The title for this blog post comes from the book of the same name by Rollo May. This is a book I read early in my journey of recovery and while seeking enlightenment about the human condition and a happier existence. I reread the book quite recently and discovered that it still had some appeal, and many good quotes that could be shared. As I read, I was reminded of many similar things that I learned while on my own journey, some of which I will try to incorporate into the upcoming discussion.
This topic started out in the artist forum I participate in when there was a discussion about drawing heads. I shared some thoughts about that along with a head-shot drawing I had made of Rollo May.
Rollo May Pencil Drawing by Donald B. Cheke
While having the discussion, I Googled Rollo May to see if I could find the picture I used as reference for my drawing. I decided that it must have been the back of his book, The Courage to Create, or one of his others that had a similar picture. I thought that the title of this book was very appropriate for the art forum discussion.
Rollo May – The Courage to Change Book Cover – Image from Internet
To spark my memory, since it had been many years since I read the book, I asked Copilot AI to summarize the book.
“The Courage to Create” by Rollo May is a profound exploration of the psychology of creativity. In this book, May delves into the deep connection between creativity and courage, suggesting that true creativity requires the willingness to take risks and face the unknown.
May argues that creativity is not just about artistic expression, but also about the process of bringing something new into existence. This can be in any form, whether it’s a piece of art, a scientific theory, or a personal transformation. He emphasizes the importance of embracing the struggles and challenges that come with creativity, as they are essential for growth and self-discovery.
One of the key themes in the book is the idea that creativity involves a paradoxical blend of freedom and discipline. May explains that while creativity requires the freedom to explore and experiment, it also demands the discipline to refine and develop one’s ideas.
Overall, “The Courage to Create” encourages readers to confront their fears and embrace their creative potential, highlighting the transformative power of creativity in both personal and societal contexts.
That is very much the essence of the book, but this time around I found the book a bit too academic, a bit too wordy, like the author was talking above the reader, instead of to the reader. I understand that it is, indeed, an academic book, and I understood almost everything written within its pages, but just too over the top in my current opinion. It reminded me of the mechanical engineer who uses his intellect and knowledge as a tool to instill in others the superiority he/she feels over them. Those listening to that type of engineer just think, “huh,” then rolls their eyes and tune out. Still, there were many good things said in the book, well worth thinking and talking about.
As I present my art, I will intersperse some quotes from the book and add some thoughts specifically about them, as I deem necessary.
At its core, this blog post is about taking a deep look at oneself through art and introspection and trying to flush out what lies within. Not only that, but learning from that introspection and bringing to light, a new life, a life filled with wisdom and the courage to continue where the search takes one. It takes courage to travel the spiritual journey. We are reminded of this with the quote below.
Courage is not the absence of despair; it is, rather, the capacity to move ahead in spite of despair. [May, Rollo. The Courage to Create (p. 12). W. W. Norton & Company. Kindle Edition.]
Or, whereas moral courage is the righting of wrongs, creative courage, in contrast, is the discovering of new forms, new symbols, new patterns on which a new society can be built. [May, Rollo. The Courage to Create (p. 21). W. W. Norton & Company. Kindle Edition.]
Reflecting Pool – Created by Don Cheke
I created Reflecting Pool while thinking about how the eyes are the windows to the soul. Perhaps you can see that the gradient grey to black funnel (as seen from above), along with the white highlight represents the pupil of a human eye. Within the eye is a human fetus, which here represents new life, or the creation of new life; something that is at the heart of all art in its manifold forms. Rollo May points out this common thread with something from Plato.
But in his later, beautiful dialogue, the Symposium, he [Plato] described what he called the true artists – namely, those who give birth to some new reality. [May, Rollo. The Courage to Create (p. 39). W. W. Norton & Company. Kindle Edition.]
As I worked on developing this image further, trying to add some extra texture to try and bring it further to life, I decided to create a second version. For this second version, I created a 3D box in my CAD program and applied the original image to it as a texture/image map. I then made some material tweaks in my 3D render program and render-saved it with an environment and additional lighting. I also added some displacement height to the image which sort of added a frame line and raised the paint a bit. I thought that it looked like a picture against a wall, while resting at floor level, as the shadows suggest. I think it is richer in appearance, and I came closer to what I had hoped would come through it.
Reflecting Pool – KeyShot Render – Created by Don Cheke
So often, what an artist wants to convey, or bring to life, is not accomplished, because what he or she envisions is but a mere reflection of a reflection of a reflection. It is like trying to sum up the essence of the world he or she sees or envisions in a single snapshot. It is like trying to define the undefinable. Impossible really, but the artist continues to try, anxiety and failure be damned. I loved reading about an encounter, and relationship between James Lord, a sitter or artist model, and artist Alberto Giacometti. They were also friends, and, of course, in such a relationship, Lord saw the very best and worst of Giacometti. Lord would make notes directly after the posing sessions about what Giacometti had said and done.
