We have heard of the alchemists' futile quest to turn lead into gold with fire but when making art, a miraculous event unfolds when we throw the lead of our personal story into the transformative flames of creativity. Our hardships are transmuted into a gold we use to heal ourselves and our relationship to the world. As with any spiritual practice, this creative alchemy requires a leap of faith. We choose to put our trust into action.
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When we show up to make art, firstly we need to get still enough to hear what wants to be expressed through us. Then we need to step out of the way to let it happen. We must be willing to abide in a space of not knowing before we can settle into knowing. Such a space is sacred. It is liminal, and it is numinous. It is frightening and enlivening. It demands no less than everything and it gives back tenfold. We must view ourselves as a conduit for the work of art to pass through and allow that art to guide our hands to manifest. When we do this, we are assenting to a sacred adventure. We are saying yes to the transcendent and embodied presence of the holy.

Extracted from “Wild Mercy” by Mirabai Starr.