The Altar is an excerpt from the preface of a book I am currently writing on Creativity. I think you will find it is a different approach. I appreciate feedback.

WHERE ALL CREATIVE ENDEAVOR BEGINS

altar. What is this word doing in a book on Creativity?

When I began to write on the subject of creativity an altar was as far from my mind as Mount Everest from the rowing pond in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. I had some very idealistic notions in those days, but as I became more seriously inclined regarding the subject my perspective changed from mere feelings to considering the more practical aspects of creative endeavor. My lifelong research and experience turned from a lightweight philosophical interest in the arts to a whole-hearted exploration of my own motives and purpose for encouraging creativity in others.

Why not just leave the discovery of art talents to happenstance (chance) and go my merry way without care for the rest of the world. Why no leave art relegated to last of importance in school curriculums, last in importance to science and technology, last in the corporate world, and last in the business of religions? Was my life's work of such diminished value that society was getting along "just fine, thank you…" without me being a small nagging voice relegated to a questionable dark corner?

Could I be satisfied leaving the arts of little to no intrinsic value by the culture I had been raised in, where art is considered a hobby or purely for decoration at best? I thought long and hard about The Creative Drive and its role in my life and in the world around me.

I found I could not deny its vital place in human experience. History records prove this fact. As yet the word 'altar' and its relevance to my pet subject had not surfaced in my consciousness. Then I met a woman who had come to Mendocino in search of herself.

Kim had enrolled in a series of art workshops at the Mendocino Art Center, a long established Mecca for the arts located on the beautiful, wild and rugged north coast of California. She was seeking a place to live for the duration of her stay and in the process of finding affordable housing she called on my rental ad. We met and fell into some deep philosophical discussion, as artists are likely to do, enjoying being in the company of a kindred soul. It was in this spirit we talked into the wee hours of the morning.

I recall the impressionists of Paris, who gathered in offbeat cafes to expound on their new theories and encourage one another in a society that had little understanding of these strange, driven creatures breaking the rules and exploring beyond the boundaries of acceptable artistic expression. We broke bread together.

But beyond that the questions we posed for each other that night are significant for all of us to revisit. When we met, Kim was in the midst of a rediscovery process and I was the innocent bystander lending a concerned ear. Or so I thought.

Little did I know how personal her questions would become to my own heart. Kim was struggling to redefine her world and rediscover her identity beyond "family" caretaker, a place in time that I could certainly identify with in my own life.

Have you been there yet? Recently? Yes? No? Perhaps even numerous times? If not, don't worry. You definitely will not be left out! It comes to all of us in due course of time… that big question in the sky:
WHO AM I?

or maybe…

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF LIFE?

perhaps, as sung by Peggy Lee:

"Is this all there is? Is this all there is?
If this is all, then let's keep on dancing…"

Well, my new artist friend, Kim S., had no particular project in mind when she first arrived to work at the Mendocino Art Center Ceramics Department, just the desire to revive her neglected art talents. So she reached into her unconscious and pulled out an innocent subject, 'altars', and began to hand build small clay altars, perhaps for no other reason than to get her hands dirty.

Kim had just experienced the dissolution of a very special relationship. Another dream of true love had 'bit the dust', so to speak. Life had fallen to pieces as it does every so often, and Kim was suffering that awful pain of loss to which most of us can relate. She was reaching for an undefined hope, maybe just grasping at straws. Be that as it may, we quickly established a common ground with artistic endeavor as the basis.

Art is well known to be good 'therapy', so what could be a better way to rebuild her emotional health? So here was Kim, wetting down her clay structures with bitter tears and just getting through it. As we walked the quay in Noyo Harbor early one misty fall morning, I wondered out loud,

"Why little clay altars?"

"No particular reason…" Kim answered weakly.

Silence. I was walking a few steps behind when an idea occurred.

"Perhaps you could sculpt a small heart and put that desire on that altar, and then somehow, miraculously, the pain will go away,” I voiced a bit blithely.

More silence… a profound silence.

The altar concept became real to me as I considered what the altar represents:

altar [L (Latin) altare; akin to adolére to burn up]
1: a usually raised structure or place on which sacrifices are offered
or incense is burned in worship
2: a table on which the eucharistic elements are consecrated or which
serves as a center of worship or ritual.


Finally Kim broke through her reveries. She thanked me, and we laughed about this exchange. At least she appreciated my sense of compassion, and my companionship. With this, a bond of camaraderie formed and a new friendship began. That moment ended, but my thoughts went on… was something speaking to me?

Now, we all make sacrifices to do justice to our personal cause. This is a daily experience we seldom realize has such life-altering effects. We start out each morning without a clear view of the road ahead, just putting one foot before the other, proceeding naively on our life path thinking we headed in one direction, when actually we are making choices at each crossroad and often winding up in a completely different place than first intended.

Sometimes the sacrifices we make unconsciously cost us too much, yet sometimes they pay off in rich rewards. You know this scenario. I have stumbled numbly through the mundane, albeit necessary, normal processes of everyday survival. My new friend, Kim, on the other hand, was at another juncture. She was smack in the midst of a radical change, taking the time to reset her life course consciously, art expression the tool of choice.

