Artistic expression is a means more than it is an ends

Why do many of us continue to seek a fresher, crisper, more internal ‘musical experience?’ Jewish Musicism By: Doni Joszef 5tjt.com Published: Friday, June 22, 2007

Based on the above formulation of spiritual creativity, the explanation emerges. Artistic expression is a means more than it is an ends. An artist’s masterpiece emerges naturally when he seeks to reveal what dwells within. This cannot be forced or scripted; it must be experienced. Dovid HaMelech did not sit down with a laptop and thesaurus to write a best-selling book of “mystical meditations.” Tehillim is the natural manifestation of a soul-searching artist who used the seven musical notes and twenty-two Hebrew letters as springboards toward self-expression. These notes and letters were his tools to unlock the iron chambers to his inner self. The creative experience was his way of etching away the external rough to allow his inner ‘diamond’ to naturally shine.

For better or worse, the reality of our present-day community presents a constant roadblock before the paths of self-discovery and self-acceptance. Rigid molds and high-pressure expectations continually clog our internal stability and alienate us from our true selves. This pressure manifests itself in many different ways—some more tragic than others. The emotional health and psychological stability of our extended family has surely suffered from these challenging forces. External pressure creates a fog of anxiety and uncertainty within the minds and hearts of those who encounter it. For many of us, self-expression expired long ago—as soon as community “standards” and “expectations” took hold of our consciousness. The rich soil of our “flower-seeds” hardened. The garden dries and becomes desolate.

Creativity is the counter-force. True art involves a tzurah besoch tzurah, art within the art. It is the process through which the artist tries to naturally express what seeks to be revealed from within. This is the music that speaks to the soul. Determining what is and what is not a portrait of meaningful creativity involves no formulas or equations. It is not concrete or external. It cannot be seen or measured. But it can be sensed. It can be experienced. When music is a means by which an artist sincerely discovers and shares what dwells within, this waters the garden of creativity; this gives life to the flower seeds. Keep seeking the “tzura b’soch hatzura” and may your life be an ever-evolving work of art, continuously infused with the “inner art” of self revelation!