Tao, Art and the Artist.

60 Luck? There is no such thing in the life of the creative person, no matter how much some may argue. It can be said, "You were indeed lucky," or on the other side of the same coin, "That was very bad luck that happening." If time is taken to analyse the event and all of the surrounding circumstances, it will be found that it was a case of being in the right or wrong place at the right or wrong time and reacting to circumstance positively or negatively. Learning to react in the correct way has taken the artist hours, days and often years of time, practice and work ,  to know when to act and when to let things take their course. As Lao Tzu says, "Too much stirring and prodding can spoil a good meal."  Likewise, as an example, moving the paint this way and that and for too long or too often can end up with canvas that looks like dull mud in colour and tone.  Those who approach life in the Tao know that bad luck or evil can play n...

59 Moderation. When walking in forests we can frequently see trees that have been caught by the wind and now lay flat on the forest floor. At the end where the tree had planted roots, it can often be noticed that the tree has many roots , but they have never gone deep into the earth, rather they have spread out in all directions but very shallow. This is very true of  Firs and Pines. Other trees put down deep and strong roots and in early years stay supple and can bend and sway with the wind. The Tao Te Ching advises,  "Plant deep roots.  Grow deep in the Tao."  It is in this way that we will learn to see things in a new light, ever fresh and vital. Inspiration, the food of the creative person will then be available. In moderation of all things, the artist will find the freedom to bend and sway and grow as each situation arises facing the artist with new challenges of expression. Lao Tzu tells us that this is the gift that comes to the one w...

58 Happenchance.                 There is no word in Chinese that corresponds with the English word, one seldom used, so the above translation is the combination of both words. It is a shame that we seldom use the word happenchance because it says very clearly what  Lao Tzu speaks of in this chapter of the Tao Te Chin g. When living in Tao we accept life as it comes to us, we go with the flow, trying not to manipulate circumstances, rather accepting life as we find it . The artist and other creative people should take this word to heart and allow ourselves to be inspired by moments of such happenchance.  Life can frequently take unexpected turns. Something that begins well , and we put our trust in can very quickly and unexpectedly turn sour and wrong. Without expecting it happiness can turn to sadness, a joy to pain. it can equally go the other way. Something that at first looks like a disaster can without rhyme...

57 Release. Who would not wish to be the very best that they can in what they do? Sadly , we can all remember, or even indicate, those who for one reason or another did not fall into this category, being happy to just muddle through.  Fortunately, they are in the main a minority. Most who teach would wish to be good teachers, most artists have an innate desire to paint something that will continue to give joy for many years after they have shrugged off the mortal coil. The poet or author hopes that the penned words are remembered and spoken of for years ahead. The Tao Te Ching says if we wish this to be so, then it is important, first to learn the way of the Tao. So much time is wasted planning and scheming to bring our plans to fruition. The ambitious person finds it very difficult to step back, to stop controlling themselves but also others around them. It may seem strange but Lao Tzu seems to turn everything on its head when he advises us how t...

56 Chatter. What is true for everybody is also true for those within the creative community. Attend any gathering of people and you will discover that there are, in every group those who talk and those who listen. Go to a first night viewing at an art gallery and it will be just the same. Often at such, there is a great deal of chatter and much of it seems to make little sense. There are always some at such events who wish to show their knowledge, to express their opinion of the artist's works, often before having given any real time to view what is being exhibited. There may be "experts" in art present, but that is no guarantee that what is being said is of value. Something else that we can say about such gatherings is this. There will be many conversations that did not really happen. It is possible to think you are having a conversation with another , but you become aware that you are not being listened to, in fact wasting your time. You may n...

55 Constancy. There is something marvellous about new - born children, how they respond to circumstances that they have never encountered. They are desperately trying to make some sense of their surroundings and react, without thinking, to external stimuli. Think of the child as it instinctively grasps with its hand the finger of an adult. When it is hungry, it lets it be known by screaming, some would call it crying, at the top of their little voice, seemingly never getting hoarse or running out of breath.  Being new to the world, it is amazing how they can have their needs fulfilled and their desires met. They live and act in childlike harmony and with an almost mature constancy of action. Now consider the adult. They have lost this childhood innocence and constancy of behaviour. Creative persons frequently allow their lives and the decisions they make be swayed by circumstances. When an artwork goes wrong, and there is a constancy to some exten...

