One of the best things about being an artist is that we have the ability to create awe. Another word for awe would be wonder. Creating wonder or awe is what art is about on so many levels. First of all, it is the suspension of self-awareness. When one is truly absorbed in the process of creation, all thoughts about the day, worries and the news washes away. What is left is that mindless mindfulness, the creation of something that is being channeled from somewhere that is beyond the self. Though that may sound very deep, it really isn’t. It is the suspension of self in order to write, paint or sing.
The best performers are those who can draw on awe during a performance. They are able to home in on an energy with the audience energy and work with the audience to create something that becomes a shared moment. That moment, when it all works, is one of wonder. You will know such a performance is happening when you experience an “electric thrill” that is the sense of wonder. The music, the banter, the feeling of the evening just works. It is the sort of wonder that when you walk from the theater, you still have. When it works right for me, such energy takes hours to come down from. It is truly awesome.
Nature gives us a sense of awe, especially in its wildest forms. We need that vast open to help us lose ourselves. One of the best points of living in Chicago is that there is the vast Lake Michigan to look over. Seeing nothing but blue water, stretching out to the horizon, puts me in a sense of wonder and awe. It calms me and helps me forget for a little bit all the things that I deem necessary and important in my life. When I visit Wyoming, I also get that sense of awe. The picture above is of "Sleeping Indian" just outside of Jackson. Every day, the light plays with that mountain, creating shadows and colors that for me, create a sense of wonder and awe.
When I draw or paint, I love that it is no longer exactly me doing the work. It is almost as if I am outside of it and observing. I had an instructor once tell me that a piece of art is considered finished when one is “surprised” by it. What I think she meant was that the moment of completion is when one is suddenly aware of something that is not necessarily of their own making. It is that moment of awe and wonder. “Did I just do that?”
We all can draw on awe in our lives. One doesn’t have to be an artist but be able to suspend the self in search of wonder. When one finds that wonder, it helps revive the spirit and puts into perspective the reason for living in the first place.
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