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empty canvas :
wondering mind
an art curriculum designed to foster inquiry and
creativity - a series of nine
free e-books
The important thing is not to stop
questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.
Albert Einstein
This
oceanic feeling of wonder is the common source of religious mysticism,
of pure science and art for art's sake.
Arthur
Koestler
The Greeks said that to
marvel is the beginning of knowledge
and where we cease to marvel we may be
in danger of ceasing to know.
E H
Gombrich
 
Art and Illusion
E H Gombrich
 
The Quantum Self
Danah Zohar
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creating from wonder
wonder is a wonderful
word to wonder about:
wonderful - wondrous - a
wonder - with wonder - to wonder - wondering - to do wonders - wonderland
- wonderment - wonder-worker - wonderstruck…
We can talk about wonder and wondering in so
many ways – it's one of those English words that baffle foreign language
students. We call something 'a wonder' when it is an astonishing thing
or accomplishment like the Seven Wonders of the World, or when it is
miraculous like the birth of a babe. It is also the "emotion excited
by the perception of something novel and unexpected, or inexplicable."
And sometimes this emotion of astonishment can be "mingled with
perplexity or bewildered curiosity." (Shorter Oxford Dictionary) And again, it's the state of mind in which these emotions are
held. When we observe something marvelous, wonder-full, we are filled
with wonder, which is like being infused with awe.
But then we sometimes say "I wonder…" and there
is a shift in meaning. To simply say, "I wonder" usually implies
doubt. Yet to preface a phrase with "I wonder if…" is to imply
curiosity. In French, one says "Je me demand …" - I ask myself.
Then it implies that I'm going to explore, to inquire in and of
myself about something. The way I've used the word wondering
in this book embraces all these meanings. For to wonder in the sense of
exploring, with doubt and curiosity, is to never be far from the wonder
of marvel. Perhaps the greatest wonder of all is that we have the
ability to wonder, to reflect. And to have that capacity as a natural
by-product of being alive is simply amazing.
Marvel and wonder go hand-in-hand, and their
offspring is true learning. One of the most exciting things about the
kind of activity that occurs in the art room, (the educating art
room), is that it is firmly grounded in experimental processes. We are,
as novice or professional artisans, deeply involved in both wonder
and wondering.
Questions are the life-blood of the artisan, and
the prime question in any artisan's mind is "What if …?" This is
a question that makes many parents and teachers wince. At the same
time, it's the one that generates exploration and experimentation in the
fields of science, sports, philosophy – what area of human endeavor can
be excluded from its penetrating, "But perhaps…"?
The "What if …?" of wondering mind is the
fuel for any investigation into creativity. Danah Zohar writes that
creativity is the dynamic of unfolding consciousness. If, as she proposes, the unfolding consciousness of reflecting
human beings forms the bridge between the contemporary world with its
fragmentation, alienation, inhumanity, and the "reconciled universe" of
coherence, integration and meaning, then it is clear that we need to
stop ignoring the beckoning call of creative acting and thinking. We
need to start asking some "What if …?" questions about what we
presume creativity to be, and why we aren't able to experience it in a
sustained way in every aspect of our lives. There are few better ways
of doing that than by engaging in practical encounters with the
processes involved in looking, seeing and making.
creating from wonder brings to synthesis all the experiences we've had as we moved through
the previous books. creating from wonder closes the circle. It
brings us back to the wonder of perception and to the space in which
that-which-is can speak. But we arrive there richer in every way –
richer in insight, in technique, and in our ability to play with the
unfamiliar. The empty canvas is our lover, at last.
miriam louisa simons
Extract from creating from wonder
book eight in the series of e-books empty canvas : wondering mind
You can download this free e-book
here
(pdf 529 KB)
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CREATING FROM WONDER
contents
1 wonder and wondering
2 unfold your myth
3 veritable vestments
4 Buddha-body
5 the heart of the story
6 animated grey matter
7 a sanctuary for the
secret senses
8 playing with process
9 metaphorically speaking
10 objets trouvée
11 deconstructing and
recycling
12 shape-shifting
13 quantum realities
14 culture and creativity
15 the three questions
artisans
e-books
meditation
nondual perspectives
quotes about creativity
retreats
slow art
the wonder of wonder
wildsight - the innocent eye
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