Self-knowledge and a New Manifesto.

"So it is said that if you know others and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know others but know yourself, you win one and lose one; if you do not know others and do not know yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle."

~Master Sun, The Art of War

MORE TO COME!!

Inspiration

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVu4Me_n91Y&feature=player_embedded

A three year old reciting a poem by Billy Collins.

Finding a voice, and the mysticism of sound.

After having had my initial urge to create and express, I realize that this is the best time possible for me to figure out exactly what my voice and style is, and ultimately what kind of vision I have about myself and reality at large. Looking through all of the portraits I have taken the last two months, and looking at everything else out there, including new techniques and styles, has been so incredibly inspiring. The plan is to start saving up some money so that I can buy new gear for my shoots, with the final outcome already in mind.

My own pursuit reminds me of a certain author that has gained renewed prominence within my social circle, Anais Nin, an erotic author with a cult following. She wrote many short stories and diaries, honing her skill, and her image of what she was. What she has done for many women is created a renewed interest in the self- a romantic persona, something that I know many women my age felt was lacking. When I look at my pictures I am reminded of Anais Nin, because like her I am creating an image, a persona, a certain outlook in life that I can't help falling in love with, and a passion to guide me.

Going through all of my photos and taking up writing is helping me to find my voice, something that I lost for such a long time. In life I think it is very common to find, lose or change your voice halfway through the course of something, in reality your voice has been there the whole time, continually refining itself to the point of perfection. When I was younger I was given glimpses of what I could be, what I could do, and now that I am grasping at that potential and putting the pieces in place, there is nothing as invigorating.

One of my favorite books, entitled The Mysticism of Sound, is about how Sufis, a mystical order originating in the Middle East, use music as the ultimate metaphor for life. The idea expressed in the book is that each person has a rhythm or a cycle that they repeat. In the book an example is given where a person is talking- during the course of the conversation they repeat certain expressions and mannerisms, pausing in a rhythmic nature. The idea espoused in the book is that a true Sufi can change their rhythm to match the other person's without losing a beat. This idea has affected me in the sense that when I look at situations it is easier for them not to affect me, because while I am in this "other" rhythm I still maintain my own essence, my own sense of self.

Sufis are most well known as the "Whirling Dervishes" who spin in circles to experience the ecstatic experience of oneness with the divine. Each person has their own cyclical habits, a certain spectrum of emotion that they scale over and over again. I like to imagine that cycle as a circle- which many alchemists have attributed to the symbol of the ourobouros, a mythical symbol which has existed in many different civilizations.

The mystic would look at this as a symbol of the mundane world, the world that we need to transcend. But the truth of the matter is that we are not allowed to transcend this world, we are put here in order to transcend ourselves, and by saying "ourselves" I mean our lower selves, our lower emotions that hold us back from higher thought. To do this means to envisage a path that takes us away from these emotions that keep us chained, a path that can help us to spiral up higher and higher towards enlightenment. By following our passion or "good work" we are liberating ourselves from the mundane cycles of reality, while at the same time transforming reality itself.

I think this picture by William Blake really expresses that idea. All those bodies represent the sloughing off of dead aspects of ourselves until we reach a certain enlightenment. Dead aspects of ourselves can be interpreted as false ideas, or beliefs that hold us back from our higher selves. The idea that "I will always be ugly", "I will never be able to sing", "I am not capable of love". To be enlightened means to know that you are capable of achieving anything. It is not always an easy path to follow, it involves constant strength and determination. It is not something that you achieve, it is something that requires constant pursuit. It can be soul crushing at points, because sometimes it is very difficult to break out of old habits and change. But, it is possible. 

So it all starts by creating a vision of the kind of world that we want to live in, and then creating that world. Creating our own world by following our passion and vision, we create things that never existed before. Only when we have transcended the mundane can we create a new symbol, a new key to the hidden mysteries.

Below I have posted a link to people who through their passion have created new symbols by following their passion.


http://www.oddmusic.com/


Here is an example

I've spent hours on this website. This instrument is called the Cymbalon, check it out! They have clips of the music these instruments make too, its fascinating.

Reigniting the fire.

