Koan Kreativity XVI
Using Ancient Wisdom to Inspire Modern Creativity
Presented as either a riddle or tale, the koan is instrumental to the Zen student’s path to enlightenment; by opening and freeing the mind from both outer and inner restrictions, the “empty mind” of the Zen student is more open to insight and realization that could be achieved in no other way.
As artists and creative people we, too, need the benefit of an “empty mind.” Our own creative insights and realizations become more tangible and workable when we clear away the clutter of fear, apathy, negativity, and all other potentially destructive restrictions that we may have learned in our lives.
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Kasan Sweat
Kasan was asked to officiate at the funeral of a provincial lord.
He had never met lords and nobles before so he was nervous. When the ceremony began, Kasan started to sweat.
Afterwards, when he had returned, he gathered his pupils together. Kasan confessed that he was not yet qualified to be a teacher for he lacked the sameness of bearing in the world of fame that he possessed in the secluded temple. Then Kasan resigned and became the pupil of another master. Eight years later he returned to his former pupils, enlightened.
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Regardless of where we find ourselves and our creativity, we must be comfortable in our own skin.
To paraphrase Confucius: “No matter where we go — there we are.”
Whether working alone in our studios or presenting our work in front of a group of people, our “sameness of being” must be intact — we are who we are, and that shouldn’t change from situation to situation.
Many artists have a “public face” and a “private face” which are distinctly different from each other. Possibly created out of fear, facades of ourselves distract from the work itself and lend themselves to creating false perceptions of ourselves as creative people.
Martha Graham, the revolutionary/legendary dancer and choreographer addressed the subject of fear when she said: “There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost.”
In other words, don’t let your true and unique creative voice get lost because of fear. Always be yourself — and never let them see you sweat.