54 Interaction. We come to the stage in the Tao Te Ching where Lao Tzu more than anywhere else speaks of the relationships we have with others. What he says is directed towards all, but what he says for others will be equally true for those involved in the creative arts. As we have considered elsewhere it is very easy for the artist to become an isolated being spending much time alone with their thoughts and in the production of their artworks. It is, therefore, a simple step to give a little thought about our interactions with others. Many artists can go from day to day interacting with few if any. Some will, of course, spend time among fellow artists but the topics of discussion and concern may hardly ever be other than their craft. Lao Tzu advises that if we are to develop, and this is as true for the artist as for any other. We have to give thought to the world around us. It is wise therefore for the artist to give thought to the ideas contained in t...

53 Direction Although we are frequently told in the Tao Te Ching that we must, "Go with the flow," this does not mean that we are being told to travel along life's road blindly and without meaning. There has to be some sense of overall direction or the whole of life could end up being fairly meaningless. It could even be worse than meaningless, but dangerous for us as individuals. There is surely some truth in the idea that idle hands do little good. Most people do in fact have some kind of vision about where they are heading or would like to reach but it is very simple to be side - tracked from this destination. For the creative person as an example, it is very easy to be led off course by the many new and tempting materials being made available. There is worth in staying the course until we have mastered something before attempting yet another technique. For all, and especially the creative, it is wise to know that there is a time to stay with the fa...

52 Learning. It is a sad fact that many spend the majority of their lives seeking nothing more than personal gain. Even worse are those who see others as a mere means to an end in the pursuit of selfish things. This is true for all areas of life and it can encroach even into the realm of the creative person. There are those who use their talents not to give pleasure but to make personal gain alone. It is the driving force of their being.  Every person is due their worth and nobody says otherwise, nobody should labour and toil with no reward, but there is a line over which if we cross, selfishness can overwhelm.  When selfish thoughts take hold , we lose sight of what we are and where we are , we become almost lost beings in a ball of our own creation.  Lao Tzu tells us, "keep your mouth still, and guard your senses." It is not the road of material gain or selfish actions that lead to happiness, rather it is learning from our day to day exp...

51 Nourishment. We live and move and have our very being in the universe, our place and home being this earth, this creation. The Tao Te Ching says that the spirit of this creation is the Tao. Others will call it something else. No matter what we call this creative spirit it is this that nourishes our being and allows us to be what we are to express our inner thoughts in various ways. The creative person is nourished by everything around them, their fellow human beings and the environment in all its wonder.  Every time the artist considers a new work or verse or piece of music , they look first to the world around them. They watch the sea as it roars towards the shore or gently laps upon the sand. They hear the sound of waves as it throws the pebbles with a gentle rattling sound. Or the river as it flows towards the sea as part of that continuing cycle of life that inspires them. Sadly , there are those who go through this world almost blindly with lit...

50 Living. The only two certainties in life are birth and death. This being obvious there are some who spend all of their lives as if they were denying the end of the journey, wrongly thinking that such thoughts can only bring sadness.  Those who , without fear , live their lives aware that each day is a new beginning another adventure and they grasp it and live each joyous moment of it. They live each day with tenacity and wonderful attitude brought on by positive thinking.  This so unlike those who meander through their days with no purpose and therefore little joy.  The positive-thinking creative person is therefore willing to put in the often - tedious hours of practice honing their skills, knowing that it will lead to greater joys in the days ahead.  This positive attitude to life, and yes death, brings with it a fearless nature that encourages the creative to make changes to experiment and open new doors to expression. The s...

49 Growth. Here Lao Tzu turns his attention to how we see ourselves and others. How easily the creative person can become isolated and alone, spending time concentrating on the task at hand. To produce anything of worth and beauty takes everything we have. It is a very short step from such isolation to becoming either boastful or self-centred and depressed. Looking beyond self can so easily become something we seldom do. Many a creative person has sunk to such depths of melancholy that they have contemplated terrible things, including to name but one, the cutting off of an ear.  In the Tao Te Ching , we read this, "The sage does not spend his day thinking of himself." Such inward looking can only end in negativity.  For all, whether artistic or not, looking outward towards others and the world with compassion can become a real source of growth and inspiration. From such outward vision, there will come a deeper knowledge of s...

