Trauma is a very common occurrence and is experienced in many shapes and forms. Every hurt individual sooner or later will ask these big questions:
- WHAT IS GOING ON HERE ?
- WHO AM I REALLY?
- WHAT IS THE PURPOSE AND MEANING OF ALL THIS?
- ARE THERE ANY ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS?
Since many generations most human beings get hurt or traumatised early in life and experience likely more hurt and additional trauma as they get older.
Most people are living nowadays sadly in a toxic society most of the time unbeknownst to them.
The individual human is alienated from nature and constantly brainwashed by the ever present media and the constant influence from the existing consumerist culture of unhappiness in the now digital age. People are being bombarded by toxic and harmful content of political manipulation and advertising. They are also exposed early in life to negativity in form of neglect, abuse, violence, stress, isolation, being locked up (in inside rooms with little interaction), alienation from nature, surrounded by concrete, steel and glass or other sterile environments. There are also other harmful atmospheres like noise, electromagnetic frequencies and traffic causing underlying stress. The majority of people also eat an unhealthy and unbalanced diet by choice, through ignorance, media brainwash or poverty.
To deal with the accumulation of such unnatural influences on body, mind and soul and the resulting, often unconscious suffering, some people follow an impulse or instinct to go into unspoilt nature, to surround themselves with the calming green of vegetation and the sound of birds and other animals and the elements of wind and water to get away from human city culture.
People also feel the urge to express themselves through practising a wide variety of arts to create meaning and beauty or just to be in their own world. They also might express and release anger, frustration and rage through art in a productive and non-harmful way.
Both, exposure to nature and expression through art, are a healing digestion process to find relief from the onslaught of negative impressions in an unnatural environment. As the modern, toxic human society is widely accepted and generally not being questioned it is perceived by the majority of people as normal and the right way of life, despite of its obvious and omnipresent negative symptoms. Creating art can serve as a pressure valve not to choke inside from the toxic levels of negativity.
Once the dilemma is recognised and understood, individual human beings have the choice to position themselves in a healthier way by changing their life style towards spending more time in nature and expressing themselves through art. It is the alchemistic transformation relieving the inner pain of a neglected and compromised being – mind, body and soul. The resulting piece of art can lie on a wide spectrum ranging from uplifting beauty to horrifying ugliness.
Producing art is the attempt to express the pain and to distance and distract oneself from a harmful and unpleasant environment. It is a reaching out to be seen and heard, to be recognised and witnessed. There is a longing to belong.
Art can create insights.
The process creating art, is often a way of realisations and healing.
The creating artist works with the inner process and suffering and creates through its expression a work of art of some sort: a painting, a poem, a piece of music, lyrics to a song, which is the result of the creative healing process.
The main value of this instincts the process of the healing journey itself, not necessarily the finished result.
However, these works of art can then be seen, heard, felt, experienced by others, or in other words, witnessed, which poses the ultimate completion of the healing process for the artist.
The creative artist wants his transformed suffering to be seen, heard, shared, and even maybe the result of his healing journey, his art, being liked and admired – and thus gain the approval for the value of his inner truth.
The problem is, that this form of external approval won’t last, and will have to be sought over and over again – unless, the artist can finally internalise this approval and come to rest within the own self.
On the other hand, the witness, the listener, the audience can experience an inner resonance with a painting, a poem, a piece of music, which in itself can have a stimulating and healing effect because one can find ones inner feelings already being expressed in a piece of art:
One is not alone, and even suffering and negative feelings and experiences can find their way into an often beautiful artistic expression.
A good example for the power of this artistic alchemy is the tragedy of painter Vincent Van Gogh, who transformed his inner pain, turmoil and despair into the inspirational beauty of his many paintings radiating tangible spiritual and natural energy. Art is inspirational and resonates with our fellow beings.
Healing Art
why would a happy person bother to make art ?
Answer:the artist is the sufferer
who must create art
to distract from pain
to focus on the healing power of beauty
no need for blame
just simply proclaim:
I am not not going insane anymore
I am stepping out, I exit through the door
here I am now, still hurt
but determined that I am going to be alright
if I follow the light
if I take no bribe
and subscribe to the positive vibe
and join the universal tribe
of loving awareness and compassion
it’s a long long session