Choosing the Idiosyncratic Language of the Individual

“We must recapture our personal and idiosyncratic language so that we may speak about our personal and idiosyncratic life.” –Peter London

Whenever I begin to feel disheartened about the art I create, I return to Peter London and his book “No More Secondhand Art,” which in 1994 gave me a satisfying explanation of what I was doing with my visual imagery when I read it for the first time. At that time, I had been making art for about six years. Then a writer and poet, I found my metaphors had begun leaping from the page to the canvas demanding to be viewed rather than read. I was transformed from writer to painter.

The intensity I felt to create visual images overcame my fear of making “good” art. I was driven to speak from a force within. This force had no need to conform with social norms and expectations. I became dedicated to the “process” of speaking without developing an attachment to what I was saying when I made images, the “product.” I engaged in this artmaking process without showing my work to the public for more than 10 years.

In this way, I developed the early stages of my own visual language. Yes, when “experts” began looking at my work, they used dismissive words such as “derivative,” and “primitive.” Yet there were others who were attracted to my soul work. I knew even then that I should not be pulled in either direction towards criticism or praise.

I knew I had to speak my own idiosyncratic language regardless of what others were saying to me about what this “language” was or wasn’t. This determination to listen to my “gut,” to “see” my visions, and to “speak” about them how I wanted to took perpetually crumbling courage. I continue to fight the outside critics that summon my inner critic, but I practice “doing” and “making” anyways.

And I look for support from those tribes to which I belong. Thus my return to Peter London in order not to be gagged:

 “There are some disabling myths about what art is, how to do it, what is good art, and what art is for, that have gagged generations, depriving them of a significant and natural means of expression. This is a terrible loss and an unnecessary one. The purpose of this book [No More Secondhand Art: Awakening the Artist Within] is to address that situation and return visual expression as a natural and full language to every person and to enable everyone to employ this means of expression to do what all language does, to speak about the world as it is, and to create a world of our choosing….

CHOOSING THE IDIOSYNCRATIC LANGUAGE OF MY SOUL. The images you see here are pieces of the syntax of my soul. Let me tell you about several of them.The snake in the top image was one of the first "nouns" to appear in my visual work, a result of a series of dreams back in 1988. I continue to "speak" snake in both noun and verb. The four petalled flower appeared perhaps 10 years ago when I began contemplating "choice." I begin with a circle that I divide into four sections, which represent infinite choice of north, south, east, and west. I remind myself of this choice every day. The heart experiencing growth is fairly new, entering my language about 4 years ago. I especially love the "roots" and how I often associate them with my feet. This image is still emerging and growing and teaching me what I need to know. (all art by Hallelujah Truth)

Oh Hallelujah to creating a world of our choosing! Especially in these times of political duress, I know that I can choose to create GRACE from the mundane to the mysterious using my idiosyncratic voice. I hope you will choose to do the same! That’s Coffee with Hallelujah!

A Womb of Deeper Life: Diving in easefully and joyfully

DIVING INTO THE WOMB OF DEEPER LIFE. (art by Hallelujah Truth)

Hallelujah for the CALL to go deeper into the womb of life as we cycle through life's challenges! Hallelujah for ART that is a delightfully rewarding response to this FALL from being oriented or on known-level-ground! Hallelujah for the HAND of BIG SWEETIE, GOD, the DIVINE, ETERNAL GRACE, that which is INFINITE which catches us or guides us in our disorientation!

Where are you in the cycle of life:

ORIENTED?
DISORIENTED?
REORIENTED?

Wherever you are right now, I believe ART can be such a rewarding way to engage in each phase of our ever spiraling life cycles which are rich in phases of orientation, disorientation, and reorientation. We inhabit all three, multiple times in our lives, don't we?

"Art is a response to a call," writes Peter London in "Designing Creative Encounters," a chapter in his book, No More Secondhand Art. He continues to explain what can happen to us when we are "called":

"The nature of the call determines to a large extent the nature of the response. The call is an invitation, a challenge to engage with the world in such a manner that an increase of creative expression in life and art is the ultimate reward. Each call is an invitation to step forward, to cut more deeply into life, to aspire to grander ambitions, to relinquish our hold on the past, and to open our hand to the future."

THE GOOD SHIP, PILGRIM. Aren't we all on a journey during our lives? Are you claiming your journey? Did you know you are a Pilgrim, just like me? (Art by Hallelujah Truth)

Years ago, as I was approaching 50, the prime of my life, I determined that I was not engaged as adventurously as I might be in my life. Then, after meeting Melissa Walker, author of Living on Wilderness Time, and reading her book, I decided to step into my life and away from linear time. I would stop the clock (Just as I did when I went in search of a lifelong companion and found my Chiboogamoo). I would live on "wilderness" time, and I would dive deeper into the womb of life.