48 Less is More. We have all heard the saying I am sure, "Every day is a school day." Put simply it means we are never too old to learn something new. Open minds can grow , and new and exciting things come our way while the closed mind leads only to the same , day after day. The Tao Te Ching has something to say on this which we might find surprising.  It tells us that we will learn nothing until we learn the way of non-action. This does not mean that we stand about doing nothing, but it does mean that we stop rushing around from here to there achieving little. The creative person is often the most guilty of this. Such feverish activity often leads to a loss of the rhythms of our lives. Rhythms that enable us to be creative because this is what works best for us. Another well-known saying is this, "if it is working why fix it?" There are times when things are best left alone. This does not mean that we cannot make corrections when...

47 Intuition. Everybody at some time or another, has had that moment when something takes over and grasps hold of your being. It is beyond description and it is not a thing that you can switch on or off, it happens and all you can do is go with it. There is no control over when this occurs, it comes and goes as it pleases. This is not something only known to the creative person though it may happen with them more frequently because they have opened themselves to the possibility. Every creative person who has ever lifted a brush or a pen knows and experienced this thing we often call intuition. It has been described as being in the zone, others speak of that magical time, others call it going with the Tao. However , it is described , it is a thing that happens the more you open yourself to the possibility. La o Tzu says, " Without looking out the window it is possible to experience the universe." The creative person will tell you that this is somet...

46 Fear.                                    "How I wish I was able to do that." This is something that people who are involved in the creative arts of any kind can often hear said. The other thing they hear are the words, "I do not have any talent."  But have they tried?  Because it is often the case that people who declare they cannot do something have never tried, or they have at some time in the past made a tentative attempt and decided very quickly they cannot do something.  Once upon a time, there was a man who kept parrots.  All but one of his birds could be seen regularly flying around the large space they had in which to have some freedom. The one that did not fly spent its day sitting on a branch. No matter what the owner of the birds did he could not get this one beautiful bird to fly. He tried everything he could think of even asking...

45 Invisible. The truly creative person could almost be described as the invisible being. Frequently working alone , they go about the task, they create things of beauty and once they have reached the point of completion , they become at one with the work. It could be said they disappear into the paint of the work or become at one with the stone of the sculpture.  The author sits down and writes the words but once the book is complete, it becomes the possession of the reader who imparts their interpretation of the words each in their own way. Every creative person knows that what they have created is possibly very special but deep within them they always feel there is yet a better work waiting to burst forth. This is also true for all, no matter what it is we achieve we seldom if ever, say that what we have achieved is perfection.  Lao Tzu puts it like this, "The spring of learning and achievement can never be empty or be exhausted." Th...

44 Contentment. Lao Tzu poses three questions to the readers. He asks which is the most important to become famous or to be at peace with oneself? H e goes on to ask what is more precious to know the self or to have wealth? He then asks one of the most important questions of all, which would cause the most pain, to gain something or to lose something? What is being referred to is just what is it that we are attached to and what is it that brings us a true sense of joy and happiness. The more attached we become to things the greater the danger we face of finding ourselves feeling miserable in the long term. The creative person, the artist, who seeks not such things but rather  seeks to bring joy and pleasure to others . C reates ,  a sense of contentment that liberates the mind and allows for a real sense of freedom of expression. If happiness depends on the accumulation of material things such liberation is seldom found, rather the mind is captured w...

43 Being Gentle While listening to Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture we have very little doubt that we are listening to a work th at looks back to battles and victories. If we instead listen to the Work of Karunesh in Moon Temple , we hear the gentle melodies written to assist and enable meditation. The notes paint an inner picture of calm and gentle harmony. A mother while nourishing a child holds her in the gentlest of embrace looking into the eyes and giving succour with warmth and tenderness. As the child grows, parents, if they wish to draw from the child the very best, will continue to raise the child in the same spirit of gentleness. When needed, even rebuke can be given without harsh or rough words. Much can be spoken with no words passing from one to another, with the gentleness of touch. Volumes can be conveyed with the gentle look and smile.  Lao Tzu tells us that learning to be in touch with our Yin and not forcing we can achieve much, this may be...

42 Solitude. "The sage takes such things and makes the most of it. Embracing his solitude." I could have made those two sentences into one by adding the little word, by. Lao Tzu on more than one occasion speaks of times of solitude, here he goes a stage further and says he embraces it as if it was a dear and precious friend. The creative person will be familiar with the thought of embracing solitude. Most creative things are accomplished after and during times of working alone. Some may find it helpful to be part of a group, working together and sharing the experience, but even those moments are just an interlude to the many hours closed away in the studio or at the workbench. The writer, sitting at the keyboard hour after hour putting words from the mind and moving them into flowing and captivating prose. It often seems that we live with a fear of solitude and silence. Some say it is the loneliness of such, but that may be too simple. We seem to be in...

