On Art and Enlightenment

Art is simultaneously the output of a soul’s being, and metadata that informs another soul’s experience. Here I think of a human “soul” as a deepened sort of consciousness, one that more directly synchronizes with the continuous flow of the universe (the consciousness of trees, mountains, and solar systems). Art is a way to create intimate connections between human souls, connecting us at a deeper and more natural level, and drawing us closer to a natural spiritual oneness. Artistic expression is one way to find a spiritual path, and artistic excellence seems to me like one form of enlightenment.

I’ve considered elsewhere that death appears to be one’s ultimate reconnection to the interconnected universe. The return of the fragment to its whole, and the integration between one and many that art can only gesture towards. I hope that death will carry in its expression as much joy as music expresses in my life today.