Since then and after engaging with Lesly Fredman, an extraordinary creativity coach, and getting certified as a leader in InterPlay, I have been embracing the cycling and recycling of ORIENTATION, DISORIENTATION, and REORIENTATION. 

I might add--with joy and ease! At the ripe mature age of 57, here I go again. Wheee....

FULFILLMENT IN CYCLE. This is life! Finding the life we feel is intended for us to live. Then getting disoriented. Falling. Finding a reorientation. Hallelujah for process, for faith, for going into the womb of deeper life. (Art by Hallelujah Truth. This image was drawn in pen on bristol board. Photographed using an I-Phone and altered in Photoshop.)

Wheee....I am falling. I am disoriented. Two years going on three years from teaching English as a Second Language at the Georgia Tech Institute. Who am I?

I am moments away from being reoriented. Days away from launching my website, weeks away from engaging with you and you and you as the Coach of InterPlay Art & Soul Creativity Coaching to help you live on wilderness time. 

And yes, I will also engage with you internationals as an American English Fluency Coach to support your dreams as you build them while speaking English. Whatever, your journey, I am present to your creativity and will help you orient. My motto is:

 I am the advocate of the language of your life. 

As I support you, I reorient me. What a wonderful life! I am the advocate of the language of your life! Hurray! Hallelujah!

That's Coffee With Hallelujah! SOUL BLOG with me. Are you being called to increase the creative expression of your life? Are you stepping forward to find a womb of deeper life?

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Thanks to Pastor James Brewer-Calvert, who gave a heart-filled sermon today at the Decatur First Christian Church, here in Decatur, Georgia, two blocks from where I live with my Chiboogamoo. I have been so drawn in by James' friendliness and open-mindedness about faith as I use the facilities at his church for my InterPlay activities. Today's sermon was on "orientation, disorientation, and reorientation." Coincidentally, I had already drawn this image, "A Womb of Deeper Life," depicting a similar concept.

COMMUNION WITH THE UNIVERSE: Creating ways to touch and be touched

COMMUNION. I am here. (art by Hallelujah Truth)

Hallelujah for reflection. Hallelujah for the authors that we return to time and time again, who nurture our thoughts and become foundational in who we are and will become. Hallelujah for Peter London and for my opening the pages of his book, No More Secondhand Art: Awakening the Artist Within, to the pages on "Designing Creative Encounters" this morning!

Hallelujah to COMMUNION WITH THE UNIVERSE during my "coffee with Hallelujah"! If you have have time to drink a cup of coffee, you have time for COMMUNING with what is important to you, to encountering your CREATIVITY!

In the early hours this morning with my coffee, I was touched by Peter London's offerings on "bearing witness" within this chapter of "Designing Creative Encounters." He discusses ways to nurture the genuine response we have to the "call" to make our own art in environments that stimulate an unfortunate negative sense of competition with other artists. These environments, filled with our perceived "adversarial competitors," drive us to defend ourselves and art so that we can profit personally and economically. This sense of scarcity drains all of us of our CREATIVE ENERGY. Feeling there isn't enough recognition and money in our communities for all Art Makers prevents us from experiencing the powerful COMMUNING with ourselves and those precious other Creatives.

In being present, "bearing witness," to our own creative work and processes and that of others, Peter London suggests (paraphrased by me) that there is a more productive and positive way to be. We can tenderly:
  
MOVE FROM:

• Defending to to touching and being touched
• Winning to sharing
• Combating to communing.

BEARING WITNESS FOR AND TO MYSELF

Therefore, as a COMMUNICANT--one who is bearing witness for and to myself--I need no longer be anyone's adversary. Instead, as I am present to my own feelings in my body and mind before, during, and after the act of CREATING, I may have the opportunity to become wider and lighter and go deeper. In this transformed mode of communication, I become

• MORE AWARE
• MORE LOVING
• MORE CREATIVE.

Essentially, the COMMUNICANT ME may release the role of adversary to myself and others. There is an invitation in COMMUNING WITH THE UNIVERSE to no longer defend my BEING. As one who no longer is a slave to self-protection (from self and others), I might discover I have even more CREATIVE ENERGY. 
 

RADIATING OUT FROM MYSELF, I TOUCH YOU

Bearing witness (being present for myself and to myself) on a continual basis has the possibility being TRANSFORMATIVE. Bearing witness offers me the opportunity to be in touch with myself and to be touched by my CREATIONS. Radiating out from myself, I will be more able to be open to being touched by other Creative Sojourners, like you my dear Readers!

That's Coffee with Hallelujah! Soul Blog with me and share your experiences with COMMUNION WITH THE UNIVERSE. What ways are you creating to touch and be touched? Are you your own adversary? Do create adversarial relationships with other artists?

