Our creative spirit is in decline and yet we allow ourselves to be clouded in a world subjected to matter. We are turning into brands and imagined characters through our consumerism, and soap obsessions. Ask your average person who they think would win ‘X-Factor,’ and an immediate and enthusiastic reply is inevitable. However, ask whether they know anybody breaking the boundaries of creativity and surely you could hear the ticking of your rolex watch.

The yearning for authority and social acceptance has turned us into walking billboards and mediums of bland gossip. But fear not, the complete understanding of how to communicate and appreciate your spirit, and insert it into your daily spiritual creativity (Spirativity), whether it be cooking or walking the cat can be found within us all.

“Depression and
inconvenience is important for our life.”

Our youth and aspiring artists of today are searching for their inspirations, but this is not made easy when their education system concentrates too much on technicality and correctness. The question you need to ask yourself, is what are you searching for in life? No longer to do you need to feel lifeless, it is you who controls everything around you. If you want to improve your life and raise your spiritual energy, then continue reading.

“Today’s arts are very complicated; architects think too much about shape and function, and there isn’t any humanism in today’s architecture. Sure the buildings are beautiful, but they are useless,” says architecture student Kosei Takahashi, who believes that too much message is trying to be transmitted through all artists today. I could feel his frustration settling in the air. He added “If I have a career destination, architecture would connect me to my spirit.” This form of thinking in itself creates a problem for many artists. The waiting of an opportunity to express oneself may never come. It is important to express yourself to you.

Truly reserving this thought process would be a vital step to levitating your life. “Ma” exists between points and objects. It is nothingness - blank, silence. You cannot hear or see it but you can still feel its existence. For me this is the essence of experiencing space.” This is what the great architect, Arata Isozaki said. This can be applied to all art and creativity. The truth is, that everything which surrounds us; our consumerism and television soap culture is ultimately not important. These are merely distractions in our life. However, what is important is identifying with ourselves and using our own spiritual shells for creativity and self development.

Justin Watson, believes that people today are merely repeating the past and that technology is controlling us. I was struck by his complete calmness and thoughtful pause between each question during our interview. “The majority of artists today are scared to do something abstract, most art is, in some form, a protest.” The protest could either be political or personal, whether you disagree with a governmental decision or you want to change the way you think.

Justin, once a student of Drama and Theatre Studies, invited me to his house. The atmosphere was tranquil and warm, with Chinese instrumental music being played in the background. “The smell can stimulate new thoughts and ideas for me,” he said while looking at the burning incense and bringing the bowl of tea to his mouth. The smell of home-made cookies, could easily stimulate the mind for delicious consumption, provoke a memory and even produce the physical, whether it be saliva or a rumbling stomach. He adds, “People take smells for granted, but the fresh scent that hangs in the air after a downpour could provide stimulating inspiration or even prevent the loss of life.”

“The Chi is amazing,
I can feel the build up of energy inside.”

“It is trying to extract people away from their television sets and consumerism which is creating a problem for us today, especially our youth in society,” says Jaegyu Han. An engineer and Seokmon Breathing meditation practitioner. Jaegyu has been practising Seokmon (Korean Meditation) for seven years and leads a group. Speaking from his profession he says, “Being an Engineer is also an art. We can make effective work by creating new procedures. By being creative, one can increase ability of thinking, not just practical skills.”

As a husband and father of one, Jaegyu’s practical approach to life is evident throughout our interview. It is important that everything we do is creative and we as individuals need to realise this creative process that we attain within. “Ordinary people can produce small art over the internet or through many other mediums. It’s the natural or ‘so-called’ non professional art that reflects real life.” The abstractness or the rough edges and frankness, is the point through which we can release our spiritual creativity.

Sayaka Matsumoto, a piano teacher and very experienced classical pianist admits that art and classical music in particular, has its problems. “Classical music concerts are generally boring, and definitely classical music is an acquired taste. Such concerts are usually held around 7-9pm, which is a competitive time with television programmes.” She paused for a moment and then continued, “This is
definitely a big problem in England, as the majority love their television soaps. Classical music needs a make-up, the current day artists are too conventional and don’t try to change their style. Through collaborating, it needs to create a new way to express music.”

It is hard to be creative in a world where there is much unnecessary information, so it is important that we pick the information that is necessary to us. “It is important that we take time to think about ourselves, who we are and where we want to go,” Sayaka adds. We need to take notice of our spirit, it needs to be cared for just like the mind and body does. Being in touch with nature is vital, because the nature is the biggest spirit on earth.

“Being in dialogue with other people’s spirit,” says Justin, is very important for growth of relationships whether spiritual or physical. “Each human being can be a god, a valuable creature,” Jaegyu says as he shifts slightly. “Natural disasters may well be a message from God, but on the same token it doesn’t change what we have to do in our life.” It is important to realise that spirits have energy, and our spirits work with nature. If you deny your spirit, then you are denying mother nature. The view amongst philosophers and psychologists, is that we really don’t know the true power of our individual and collective spirit, so therefore this philosophical exploration must not be so easily dismissed.

