SELF-DEFINED PROJECT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

SELF-DEFINED PROJECT - Essay Example hat’s left from Experiencing the Divine†¦an expression of the artist’s spiritual nature in the material world†¦[it] is the portal to the soul† (Darlene). According to Andrej Tisma art allowed man to discover â€Å"deep secrets penetrating the source of things†. In primitive society, when religion was held central to the community, the priest was the same as the artist. He created prayers and hymns that allowed man to connect wit the divine. As society modernizes and beliefs become secular, the artist has finally risen up to assert his individuality and his interpretation of what the world is. This new form is called mental art. Unlike the earlier forms of art which tried to depict reality, or make a statement about the imagined reality, mental art allows the artist to communicate using his own concepts. In Rudolf Steiner’s words, â€Å"The basis of artistic creation is not what is, but what might be; not the real, but the possible†. This new form allows the artist to bring forth the â€Å"knowledge† that is burning alive inside him. For some people this â€Å"burning† is the seed of the divine, man’s ultimate connection to the being called God, the Source, the Creator. Because creativity is of divine nature, often the artist cannot recognize an artwork when he/she is done with it. Some would say â€Å"I can’t believe I did this† - an indication of the â€Å"other† which lives inside a person. The nature of this other is no longer within the bounds of this paper, what is sure, however, is that art is the medium of co mmunication between the â€Å"other† and the physical man. Creativity is its highest manifestation – man may deny revealing it, but such denial cannot last forever. When it reaches its peak, it will strive to break all barriers in the same way that mental art is now breaking social norms. This idea is supported by this quote from the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas, â€Å"If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you