Other blog posts responding to Peter London's ideas: 

Metaphoric Objects

Being a Genuine Creative Force

Thanksgiving

METAPHORIC OBJECTS: The subconcious encounters the concious through exercise to discover self

METAPHORIC OBJECTS. What objects would you select to represent your character traits, especially if you were directed to pick them randomly without a lot of thought? These are mine. What do they mean? Let's explore and think inventively! (photo by Hallelujah Truth)

Hallelujah for encountering oneself anew in a fresh way! Hallelujah for being guided to discover what you want to say about yourself today through image and word to others. Hallelujah for communication and for a warm social online community! Hallelujah for Facebook and my group, The Daily Creative Practice (join us here) that allows us to share our images, ideas, and discoveries!

This blog entry is a response to Monday Funday Blog Prompt on the Facebook group, The Daily Creative Practice (see complete prompt below). 

STEPS 1 and 2: CONSTELLATION OF CHARACTER TRAITS

To participate in this creative encounter designed by artist, lecturer, author Peter London, I first picked the objects before I determined the character traits (a reverse of the assignment). Deciding it is much better to try than to choke and not perform, I lowered the bar and confined my explorations to my courtyard. Quickly gathering objects without thinking. Now upon writing the blog, I have named a constellation of character traits and then asked the objects to represent them. Please look and read!

• I am a PILGRIM on a JOURNEY; therefore, I am curious and in perpetual motion (except when I am in complete collapsed exhaustion).

THE SPIRAL. (photo by Hallelujah Truth)

• As a VISUAL and KINESTHETIC learner, images announce themselves meaningfully to me every where I go.
• Experiencing  MEANING throughout my body is essential to my happiness.

PRIMAL QUEEN. (photo by Hallelujah Truth)

• I TREASURE connections with other PILGRIMS experiencing and expressing meaning.
• Imagined STRUCTURE provides me with comfort and peace.

VULNERABILITY AT THE CROSSROADS. (photo by Hallelujah Truth)

• INTROSPECTION and reliance on INTUITION is my major modus operandi.

HONORING THE INTROSPECTIVE HUDDLE. (photo by Hallelujah Truth)

STEPS 3 and 4: SELECTION OF SPACE AND ARRANGEMENT OF OBJECTS

I chose the patio of the courtyard in front of my condo in Decatur, Georgia, USA. The morning light was gentle and overcast making the tiles an expressive mossy green and pink. The arrangement was random yet took a few negotiations to find momentary permanence for this photograph: 

THE ARRANGEMENT OF METAPHORIC OBJECTS. Voila! Here are my metaphoric objects reclining on the pink tiles of my condo patio. The whelk shell from a Georgia barrier island at the center! (photo by Hallelujah Truth)

STEPS 5: SUBCONSCIOUS ENCOUNTERING THE CONSCIOUS THROUGH METAPHORIC OBJECTS

Here is an explanation of my "Metaphoric Objects." The center of this SELF composition is the shell spiral--MY PILGRIM'S HOME. 

Tumbling in the GREAT SEA, my journey enlarges me, enlarges my HOME. As I grow, I repeatedly encounter crossroads as expressed by the colorful cross here in this image. There in the center of the compass, I feel invited to adventure in multiple directions. Having choices is important to me. 

The delicate red petals of the New Guinea Impatiens represents how ephemeral we all are. We must live today for tomorrow we die. I've made brave courageous choices in my life to leave what is familiar in order to encounter what is not.

The PRIMAL QUEEN, a frog with a crown, holds me to my most basic concept of self. Out of the primordial ooze we came and to that muddy blessedness we shall return. What might happen inbetween my origin and its finish?

The painted rock with the ocean wave spiral reminds me of the Daniel Dolphin story. I believe either my sister-in-law Liz or her daughter, my niece, Bridget, painted it. Anyways, Daniel Dolphin left his family group of dolphins to go in search of the perfect wave, a goal his society disapproves of. Why waste time surfing? Besides, no dolphin has survived once it has left home. On Daniel Dolphin's quest, he does indeed find the perfect wave, but more importantly than that, he finds that the universe supports his journey. Help and support arrive in surprising ways just when he needs it. Daniel returns to his covy of dolphins alive and shares his story of bravery, fulfillment, and discovery with them, that in turn enlivens his community by encouraging other dolphins to nurture and pursue their dreams. Individuals doing their solo dances in the midst of ensembles enriches our communities. (read my blog about Daniel the Dolphin here)

Finally the broken gargoyle who is hugging his knees, represents me at my common denominator. I am an introspecting mulling introvert who has learned to speak and dance in her community. The warm metallic necklace surrounding this gargoyle protects and celebrates my right to introspect. When I need to huddle in thought and retrieve my energy, I gloriously allow myself to do so.