41 Difficulty There have possibly been a few people in life who on the very first occasion of trying to draw have found that it has come in a flash, but they are few. Even the greatest of artists or sculptors have had to sit with a teacher or leader and learn their craft. Parents may often declare that their child took to something almost instantly, but in reality, it was never as simple as it was made to sound.  The art of reading or writing eventually comes to most, for some after a struggle, for others much more simply. For those wishing to learn the art of Chinese calligraphy, many hours from a very early age has to be spent drawing the letters and symbols. It is so with anything that is of value and worth. Lao Tzu speaks of the person discovering for the first time some knowledge of the Tao. He tells us the foolish person on hearing but not understanding makes fun and laughs out loud. For many they hear of the Tao and for a time may show interest...

40 Flexibility. When turning to chapter forty of the Tao Te Ching we find the shortest and most precise of all of the work.  Being short does not make it less important, in fact, the opposite may be the case. Here we find what Lao Tzu said in two short lines, something that contains possibly one of the most important lessons of life. "Yielding is the way of the Tao. Things exist simply because they are." It is very simple to stand on our principles, and it may indeed be important that we do when great harm is being caused if we do not. But this is seldom the case. More often than not the way to harmony is to yield, to forgo winning the point or having the last word. How many wars have been started over a refusal to yield over something that could never be worth the loss of thousands of lives? How many artistic friends have parted company because of some disagreement about some artistic detail? Two friends who when together were an inspira...

38 Leadership. There comes a time in every creative person's life when they are looked to for guidance and help. We then move into that realm where it is no longer just a sharing of ideas but a time of trust and leadership. If only for a short time the creative person is being asked to assist others to overcome a possible stumbling point or seeks encouragement, at that moment they become a leader. This will happen when the artist or creative person is seen to be one who is approachable . They are seen as good people, willing to offer help without thought. The response to a cry for help is important from whoever. A truly good person tends to be the one who makes no effort to give a show of goodness, they are simply good people and others seek them out for help. There is in every walk of life those who make a great show of being a good and learned person. Frequently such people are best avoided because goodness without sincerity will not succeed and disappointmen...

39 Rejuvenation. When life is good it seems that all things are good. The sky is clear the sun shines or you catch the beauty of a snowflake. Everything just seems to be as one, it would be possible to catch a feather on a fan. If it was any better , you would be making rainbow bubbles to light up the sky. Such is the feeling that comes from walking in harmony with the T ao. Everything flourishes, each brush stroke adds to the beauty of the one before. Every line of the poem comes easily to the pen. Words flow from your mind to the paper. The creative juices flow like electricity through every fibre of your being. In this state, things grow and there is a sense of rejuvenation. One of the most amazing things of living in the Tao is this very knowledge of rejuvenation. The painting completed is good and you feel happy, but there will be yet another painting that may even be better. The poem written does not flow easily in the mind or on the tongue, worry not,...

37 Desire. Desire can easily take hold of our life, whether it be the desire to own something that we feel possessing would bring us a sense of happiness, or the desire to be praised by another. It may be the desire to produce something that others will see as worthy of acclaim.   The desire to feed our senses bringing pleasure, so often for a fleeting time, can so easily be followed by regret. Desire is almost always without exception ego-based. The creative person is never immune from such desire filled pleasure.  Yet we are equally aware that so often the fulfilled desire to possess something is temporal satisfying but for a short time. It is equally true the easier it is to satisfy desire the shorter the time of pleasure lasts.  We seek happiness, pleasure and joy, but find none of those is ours by satisfying desire. The Tao Te Ching tells us, "The best way is not to seek good, but to allow yourself to just be good." Find pl...

36 Balance. There are many ways in which the artist can make something look brighter and more vivid, you put a contrasting colour beside it. Before you can make something look lighter or brighter you must first grasp the reality of dark and heavy. Before you can dilute something , you have to fully grasp the strength of that which you wish to dilute.  Lao Tzu says, " To have a true understanding of anything you have first be able to perceive the nature of things."  In Tai Chi the practitioner learns first how to be aware of the balance of being, to know exactly where the weight of your body is poised either on the right or the left. Only then can one find the centre of balance. Having begun to grasp this for self, we realise it is the same for all others. The exponent of Tai Chi needs to use no force to unbalance another because this knowledge of balance can turn the force back on itself. In all things, including the creative process, the s...

