Universal Mysteries

A friend posted a link to this cool public art project in New Orleans: Before I Die . . .  The artist installed a chalkboard on a neglected building to form an interactive wall with the words "Before I die I want to . . ." repeated and a place for the viewers to fill in their own answers.  The same concept was used in a gallery installation, but I love the idea of putting this out on the street.

Empty spaces on city walls are often filled up with ads (thanks, capitalism) that instill feelings of discontent, inadequacy, and a false sense of who we are and should be in life, and this project does the opposite; It shows us that we are not so different.  We all have the same core values and needs in life (except for the guy who said he wanted to be "tried for piracy" before he dies.)  But even the differences that this project points out display them in a way that is celebrated, as it should be.  It also speaks to the brevity of life and encourages us to focus on the things that are truly important (like not forgetting your own Mother's birthday, as I did last week . . . terrible offspring.)

This project reminded me of an activity I did with my students when I was teaching a small class for college freshmen.

Creativity and the Self

There's an article in the current Yoga Journal about pleasure in yoga practice by Sally Kempton, and there's a bit about creativity as one of the 5 basic levels of pleasure that are necessities for balanced life.  The 5 she gives are pleasures we get from sensual pleasure, loving intimacy, purposeful action, creativity, and of immersion in spirit (what you get at as a result of a yoga practice).

She defines creativity as more than just creating an object.  Rather, it includes the feeling of inspiration that results from a creative idea and discusses the physiological impacts on the brain.  All the the actions she mentions trigger the pleasure centers of the brain sending dopamine and serotonin to the cortical area.  But there is also a divine aspect of this moment of inspiration that speaks to the universality of the creative impulse.