Over the past couple of weeks, we have immersed ourselves into the concept of the emerging self and how it relates to the creative endeavor. The artistic process demands reckoning with the ever-present moment right in front of us. There is a basis in psychology for this interpretation of the creative work. In modern classical psychology, a rift opened between Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. Freud emphasized the importance of the past, particularly childhood, as harboring the greatest mystery into the self. If one were to unlock childhood memories and free them from the vortex of the past, then mental equanimity could be established within the patient.
Jung felt that this preoccupation with the past was counterproductive. It forced one into a constant backward gaze. Exploring childhood trauma may be therapeutically important, but it doesn’t allow for the emergent self to move forward into that ever-present moment where real change exists.
Jung felt that nowhere was this more evident than the gift of a dream. A dream is necessarily all about the here and now. It directly relates to what is happening in an individual’s present life. It attempts to impart meaning about the present condition. If one can access this meaning, then one can engage with the present moment and reduce an emphasis upon the reverie of the past.
Similarly, the production of art engages the soul with the present moment. No matter the medium or topic of your creative endeavor, your present-day concerns and desires will emerge in the material. You cannot escape the fact that you have chosen this moment to immerse yourself in this specific artistic project. Your subconscious is directing you to some dimly perceived goal that will ultimately, upon completion, reward you with a great self-awareness and understanding of your present condition. Encountering the creative endeavor is a waking dream.
Keep this notion at the forefront of your artistic production today. John Housden, in his book, “Ten Poems That Can Change Your Life,” dives into a particularly thought-provoking poem. It is entitled, “What To Remember When Waking,” by David Whyte. Here is the first stanza:
In that first
hardly noticed
moment
in which you wake,
coming back
to this life
from the other
more secret,
moveable
and frighteningly
honest
world
where everything
began,
there is a small
opening
into the day
which closes
the moment
you begin
your plans
We encounter powerful forces when dreaming. Upon awakening, however, the impact of these visions diminishes. Our rational mind wrests control of our thoughts and subdues the messages that our sleeping self wishes to communicate. Engaging with the artistic process encourages us to lengthen out the time in which those messages are still strong and bright. At this point, do everything you can not to plan anything out. Work with those messages as an avenue into the perhaps more secret inclinations of the present day, those interests hidden just below the surface. Allow this honest and frightening world to take center stage. Embrace the notion that the artistic process hones the skill to live within the space of dream.