35 Serenity You have been asked to fulfil a commission to be given as a gift for another. No matter what it is you have been asked to do, a painting, take a photograph of something that the other holds precious. No matter what it is the moment you decide to make the start the pressure begins. Inside, the first thoughts of negativity rear their head. All the creative things that have gone before to pave the way to this moment, in reality, mean that you are up to this task, and yet the demons of doubt gather around. The fact that you have been asked to do this shows that others have noticed the ability you possess, they enjoy what they see in you and wish to have something from your hand that will bring them joy. Yet still, the demons of uncertainty knock at the door. You live with the Tao, in you there rests a certainty and peace that comes from the Tao, now is the moment to strengthen that bond and reinforce that certainty.  Before you commence, before maki...

34 Pride. The eagle soars high above mountains and trees, catching in extended wings the updraft from the side of the cliff face. Effortlessly it glides. It calls out as if in sheer joy there being no pride in achievement. It is not calling to draw attention to itself, there is no, "Look at me how wonderful I am."  It soars simply because that is what it does, has done from that very first moment it stretched its wings and fledged the nest. It is the very nature of the being. "Tao fulfils its purpose silently and makes no claims." The creative person equally makes no boasts or shows no pride. The artists go about art making because this is what the artist does. The good artist, wood turner or any other makes no claims to greatness. The good person allows others to make those claims on their behalf.  The creative person desires to produce the very best, that which stirs the inner thoughts of others or fills them with beautiful thoughts. Good...

33 Knowing. One of the most difficult lessons in life is to know and to love yourself. Each person can make strenuous efforts to love others around them. To learn to show compassion to those in need may be slightly more difficult but again it can be learned. But to love oneself is much more difficult, it cannot be taught other than by the self. Knowing this we still seem to erect barriers to loving ourselves, foolishly thinking that to do such is selfish and full of pride. The truth is we cannot put love into practice in any real sense until we have learned to love ourselves. We have to love ourselves in spite of knowing not only our strengths but also our weaknesses.  Without such love of self , there can hardly be any trust of self and without the trust of ourselves how can we learn to know how to trust others? We need to trust in our ability if we are to progress in the art of creativity.  To begin to learn how to love oneself is the first step to ...

32 Stopping. Lao Tzu says this to us, "We must all know when to stop. Knowing when to stop keeps trouble at bay." How easy it is to get so caught up in the things that we love and enjoy that we can, without even noticing, forget to stop. To stop and take stock of what it is exactly we are trying to achieve. To stop and examine just exactly what it is we are doing. It is very simple to believe that because we have always done something a certain way that this is the only way that things can, in fact, be done. To stop and consider is never ever anything but positive. Every creative person has to learn that there comes a time in everything they do, to step back and consider if they have reached the stage where doing anymore, rather than it is helping it may, in fact, make matters worse. Again , Lao Tzu says, " Everything that comes from Tao has to be named. Once everything has its name, there is no need to go on naming." How often we spend ...

31 Empathy Imagine a man out walking in a beautiful forest with wildflowers and a large variety of birds. While walking he is holding in his hand a spoon containing olive oil. As he walks , he does so steadily ensuring that the oil stays within the spoon. Once he has completed his walk , he has not spilt a single drop of the oil. Having walked around the many paths of the forest he has also seen very little or nothing of nature around him, all of his concentration was on the oil. The same man may well have found peace in his walk. But has he found harmony? The people who spend all of their time concentrating on themselves and what they are doing can lose sight of others and the beauty around them. Such an attitude can so easily mean that when we see a fellow artist , we see an enemy, rather than a companion in the field of art. From here it is a very short stride to underestimating the value of such a person. One who could be an inspiration can end up being a f...

30 Achieve. There are very few people, if any, who do not like being given approval or praise. The creative person may enjoy such approval when freely given but does not actively seek, rather they look to the inner being. If you are at one with yourself there is less need to seek the accolades of others. Every creative person wishes to give of their best and to achieve results that bring pleasure to the self and to others. When such achievement comes their way, they do not glory in it. They achieve the results they seek but never boast to others about having so achieved. They achieve results but they never suffer from pride, for they know that pride can often be the first step in the failure to progress. The creative person working in the Tao does so simply, quietly and never makes a show of themselves, or forces their will upon another. This is never the way of the Tao. Such behaviour, in fact, works against the Tao. Working against the Tao is like worki...