MONDAY FUNDAY BLOG PROMPT #11:  METAPHORIC OBJECTS (modified from PeterLondon’s book “No More Secondhand Art”):

 1) Think of a constellation of character traits that make you who you are whether it is a quality like patience or impatience or a proclivity for eating oysters and admiring cephalopods. Write them down. Explore. Surprise yourself.

2) Being present to these thoughts of yourself, wander about your home environment, inside, outside, and around your neighborhood. Be on the lookout for objects that represent these character traits in some way. Meander without determination. Be open to what object speaks to you. Wait for the appropriate object to appear. Again, allow yourself to be surprised. Perhaps the object will pick you! Choose 6 to 12 objects. 

  

 3) Find a site to place your objects. Think about the quality of light, space, and background. What resonates with your body as you move from place to place. Find the place that is just right for whatever reasons. 

EMBODIED HALLELUJAH TRUTH  (photo by Chiboogamoo)

4) Arrange your objects within the space you have just found. Ask yourself how you want to arrange these objects. Have the goal be whatever makes you breathe easier and relaxes your muscles. Find a way to place your metaphoric objects in whatever way that expresses yourself naturally. 

5) The culmination of this creative exercise is this next step: Acknowledging that your subconscious has been at work selecting the metaphoric objects, choosing the space, and making the arrangement, you are now asked to summon your rational dimension. Using your intellect, write about the meanings of your objects, their arrangements, and why they exist in this space that you have chosen. 

You are welcome to complete as many steps of this exercise as you like. (post on Facebook group, The Daily Creative Practice)

OUR MINDS GENERATE IMAGES AND THESE BECOME OUR OWN UNIQUE FORMS: Honor your vision by drawing it!

SEEING IN DARK PLACES. Welcome to one of my personal metaphors representing SEEING IN DARK PLACES!  (art by Hallelujah Truth)

Hallelujah for THE DAILY CREATIVE PRACTICE! For drawing daily and working with imagination--even when it is repetitive! It is by this ongoing behavior that I honor my vision resulting in a large body of work with personal symbols or metaphors.

One of my favorite writers on creativity is Peter London. It is from his book, NO MORE SECOND HAND ART: AWAKENING THE ARTIST WITHIN (1989), that I felt for the first time I had permission to create art from my heart. If you haven't read this book and want support around making art that expresses your unique vision, get yourself a copy as soon as possible! You won't be disappointed.

Here is what Peter London has to say about the value of creating your own metaphors:

“Having created a metaphor within which your meaning resides, you have made that thing called art. In your uniqueness, you have also extended the vocabulary of art by representing for the first time another view of the world. Not gratuitously, not an egotistic display of talents do you seek to be original or creative. You did what you had to do to bear witness to the things you know. That’s all. That’s ALL”

WHIMSEY IN MY MIND OR ANCIENT SEA CREATURE? My dear Chiboogamoo, aka Anthony Martin, gives me the vocabulary and explanation for this creature. "It is reminiscent of the ichthyosaurs, which were marine reptiles that lived from the Triassic through the Cretaceous Periods (about 245-65 million years ago). They had the largest eyes of any known vertebrates. These big eyes were thought to be adaptations for seeing prey in low-light conditions in deep water." (Thanks honey!) After becoming familiarized with these ichthyosaurs both in Australia and in England, I began to allow its shape into my consciousness and to draw it repeatedly. I do not concern myself with accurate depictions but rather what I remember and feel. The drawing then reflects me, some inner state. The reshaped ichthyosaur becomes a personal metaphor! FOR SEEING  and SWIMMING IN DARK PLACES! Notice the multiple fierce teeth! Hallelujah! (art by Hallelujah Truth)

Upon reading and rereading Peter London's words:
In your uniqueness, you have also extended the vocabulary of art by representing for the first time another view of the world.

I burst into a happy dance!

That’s ALL

Peter London's ALL is pretty significant! Your ALL too! No matter how we present ourselves in the world, I believe the most important aspect about doing it, is making it OUR OWN presentation. BE YOURSELF. Let your work be YOURS!

That's Coffee with Hallelujah! SOUL BLOG with me! Let me know what YOUR VOICE IS. Join my Facebook group, THE DAILY PRACTICE, here, and share your ALL!

IN AN ANCIENT SEA. In an ancient sea, I saw myself looking back at me! I love taking one image an altering it on photoshop in order to express different feelings. In this image, you see the ichythosaur, me Hallelujah, Wandjina (Australian creation god), snake (female symbol of creation), and a flower made of gargoyles. (art by Hallelujah Truth)

ANOTHER CREATIVE APPROACH TO THE ICHYTHOSAUR

A dear friend of mine, Robey Tapp, created art inspired by the work of one of the first women paleontologists, Mary Anning, who found fossils of ichthyosaurs. Here is a short video in which Robey explains her creative process.