When I first read the Greek myths, and I thought about how the minor deities, Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Eros, Hera, Artemis and Athena reflected aspects of human nature. But the truth is, they don't only reflect human nature, they reflect the feelings that we, as humans choose to worship willfully. And yes, some of those "gods" or emotions are better, or can be rationalized better than others, for example I would prefer to be Athena instead of Aphrodite, or Apollo instead of Dionysus. Certainly all of these emotions hold their place. What do the gods represent you ask, well, each god represents a certain duality within their archetype...

Ares represents warfare & civil order.
Aphrodite represents love, & betrayal.
Apollo represents healing & archery.
Artemis represents childbirth & plague.
Hera is the queen of marriage & jealousy.

The truth of the matter is that while these "gods" are merely aspects of ourselves, we choose to worship those aspects of ourselves. Our emotions are god. Anything we put energy into is our god. Who doesn't like the justification that comes with being upset? Who doesn't rationalize warfare in the name of civil order? Who isn't in love with the person that wounded them? When we proclaim ourselves as "one thing" whether that falls under the category of upset or joy, we are limiting ourselves from a rationality which could in truth liberate us from all of these pitfalls. I have seen people go from utter joy to complete desolation within an hour. When you love something so utterly, of course you will lose it, same goes if you hate someone completely, you will destroy yourself.

Although there were a few rational gods thrown in the mix, such as Athena, they also represented extremities that needed to be integrated into the whole. Although Athena was very wise, she was also very prideful, which was limiting in it's own way. What I want to talk about today is transcending any and all limitations, and integrating as well as understanding what kinds of roles emotions should play, they should not allow us to become stagnate, they should allow us to expand and to grow. To understand new things, to understand other peoples point of view, and to truly synthesize a visionary dialectic.

The mind has the power to control reality. The mind has the power to make you hallucinate. The mind has the power to blind you to any and all situations, it's called Cognitive Dissonance. Although someone is telling you the truth, you do not believe it, because your mind is so convinced that what you believe is true. Belief allows people to kill other people without any justification whatsoever. Belief allows for people to completely cut off members of their family. Belief might have helped fuel Soren Kierkegaard's philosophy, but he also suffered a morbid existence, because he thought he was too sinful to really ever live or love.

Yes love is an emotion, but when tempered with rationality and realistic thinking, it tends not to be too overwhelming. Yes, I am in love, but I don't worship love. I don't worship the person I am with, I just love that person. That is one misconception that people still don't understand. Did Romeo really have to kill himself? I don't think so. The truth is that people love tragedies and love stories, they love to see the emotion meted out to it's full extent. They can even recreate these same scenarios within their own lives. But the truth is most these days people are not that interesting, and the emotions that seem to have taken place of the previous gods, are self-pity and loathing, or righteousness and hatred. I no longer see the paradigm that existed with the previous gods.

I'm now addressing my generation directly, was it too much emo music blasted during our adolescent years? Is it the overbearing government structure? Was it the skinny models on television? What right do any of these things have to change your idea of who you are? Reclaim yourselves please. When I watch the music video for Owl City I begin to ask questions... When did bad posture and passivity become chic? When did self-loathing become the next best thing? This is not only expressed in music, I see it everywhere. I see people who are beautiful and smart who hate themselves, or who are afraid to manifest in reality.

Unfortunately reality is all we really have right now. Reality tempered by spiritual existence. Everyone glorifies the Enlightment Era, but how long ago was that? When are we due for another one? Soon I hope. I want one right now. I want to be surrounded by artists and poets and scientists, people who aren't afraid of learning, people who can articulate. Am I saying that I have mastered all of these things, no. But I am trying. I am learning not to be afraid, I am learning how to carry the torch of Prometheus. We must reclaim the fire of the gods, we must mete out our own existence. I know I want nothing less for myself, and I hope the same for the community at large. I want to be at one within that community.

Daily Inspiration

This is from the photographer Wayne Levin.

An excerpt from the Book of Balance and Harmony

"Deep knowledge is to be aware of disturbance before disturbance, to be aware of danger before danger, to be aware of destruction before destruction, to be aware of calamity before calamity. Strong action is training the body without being burdened by the body, exercising the mind without being used by the mind, working in the world without being affected by the world, carrying out tasks without being obstructed by tasks.

By deep knowledge of principle, one can change disturbance into order, change danger into safety, change destruction into survival, change calamity into fortune. By strong action on the Way, one can bring the body to the realm of longevity, bring the mind to the sphere of mystery, bring the world to great peace, and bring tasks to great fulfillment."

