When we don't take the high road with our choices, and therefore miss the opportunity to develop spiritual qualities,
we are literally forfeiting the purpose of our lives.
Big stuff.
Pictured with Providence, 30”x40” acrylic on canvas
Spiritual realism is what I call my unique genre of painting. It is also a fun play on words. Essentially, expressing a belief that our true reality is spiritual.
Our physical reality - the daily life that we know and experience with the 5 senses: our bodies, our environment, our practical responsibilities, all do a great job consuming our attention and convincing us they are what is "real".
We can fall into believing this physical reality is the end all, be all of our existence. Sometimes this belief is satisfying (granted we have no challenges or setbacks in our physical reality), but there is a fundamental lack of meaning in this orientation toward life.
I definitely think our physical reality matters (we do have to eat and pay our overhead), but it doesn't matter in the we are tempted to believe.
It is sort of like school. The purpose of learning lessons and passing tests in school is not to ... learn lessons and pass tests in school. The purpose is to develop understanding, skills, and to expand our capacities to take into the wider world.
So it is with our physical reality. As we go about our lives, making the million and one choices we are confronted with every day, we are actually like a student in school being given the opportunity to develop our spiritual understanding, our spiritual skills and to expand our spiritual capacities.
This is the purpose of our lives, whether or not we are conscious of this perspective. Whenever we make choices that challenge us to grow, or align with integrity and meaning, we develop spiritual qualities like courage, honesty, resilience, forgiveness and compassion (to name a few). As we grow in these qualities we enrich our own lives, as well as the lives of everyone we encounter. They are also the only things we "take with us" when we move on from this life, but that's another blog post, for another time.
When we don't take the high road in our choices and therefore miss the opportunity to develop spiritual qualities, we are literally forfeiting the purpose of our lives.
Big stuff. I know. Let me bring this back around to the connection with my art style:
The elements of realism in my paintings, such as the moon, trees, people and animals, represents our physical reality. The abstract expressionist elements in my work, represent the spiritual dimensions of our lives.
As you know, I believe this is really how things are. Every day, from the moment we wake up, to the moment we go to bed, we live in a physical world completely and constantly surrounded by spiritual forces. We are also literally a body and a soul. As it has been said before, we are a soul (spiritual being) having a physical experience. Every single day.
However, most of us never see this dual nature (physical and spiritual) with our naked eyes, or even sense it in any tangible way.
That is where art can help connect the dots. My paintings convey a visual mingling of this dual nature in one single, uplifting, and dreamlike image.
It is my hope that one glance, one deep breath, and moment of open-hearted viewing of a painting can serve as a spiritual unifier: to help you remember your spiritual nature (the reality of YOUR soul), as well as the spiritual forces that constantly surround you.
Often that one moment of peace and connection is all you need.
-J
What are your thoughts on this topic? Post in the comments. I love to read your thoughts and learn from you.
For more on this topic, check out my Podcast or Video: When you Feel Like You Don’t Belong Here.
Spiritual Conversation with Jacqueline Claire Podcast is available on YouTube, Anchor, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Breaker, Overcast, Radio Public and Spotify.