Is Art Spiritual?

[Honza]

When I was younger I went to Art School to do a degree in art. I was as spiritual then as I am now. Studying art seemed a "spiritual" thing to do.
Almost like studying to be priest, but without the indoctrination.
It's true that the art school was not overflowing with spiritual or enlightened people. But they were all creative and emotional (well, most of them), which to me seem like steps to becoming spiritual.
It seems that creativity and spirituality go hand in hand, and creating Art is a spiritual thing to do.

Hi Honza,

This is an interesting topic to discuss. To answer the threads questions, in my opinion, I would say that Art is not spiritual. However, art can be employed as a medium to express spirituality.

I would say that the reason why there are a lot of spiritual people who are artists, is because they are people who have the learnt to tap the powers of the left brain which is the key to unlocking creative and psychic power so it only stands to reason that such people would be drawn to the arts.

Kundalini.

[jeremy67]

Hello Honza, thanks for posting this topic.

In my opinion art is spiritual: it is a form of creativity and creation, and when you come down to it, all creation is fuelled by the divine spirit.

Sometimes it can be difficult to be objective. There are works of art I would not give shelf space in my house, but even a work of art that you don't personally like has still taken talent and/or inspiration to create. I believe that the gift of talent and the insight of inspiration are divine and spiritual gifts.

Also I think that mankind's desire to create art is a sign of aspiration to something above and beyond the physical world we live in. After all we don't need art in order to survive in the physical sense, but a good many people would say that they couldn't live without, say, music because it enhances the intangible, spiritual nature of existence.

... or am I just being a romantic old fool?


Love and Light,
Jeremy

I Tend To Agree With Kundalini. That While Art Itself Is Not Neccesarily Spiritual, I Believe, The Act Of Creating Art Can Be Spiritual... So I Suppose I Agree, Somewhat, With Jeremy67 Also.

But Then... Music Is Spiritual, And Music Is Art. Or, Is The act Of Creating Music, That Which Is Spiritual??

Well There Are Differences Between The Various Mediums Of Art. Music Seems To Be "scientific" In Nature, Thus Giving It Spiritual "tones" (no Pun Intended)(vibrations, Frequency, Emotional Response, Among Other Things).

What Do You Think??...

[devolution]

I've always believed true art is a form of divine work (hence: artwork). True art conveys a feeling, it moves the soul. Whether that art be a painting, a song, a poem or a story...
And I believe that what we create here has already been thought of or created in heaven.

I've actually had a few dreams where an original, unique musical tune was playing - I wish I had a better ability to play & write music as they were the most wonderful and inspiring melodies...

In the novel What Dreams May Come (based entirely on real research into heaven & the afterlife), it describes of how artists are like channels through which creations come.
And heaven is the source of all creation.

My good lady writes poetry and literature, and she talks of how she often goes into a trance, and automatically writes out her works. That she sometimes feels she has no consicous control over it.

So I would have to say Art IS Spiritual ...

My artwork is spiritual. Given who I am, it can't be anything else. It comes from my soul - all that I am. I also write. That also come from my soul - my spirit.

[Honza]

Originally Posted by packwidget

My artwork is spiritual. Given who I am, it can't be anything else. It comes from my soul - all that I am. I also write. That also come from my soul - my spirit.

Know what you mean, when I paint I feel as though the creativity is coming from the spiritual sources within. The word Inspiration seems to imply a filling up of Spirit; like Inhale whereby you draw breath, Inspire seems to be a drawing of spirit. I turned my artwork into a Spiritual quest or investigation in the sense that I was trying to paint Spritual subject matter.
Along the lines of; if there is a spiritual reality, soul etc. what does it actually LOOK like? I tried to paint what Feelings look like, for example Sorrow could be green and furrowed. Sort of trying to turn subjective reality into objective reality on the canvas.

Creativity is one of the main paths to spirituality in my experience.

so, is the artwork spiritual, or is it the act of creating art??

[daisy]

hmmmmm artistic people tend to be sensitive, sensitive people seem to be more open to the spiritual,
art can be spiritual but it can also not be as well.
you have psychic artists but also artists that couldn't care less about the spiritual, i'll shut up now i'm confusing myself