What meant something, what alone existed with a life of its own was his [Giacometti’s] indefatigable, interminable struggle via the act of painting to express in visual terms a perception of reality that had happened to coincide momentarily with my head [which Giacometti was then trying to paint]. To achieve this was of course impossible, because what is essentially abstract can never be made concrete without altering its essence. But he was committed, he was, in fact condemned to the attempt, which at times seemed rather like the task of Sisyphus. [May, Rollo. The Courage to Create (p. 83). W. W. Norton & Company. Kindle Edition.”] (In case you need reminding, in Greek mythology, Sisyphus is condemned to eternally roll a large boulder up a hill, only for it to roll back down just before reaching the top, forcing him to repeat the task endlessly; this futile and repetitive labor is his punishment in the underworld.)
Lord continues… in order to go on, to hope, to believe that there is some chance of his actually creating what he ideally visualizes, he is obliged to feel that it is necessary to start his entire career over again every day, as it were, from scratch. … he often feels that the particular sculpture or painting on which he happens to be working at the moment is that one which will for the very first time express what he subjectively experiences in response to an objective reality. [May, Rollo. The Courage to Create (p. 83). W. W. Norton & Company. Kindle Edition.]
Gosh, I can so relate to this, perhaps that is why, of all things in the book, this spoke the loudest to me.
Even with my art, something as seemingly mundane as the tall ship painting seen below, is an attempt to express something much deeper than seen at first glance. The tall ship, the ocean it sits on, the sky above it, is a reflection of freedom in one moment, it is a reflection of solitude or isolation in another moment, and it is a reflection of loneliness in yet another. A viewer who takes a slow and in-depth look will see, or feel, what is current in their own psyche. Perhaps, on the other hand, they will gaze at the picture and feel great sorrow for the artist who painted the piece.
Tall Ship – Created by Don Cheke
For this painting, I took another stab at blending a pencil drawing I made years ago with a new background I made recently. I scanned the original tall ship drawing so it could be made into a digital file and then I brought it into the painting program where I made the digital background. I thought that the result was nice. As I am writing this blog post and spending time with my paintings again, I feel much more of a connection with them than when I was originally creating them, so maybe it takes time, and a slow look, to let their intent percolate within my soul. Try listening to some beautiful ethereal music while looking, and see where that takes you.
The first thing we notice in a creative act is that it is an encounter. [May, Rollo. The Courage to Create (p. 41). W. W. Norton & Company. Kindle Edition.]
The essence of art is the powerful and alive encounter between the artist and his or her world. [May, Rollo. The Courage to Create (p. 52). W. W. Norton & Company. Kindle Edition.]
Creativity, to rephrase our definition, is the encounter of the intensively conscious human being with his or her world. [May, Rollo. The Courage to Create (p. 54). W. W. Norton & Company. Kindle Edition.]
Creativity occurs in an act of encounter and is to be understood with this encounter as its center. [May, Rollo. The Courage to Create (p. 77). W. W. Norton & Company. Kindle Edition.]
I like how Rollo May made the point again and again in his book, how art and creativity is an act of encounter, meaning that the artist is looking to the deepest depth of the encounter with whatever it is he or she is in “contact” with. If the artist is, for instance, painting a picture of a tree, he or she is not merely painting it, but in some way has become that tree and experiencing it on all levels – physically, emotionally, spiritually. This feels very Zen-like to me. Being fully present in what one is doing.
While writing this paragraph, I had a bit of a struggle finding the term “fully present” in my mind, so I asked Copilot AI to help me find it. Its response had “fully present” within it, and the light bulb in my head went on. That said, I really appreciated its full response and will share it with you now.
My question:
I am looking for a specific single word that defines the Zen act of doing something specific. They might say, when eating, eat, when tending the flock, tend the flock. The Zen practitioner become fully involved. I don’t want to say entwined, but I was hoping you could come up with a more accurate term to what I have described.
Copilot:
Ah, I see what you’re getting at! The term you might be looking for is “Zanshin”. It refers to a state of relaxed alertness and total presence, often associated with Zen practices and martial arts. When applied to daily activities, it embodies the idea of being fully present and engaged in whatever task you are doing, without distraction or division of attention. Another related term is “Ichigyo-zammai”, which means being completely absorbed in the single activity at hand. Both terms capture the essence of mindful, focused engagement.
Nicely said, I would say.
Cherry Blossoms – Created by Don Cheke
When I paint, or engage in other creative endeavors, I tend to be completely absorbed in it. Quite often, I have music on my headphones which isolates me from the outside world and helps me move further into what I am doing. I created the painting above quite recently, and when it was complete it somehow reminded me of cherry trees in blossom.
Anxiety comes from not being able to know the world you’re in, not being able to orient yourself in your own existence. [May, Rollo. The Courage to Create (p. 58). W. W. Norton & Company. Kindle Edition.]