Good Choice.

In a way, Kim and I could relate because I was in a similar point in time. We happened to meet at a crossroad. I gave her some comfort. She inadvertently gave me some valuable food for thought. I though about the personal sacrifice I was willing to make for the next leg of my journey to succeed. Kim and I met as strangers, parted as fellow travelers of earth. Support, encouragement, comfort… whatever one needs… is always nearby when needed, and creative expression always a key tool in unlocking the door to personal fulfillment.

The real revelation in my encounter with Kim was how profound the concept of sacrifice is when it comes to freeing and revitalizing the essence of one's individuality. How natural this happens when one indulges his or her own creative urges. The table is set, the feast is rich and varied, there are many courses. There are many choices. The rewards are abundant and personal. If you have not seen the movie, Babette's Feast, you should rent it. It is this principle set in an art form.

Revitalization is vital to the livelong discovery process of one's individuality and essential to maintaining one's precious and unique personality. One's identity is the most valuable asset anyone has. Life, to be satisfying, must fulfill the whole person but the path of life has many twists and turns. It is easy to get off on a detour, take a wrong turn, wind up on a side street, or even at a dead end. This is why one's creative side needs occasional revitalization.

The physical world demands a price, as does the immaterial world or, as some might say, the realm of the soul. To be a healthy individual requires a balance between the inner and the outer person. This balance is for each person to determine for himself or herself.

In our society we are all in a rush to accumulate things. We focus on the material and overlook the critical need to nurture the inner self. Our particular culture has diminished the value of the individual to the detriment of society as a whole. It is vital that we restore that balance if we are to maintain the health of our nation, our people, and each individual.

Each individual in his/her uniqueness offers talents and characteristics that enhance the whole of society. All are worthy of the time it takes to grow whole. Our differences are our strengths.

We must put on the altar that which steals our personality, rapes our character, and in any way diminishes our capacity to contribute to the whole as a special and unique individual… all that which rob us of our identity. In trust we must put our imagination on the altar and pray for truth to prevail.

Whether we realize it or not, life requires sacrifice. Actually life is a series of sacrifices, which should be made consciously and thoughtfully. The trouble is we have all lived to the demands of society, whether we liked it or not. This is society.

But the social order cannot solve the problems this unconsciousness creates. Only the individual can take responsibility for the part he or she plays in the drama of life. The individual can offer himself up for renewal. The altar is a place to lay aside burdens, to revitalize! The material world may offer endless alternatives, but the voice within, the spirit, is fulfilled by functioning according to true character.

The individual can approach the altar to reclaim his uniqueness, his naturally creative self. Willingly. Humbly. Approaching with openness. Joyfully and in trust… for this is where restoration begins, the restoration of one's true identity. This personal act signifies a return to one’s origins. And this is precisely why the arts should be held in high esteem and respected: because it is a valuable method to enable a return to the heart of the matter.

But the heart alone is not necessarily a good gauge of what is best for anyone. For the adventure into revitalizing one's creativity to be a success depends upon one's willingness to give up preconceptions, control, and any light notions of the power of your most insignificant daily act.

So you see, for your journey into creativity to be a rich experience, the adventure must begin at the altar. When you put the things you hold most dear on the altar, you open the possibility to explore the limitless experience of your own creative self, not as a rebel from society but as a little child full of wonder and imagination. Every child is born creative. Picasso said:

"Every artist is a child… the problem is how to remain an artist when he grows up."

It is an act of trust to put the heart's desire on the altar. It is to begin again at where you began originally in life, as a fresh, new creature… a newborn.

This may come as a surprise to you. To revive your creative side is the first step in the journey. But there is a cost involved. That's the fact. When one's self-esteem is at stake there is a price to pay. This is the initial, and perhaps hard, surprise: moving forward usually requires the sacrifice of a heavy burden: your known self. Yet it only makes sense, for it involves letting go of the past, a very stubborn anchor.

From that point on the surprises come in the form of revelations, as one engages in the delights of revival, the wonder of new discoveries, the rewards of learning, and the joy of being present. And if you are lucky, you will even chance to meet your own fragile child-self, the YOU that was buried in the past somewhere along your path.

There is a caution: Within this altar concept, there can be a grave misunderstanding. Our creativity is a vital element of the individual to be revered, not worshipped. Why? Because worship and reverence are vastly different from each other. Worship leads to a supreme arrogance, a state of ignorance, which closes the channel and diminishes the connection between person and spirit. Reverence, on the other hand, opens the channel to truth.

It is an attitude of respect, a humility that establishes a fertile ground for listening and the opportunity to learn. Who are we? Where are we going? What is the purpose of it all? These points considered at the crossroads of life inevitably remain most memorable to the end.

May you reap great rewards as you progress on your personal adventure into the sacred ground of your own creative capacity. May you experience the true enjoyment of this common quest….real en-JOY-ment!

And may you be encouraged to do more with your life than just dance!