Earlier this week I asked Seth Godin a question.
What is your weathervane for joy?
His response was that he has decided long ago that his process would bring him joy. That the process itself produces joy. That the only way he knows how to sleep is to pretend to be asleep. And so he creates and the joy comes.
To me, that is a fundamental statement of a spiritual life. When we live creatively, the joy just comes.
My creative practice is my spiritual practice is my daily practice.
The work is an artifact. I don’t make recordings of my music because I want to make recordings. I record because I want to share a part of my process with the world. I believe that creative sharing is one of the most authentic forms of service that we can do.
Art is a fundamental act of change. Of revolution. Of personal awakening. Not because of the politics it advocates, or the aesthetics it presents. But because through the making of art we change ourselves
I say this prayer written by Kai Cheng Thom, in her fantastic collection of essays "I Hope We Choose Love," everyday. Often in my notebooks. Often to myself. Often to others.
As She is my witness
I shall not want
Though I walk
In the valley of
The shadow of death
I fear no evil
For all I touch I change
And all I touch changes me.
When I accept that I’m not in control. When I accept that I must surrender to the process. When I accept that the next right action will always be just to show up and try again. When I am present. When I forgive myself for not having done it before. When I am willing to let go of shame (Should Have Already Mastered Everything). When I let go.
Do I love it? Yes.