Artist Amanda McGregor explores the connection between nature and creativity
I was at the Rural Museum in Reading at the weekend visiting a furniture designer who was showing there, I realised that every tool historically invented was made out of wood or metal. Here we have earth, air, wood and metal, the four components needed to create and the four components considered to be elemental in creation, the transformation energies of wind, earth, fire and water help to bring transformation. The elemental chart is of course just as enlightening, but to live simply and freely with out getting heavy with the science of technology, we can live lightly by acknowledging the simplicity of these parts.
I am beginning to feel that the environment can be a strong informant as to who we are, in the same way that in the jungle or rain forest each animal, insect or plant, serves another part of the eco-structure of the environment. Some animals plant seeds, others clean mammals, others produce sugar, food for nourishment, others move soil, leaves, change the structure of trees, the soil or plant life. Normally these shifts happen through a need for the animal or plants food or shelter, their self centered needs. For instance in brazil, a squirrel like animal that enjoys brazil nuts, plants the seeds in the earth and hides each ones marks with leaves, selfishly hoarding, hoping that in it’s gluttony no other animal will find the seeds and the animal will have them when ever hungry. However the brazil tree knows the animal is in service and although the animal eats many it also plants many brazil nuts, helping the tree survive and become buoyant in the eco-system, this is a conscious plan of survival in which all animals are working and serving each other.
Thereby we can look at how we have ‘served’ our environment from a place of survival and self centered activity to find out who we are and how we have been given purpose. Some parts of these areas of service appear to be simply self satisfying and maybe selfish but in the longer term as we become more and more professional we discover our selfish needs were actually serving a greater benevolence. Thereby we need to trust our self satisfaction and sense of nourishment as we are often holding the keys for others in a much bigger state of collective consciousness. Without all the parts of ourselves working freely and simply, we may block pro-creation and productivity in natural abundance and life giving freedom.
For me my main area of self nourishment has come through creativity, painting, drawing and a journey of self discovery and transformation through visions and healing. This understanding of perception and consciousness I share, I was born as a twin, so sharing is first nature. I have been prodded and exposed through my youth and 20’s through disclosure of confidential medical notes legally, with police, dealing with trauma, life which has meant I became forced to find an sense of security through my vulnerability which was inappropriately exposed. Not ideal but very real, finding a source of enlightenment through light living and openness eventually leads to a free flowing energy of happy living, so I became a product of my environment. How did you become a service product of your environment?
In this journey nothing has been obvious, every day has begun as a mystery, my life unfolds. I have never lived my life to plan. Over the years I have realised that although many first see me as physically insecure, they discover I am unusually secure. Secure in the self, in understanding and trusting in life to work with me and enable me to be me, to allow growth, manifestation and others to be themselves through creation. Through enabling creativity, growth and development, life unravels, unfolds and simply is.
The limits on being ourselves, can come from other’s belief in their way, in their own understanding of security, of the ‘governing’ forces that dictate how we should live our lives and who we should be, limited beliefs projected on us, as to what creates success. Stepping in to the realisation that selfish living for personal nourishment can feed others in the bigger picture helps to set us free.
I gave up living in a normal rented house with a studio in January, since then I have satisfied my desires in light living, painting, travel, writing and spending time with people I love and respect. By working with philosophical guidance, choosing my working hours, my time schedules, the location and nature of my home I have allowed my intuition and universal guidance to direct me. I have been enabled to have more time to journey in to my interests, to nourish the aspects of life that I really wanted to spend time with.
Some of these aspirations may seem self centered to some, I mean who can help the world through a painting? However who or what is behind a painting? whose eyes truly see? The journey in to seeing in ‘vision’, is a journey of transformation that does help others to become secure, free and happy, the painting is simply the nut being hidden in the soil as a seed to promote growth, maybe to be collected later, maybe in the winter when supplies are thinning out, or to give inspiration and a sense of well being, to bring security through investing, hoarding, possessing, or through simply growing in value. The artist will find his or her abundance through sharing, being selfish in self nourishment and through an understanding of social collective conscious. He or she will simply find branches to reach out and connect to further off shore territories and points of development through embracing the possibilities of infinite connection.
If we look at the earth and air energies of one individual, we can see that planting seeds is a grounded movement that perhaps needs one to one connection. However branching out to other territories is an air movement requiring flight.
When you allow yourself the freedom to be simple and self satisfying in your nourishment and activity, you can embrace your purpose which is in fact your service to others and the environment, embracing the energies that inspire you so to bring you and others together. Catalysing the science of your individual identity so as to activate your pro-creation in the collective environment. Social collective conscious awareness allows everyone to find purpose and artistic productivity by the self realisation of their value. Words/Photo: Amanda McGregor ©2012