Based on the above quote, I too think that much of my own anxiety comes to bear when I am not involved in the creative process. I don’t know if that is because my mind overruns with my own flavor of crazy, from the baggage I carry, or if it is because I am not focused on what I am doing. Needless to say, when I am involved in the creative process that “noise” evaporates, and I feel engaged in the journey. Interestingly enough, I learned at one point in my life that even doing the daily things can be a form of creativity, getting groceries, doing laundry. It is all about the mindset. I think I read that this is called “sweeping the temple” in Buddhist circles. Isn’t that a beautiful way to look at having, or needing to do those things? Doesn’t it make it something special and sacred!?
Taoist Priest on Flower – Created by Don Cheke
While working at mixing some of my old drawings with more recent work, I produced this painting. It is a Taoist priest drawing I did years ago, superimposed on a Matisse-like flower I created a couple years ago. I brought both into my digital painting program where I created a new textured background and added additional elements. I added the text, “Behold the Silence” as a tip-of-the-hat to the concept, or importance of silence.
As emphasized by Copilot AI when asked, silence plays a significant role in Taoism. The Taoist philosophy emphasizes harmony with the Tao (or Dao), the fundamental nature of the universe. Silence is seen as a way to connect more deeply with this natural order, fostering inner peace and wisdom.
In Taoism, silence is not just the absence of sound but also a state of stillness and receptivity. It allows individuals to quiet the mind, disengage from the constant noise and distractions of everyday life, and become more attuned to the subtle workings of the Tao.
A sine qua non (necessary condition) of creativity is the freedom of artists to give all the elements within themselves free play in order to open up the possibility of what Blok excellently calls “the creative will,” [May, Rollo. The Courage to Create (p. 76). W. W. Norton & Company. Kindle Edition.]
Aside from the validity of the above quote, I was pleased to see the Latin phrase “sine qua non.” I had used “conditio sine qua non,” often shortened to “sine qua non,” on the base of the balance in my “Mandala 3 – Who Am I” art piece. Which way will the balance tip, based on our life choices and actions? Will the balance tip toward the positive characteristics, or to the not so positive ones. It also means keeping in balance, or living in the middle way, finding the middle way, balancing a characteristic far away from the extremes. I think you get what I am saying, and know too that a good trait, like being helpful, can become a bad trait, say, if the helpful one becomes a martyr in the negative connotation of the word. Somewhere in the middle, or evenly balanced is obviously better.
Mandala 3 – Who Am I – Created by Don Cheke
If you do not express your own original ideas, if you do not listen to your own being, you will have betrayed yourself. Also, you will have betrayed our community in failing to make your contribution to the whole. [May, Rollo. The Courage to Create (pp. 12-13). W. W. Norton & Company. Kindle Edition.]
I have learned so much over the years from other artist, especially writers, who because of their own journeys, have taken the time to write about and share their discoveries. I always found much comfort in the fact that when I learned a valuable life lesson, I found that these writers I mentioned discovered something similar. My book, Threads of the Spirit, was a celebration of many of those lessons, that those on the spiritual journey can’t help but learn at some point. It is a human experience that realizes the bond we have as humans.
Concentric Circles – Created by Don Cheke
I created Concentric Circles while experimenting with five colors and some smudging. I found it strange that while dragging the smudger in 5 perfect circles it produced dodecagons (12-sided shapes). I introduced four copies of the circles at the corners of the canvas and blended the layers. I added the text to direct the viewer’s thoughts and I added the bird, using different colors, as a symbol of life and nature. If you picture the result without the bird it looks like water ripples seen from above. That was not intended, but more so, a wavering portal into the soul.
Although only in the abstract, the quote below hints at what I am saying.
The creative process must be explored not as the product of sickness, but as representing the highest degree of emotional health, as the expression of the normal people in the act of actualizing themselves. [May, Rollo. The Courage to Create (p. 40). W. W. Norton & Company. Kindle Edition.]
Let’s talk about the feature image, seen again here.
Library of the Unconscious Mind – Created by Don Cheke
Although abstract to a greater degree, this digital painting is something I came up with specifically as the feature image for this blog post. Of course, it is a library of books. Three titles are based on books I have written, the rest are just made up, with the idea of looking within oneself – right through to the unconscious, which for me, is what art and other creative avenues try to achieve.
The result is nowhere near what I had imagined, but it is what came to be. Initially I was inspired by a painting by a fellow named Suhail on the artist forum that I participate in. It was in a thread titled Folding Paint Layers. I imagined turning his painting 90 degrees clockwise or 90 degrees counterclockwise and could see that ethereal library that I imagined. Of course, Suhail has his unique talents and I could never hope to copy his style, and so I came up with my own.
Here is a picture of Suhail’s art piece, so you don’t have to imagine what it might look like. Don’t you just love it!?
Steps To Nowhere – Suhail Mitoubsi
I believe that we all have within us, a Library of the Unconscious Mind. Can you imagine what books yours contain? Do you think you can visualize the library, or perhaps not a library? Better yet, can you bring it to life in some creative way? Give it some thought. 👍😊
Donald B. Cheke – March 10, 2025
Nice article!
Thanks Mike!