"Deep knowledge is to 'know without going to the door, see the way of heaven without looking out the window.' Strong action is to 'grow ever stronger, adapting to all situations.'"

Definition of the Monad, the most primal aspect of god.

Photography is to me about capturing the essence of a person. One could say that an essence is all encompassing, but I think that it is the hidden aspect, that resides underneath all emotionality. Feeling is a profound thing, but I think that it often times diminishes or magnifies the ego so greatly that one could say feeling is the mask we wear around other fellow actors. People are easily sucked into a whirlwind of emotion, that when I get the chance to photograph them with a neutral expression it is like a breath of fresh air. I like the stillness, I like the possibility that I see, the sudden attention that is focused on such things as shoulders [that would normally droop or be raised apprehensively], or that one particular corner of the person's mouth that when not engaged in a smile or frown appears to be the most delicate and endearing thing that I have seen yet. Serenity appears.

Some people would argue that emotionality is humanness, and that to lose a sense of emotionality, is to lose all sense of a person. I would argue that emotionality is not what makes humans human, it is morality, the sense of right and wrong. Emotionality is amazing in the sense that once a person has delved into an emotional existence, metaphors begin to blossom around them, and they are thrust into a world of tantamount meaning and bold symbolism. To be emotional is to live an artist's existence. The funny thing is that what to artists do? They create new ways to express and synthesize meaning, on the occasion they will create a completely new symbol, but for the most part they are just rehashing archetypal images to suit their needs, or just plainly romanticizing their own neurosis. On a macro level they are putting together images in an order, on a micro level they are pinpointing the smallest detail of pain, love, intrinsic beauty. I will always see truth in art, the subconscious, the defense mechanisms, the layers of color. But I want to go beyond that. I want to see what happens when people transcend emotionality, with thoughtful action in it's stead. And when I say people, I also mean myself.

To live in a world of symbolism is what we do every day. Every action, every word is symbolic. I am calling out for artistic existence. Where one step is the equivalent of a brush stroke, where valor is the hue of a mother's cheek. Composition and ideas are to me what represent the essence of a piece, the way that the idea is expressed on paper, the complexity, the ability to transcend time and become timeless.

I would challenge you and myself, to make our actions into art, to create the most breathtaking compositions, to reclaim the role of the hero.

For this balance is a necessity, with emotions in check, we can stand tall for a picture that will capture something more than the mundane [what is] and go beyond into the infinite realm. An emotion is a reaction to what is, a thought transcends what is.


The two quotes below have been a source of constant inspiration to me.

"When we surrender ourselves to being refined, we give ourselves the opportunity to express vitality and compassion. If we refuse, then we choose stagnation, and it will show up in a deadened, lusterless body."



Actualization of an undifferentiated human self is not a developmental outcome in Dabrowski's terms. Dabrowski applied a multilevel (vertical) approach to self and saw the need to become aware of and to inhibit and reject the lower instinctual aspects of the intrinsic human self (aspects that Maslow would have us "embrace without guilt") and to actively choose and assemble higher elements into a new unique self - this process is what differentiates Man from the Animals. Dabrowski would have us differentiate the initial self into higher and lower aspects, as we define them, and to reject the lower and actualize the higher in creating our unique personality.


It seems pointless to me to think that we were merely put here to only act out one path of existence our whole lives, accepting the actuality of who we are and nothing more. The funny thing is that many "self actualized" people do as much bad as good, and really end up mired in grey. I feel like our purpose is to transcend the idea of ourselves, and reach beyond, into our imagination of what could be. 

Les Surfs - Present Tu Peux T'en Aller

Today

The quote that I am drawing inspiration from is "The Slave who can Free his Masters", from Zardoz.

Currently, anticipating.

I am looking forward to getting gear and props for my next photo shoot. I recently started delving into graphic design again which feels so good, and is already so inspiring. I'm excited to start posting on here! With every post I plan to post a couple links to artists I admire, and hopefully start putting up some of my own stuff.

Here is one link that I find profoundly inspiring, it is the Swedish National Archives Flickr account. The photographs that they post have an evocative feel, and also reinvigorate my desire to travel. I especially love the pictures of the runes found there.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/swedish_heritage_board/