mad in pursuit journal

DISPATCHED FROM THE CROSSROADS, AT THE intersection OF thinking and doing

Chakras for Creative Projects

Yesterday I was the A-V geek for Joanne's chakra presentation at the Spiritualist Church — setting up the projector, flashing her slides, managing the music during the exercises. But for a while I could just listen and play with my own thoughts. I like the idea of the 7 energy centers along the spine — it gives me a framework for checking myself out.

Most people seem interested in chakras as a component of the healing arts — getting through grief, illness, or emotional blockages. My main interest is in keeping my commitment to the artist's life strong and productive. So while I was listening to Joanne, I came up with my scheme for applying chakras to a creative project.

You need to start with #1, at the bottom of the chart and work your way up.

Chakra

STEP

Essential Task
(balance energy)

Risk of not doing
(or under-energizing)

Risk of getting stuck
(or over-energizing)s

7 crown

crown chakra

Breakthrough

Reveal the truth. (away from the mechanical, toward the miraculous/numinous)

Otherwise, my final product will be too safe.

How could I complain about getting "stuck" here? This the target zone.

6 brow (3rd eye)

brow chakra

Connect

Make new connections and gain new insights.

Otherwise, I'll wind up recycling the old templates, the hackneyed formulas.

But it's possible to get stuck on mere cleverness. (Not that the world doesn't need good artisans and craftspeople.)

5 throat

throat chakra

Do it

Begin expressing (write, sketch, outline).

Otherwise "the art life" is just a fantasy. The project is a pipe dream.

But I could get stuck in sheer volubility, devoid of details, nuance, and problem-solving. Hack work. (Like the Bush speech machine—churn the old cliches and spit them out in a new order.)

4 heart

heart chakra

Open up

Open up to new guidance and new influences (reading, researching, consulting).

Otherwise I'll feel like a lonely misfit. I'll be insulated from the ideas and inspiration of those who've gone before me.

But I can easily get stuck on reading and researching. I can also get intimidated by the "genius" of others.

3 solar plexus

solar plexus chakra

Set up

Have my work area and my tools ready to go.

Otherwise, I'll be disorganized and not ready to work when the ideas start flowing.

But I can get stuck here by obsessing over my tools and space. Better pens! Better paper! New notebook! New fonts!

2 sacrum

sacrum chakra

Commit

Cross the threshold. Take the plunge by committing myself to a project.

Otherwise, I'll never get started and will continue to procrastinate. I'll keep avoiding the risk of time and energy.

But I can get stuck in the sheer pleasure of "being an artist" just because I have a project. All celebration, no work.

1 root of spine

root chakra

Ground

Take care of basic business (financial, household, family)

If I don't, I'll be distracted by these gnawing demands.

But I can also get stuck here, letting daily demands overrule what I want to get done creatively.

 

1.28.07

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