Growing up I was sick for the majority of my teenage years.
I barely graduated high school and was absent half the time from nasty illnesses.
Thanks to this, however, I became more of an artist, in tuned with my own spirit.
Since I was bedridden, I spent an unusual amount of time with my own thoughts. Not to mention the viral videos on YouTube of people parkour-ing, dancing, and being free within their own bodies.
I was envious. Maybe, a bit jealous.
And whenever I got the chance, I would copy what I saw in these videos.
Today, I’m pushing 30, and I’ve been a creative (personally & professionally) for 20+ years.
- I’ve danced with the Jabbawockeez
- I’ve acted in a commercial for Webtoon
- I’ve done stunts with GQ Japan
- I’ve filmed weddings and commercials
And if there’s anything I’ve learned these past 20 years being a creative, it’s this:
Everything I create is a mirror of how I deeply view myself and the world.
In some weird existential way, every choice in music, every cut in an edit, every minutia of movement, every business decision made, reflects a deeply rooted belief system, or a quality of my consciousness.
“What we create allows us to share glimpses of an inner landscape, one that is beyond our understanding. Art is our portal to the unseen world.”
— Rick Rubin, The Creative Act: A Way of Being
I realised I could study my creation; as a spiritual tool for growth. As a way to decode my subconscious processes.
It is a process of laying my cards out on the table, and seeing how I can expand beyond my comfort zones: to acknowledge my weaknesses, face my fears, uncover my natural competencies, and embrace my strengths.
Or even to just learn how to accept and love the person I’ve become and am becoming.
Creation is the anchor at which the soul remains pure, against outside forces.
It is the armor of one’s spirit.