are able to "lift up the veil" of maya (illusion) and perceive reality as it truly is. This is confirmed by scientific enquiry, which is our most efficient way of studying the nature of the universe. Science does not need to be at odds with spirituality, and religions need to be flexible enough to adapt to scientific advancement. The way I see it, religions are self-improvement programs, to improve personal and communal well-being. Religious texts should not be read as historical documents, but as important allegories which, just like dreams, tell us something about the human experience and our quest for spirituality. The term "spirituality" comes from Latin spiritus meaning "breath", which was thought of as the animating force which sustained a living being. For this reason, spirituality came to denote the realm of the inner life and the attainment of inner peace.

I try to create my artwork as gateways to inner peace, as visual triggers for enlightenment. This is why my art tends to be dream like or surreal, because it is portraying an inner experience. And doesn't all art? Every painting, photo, or sculpture is a way of communicating our internal perceptions. Visual communication is a way to speak without words, to transcend language barriers, and to express ourselves universally. I want to be able to help people with my work, to inspire them and bring them joy. This is why I do what I do.


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Thank you for sharing your thoughts )O(

Popular posts from this blog

The Dorset Ooser

  A massive wooden head with snapping jaw mechanism, real horns and hair. Photo from 1883-1891.  The Dorset Ooser has possible connections to the horned costumes sometimes worn by participants in English Mummers plays. The etymology of Ooser is also disputed, with various possibilities available, but I think it's most likely the same as the Oss, a snapping skull paraded around during midwinter. The pronunciation is very similar, and it's simply a way of saying "horse" without pronouncing the h. These teeth-gnashing heads are also known as 'obby 'oss or hobby horse.  One use of the Dorset Ooser was to strike fear into villagers who were perceived as shameful. Usually the target was an unruly wife who had disobeyed her husband by raising her voice, scolding him, beating him, or cheating on him. A woman who was perceived as a bad wife was forced to ride backwards on a donkey or horse while the angry Ooser snapped his jaw at her and a crowd of villagers beat their...
Post a Comment
Read more

Decolonise

There is an interesting phrase I heard, that Britain colonised itself before the rest of the world. How can a country colonise itself? Well Britain was an island of many cultures, many nations, before the United Kingdom was created and a uniform British culture imposed on everyone here. Regional variations were extinguished, while amateur folklorists attempted to record the dying traces. What a huge sacrifice for the sake of homogenisation. To this day, we feel that one part of Britain is ruling over the rest, sucking up all of the wealth, leaving the rest of us impoverished. This is the same process of colonisation which was then inflicted upon other countries captured by the British Empire. I would say that London and the surrounding South East area is the "Imperial Core" of an Empire which still exists, although in a neo-colonial form.  Poka Laenui suggests five stages of decolonisation: Rediscovery and recovery Mourning Dreaming Commitment, and Action
Post a Comment
Read more

Back Again

I found my old blog by accident. I forgot all about it. Apparently I have to pay a subscription fee to be able to access the same features that used to be free. Maybe that's why I stopped blogging. I've been using instagram as a blog for a few years now. So it's been almost a decade since I last logged in here. What can I update you with? There's a little bit too much to say. I split up with the boyfriend I was blogging about last. He was a lovely guy, but it ran its course. I found a little studio flat in the centre of town and lived by myself for a year. That was a really nice experience. While I was there I met a new guy and started a whole new chapter. We moved to Weymouth in 2021. It will have been 4 years in August. The time has passed quickly. I turned 40 last year. I don't feel any older than when I was 30, but I feel frustrated that I could have done more with my time. The state of the world hasn't gotten any better, and I'm increasingly aw...
Post a Comment
Read more