Many would argue that self-depression and lack of fulfilment is clouding some minds from our true identity and true form of existence. We are living in a robotic functionalist society, where by we just do what we have to do. Any form of depression is not necessarily a negative in our life. We have to work with both the positive and negative. It is true however, that many depressed people, for whatever reason, have much energy but don’t have an outlet. “I like to have broken a boundary and feel like I haven’t wasted a day,” says Justin as he leans back against his sofa-bed. True creativity is an act of creating emotions, making new ideas, and we shouldn’t be living our life on the 'what ifs'. We all need to be more assertive and thoughtful in everything we do.

Baking a cake is equally as creative as making a piano score. There is no higher form of creativity. “Freda Kahlo, painted amazing artwork and many bloody self-portraits, which is a clear example that we can use our negativity to create positive things,” says Justin. “Depression and inconvenience is important for our life,” Kosei says while carefully thinking. “In Scandinavia, people couldn’t develop crops during the winter due to thick snow, however they created great architecture, furniture, textiles and developed patience of mind.”

Wang yue, once the vocalist of the hit Beijing punk rock girl band, was quoted saying, “Depression is important in order to create our lyrics and music.” Many people and artists would agree that some of their best work and thoughts are stimulated when depressed. It is important to realise the connection between yourself and your spirit when being creative. Acknowledging your spirit will enable you to obtain a new way of thinking and speaking. You will be allowing yourself to enter into a spiritual world.

Sayaka is very animated when she talks. With her chin in the palm of her hands, she looks at me smiling. “Playing music is a conversation with my conscious inner world,” she says very softly. “I try to approach the invisible pond in my mind. The pond is my energy, my passion and my aggression. During a good performance, my pond is calm, and my energy is strong. Playing the piano helps me in everyday life, and my spiritual balance is achieved through playing the piano.” She goes on to add, “There is a real conversation with I and the orchestra when performing, and this is very important.” Sayaka is now pursuing an interest in the study of psychology and music, and the stages of mental preparation artists go through.

“The environment affects us
whether you are aware or not.”

Kosei, who recently has been in deep thought over his future plans, feels that he is mainly the audience when it comes to being around creativity. At twenty-two, he is already critical of his past works and examinations. It’s this exact delicate pursuit for perfection in our life, which is beautiful. It’s pure andcreative. “There are many beautiful buildings in London, such as the Barbican. It inspires me.”

Inspiration can be found in any form, whether it be from a book, documentary or something you overheard while sitting on a bus. Use the tools and elements that float around you everyday, for your inspiration. The cafe is a perfect place to seek new ideas, characteristics, emotions, and understanding.

“The environment affects us, whether we are aware or not. Meditation enables me to find myself, what I am and what I want to do. Creative activity is not only a process of production, it can also manage our daily life,” Jaegyu emphasises as he repositions his baseball cap. Through meditation we can attain a higher understanding of life, ourselves and our surroundings. “Originally, there was nothing different between good and bad. Our idea of good and bad comes from the dictionary, and the bible. We measure with our own rulers, the relationship between each other, but with this same ruler we must measure ourselves.”

The late September 2005 performance from ‘Hanayui and Mugenkyo,’ inspired Justin a great deal. “It stimulated thoughts that I should work harder, study, write more and most interestingly, it gave me appreciation of myself.” We can be the audience of creativity, but still apply and extract the information necessary to us. “The movements of Tai-Chi is natural, like trees rustling through the wind.” Our mind can become a forest of information, and we can find relaxation, concentration and internal energy. “The Chi is amazing, I feel the build up of energy inside,” he added with an enlightened smile.

Itsuko Hasegawa, an architect from Japan stated, “In my opinion, architecture is always incomplete. People who live with it, carry it on. It is only completed through the process of living in it and through appropriate renovation.” This can be applied to all forms of art and creativity. It is this incompleteness that stimulates creativeness, and through this we can interpret and extract our own meaning, understanding, and identities, and apply it to our everyday lives. You do not need seek help from others to build self awareness, the greatest help you can find, is finding yourself.

15 Ways to improve your Spirativity:

1. Listen to positive and dynamic music

2. Appreciate the nature that surrounds you

3. Make sure of who and what you are

4. Always be serious when you decide to do something

5. Be honest with yourself

6. Patronise your favourite place

7. Meditate

8. Eat healthy

9. Don’t fall into standardisation

10. Social interaction (don’t try - just do it!)

11. Open the window every morning and breathe in the cool and refreshing air

12. Let go! (Let your energy out positively)

13. Do gentle exercises

14. Get enough sleep

15. Smile and laugh as much as possible !

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To read in Japanese, click here(この記事を日本語で読む）

 

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