Dreaming Co:nexus – Arts Co:laboratory
An Unspeakable Resonance
Dreaming Co:nexus is the fertile concrescence of a unified intention to illuminate the world through art. The creative convergence which sparked the Co:nexus into being has been altogether mystical and guided by synchronicity. Each of us was individually seeking deeper alliances within the greater visionary arts community, and indeed, there are many amazing collectives to take part in. While the Internet exponentiates our ability to share art with the world, the need for strong formations of dedicated artist-mystics remains. As our lifestyles and artistic styles melded seamlessly, collaboration was simply the next step to creating the multi-limbed art deity we all longed to become.
Inside The Collaborative Process
Working collaboratively can be an experience of ecstatic bliss and union of consciousness… and it can also be an exercise in patience and non-attachment. Perhaps the most fluid form of collaborative painting is consecutive- where each artist takes a turn at the canvas, adding his/her unique style, vision and technique in succession. More complex is the simultaneous dance of multiple artists on a canvas: each brushstroke of each artist weaving together to create a unified vision.
Simultaneous collaboration involves a particular mindset wherein we must surrender attachment to the final result, letting go of the egoic aspect of creation and becoming fully absorbed in the act of harmonious co:creation. What to one painter may be a perfect brushstroke that should remain untouched, to another may be an obtrusion that should be blended into obscurity. Finding ways to respect one another’s unique vision and style while releasing identification with our own comfortable patterns of creating becomes the means to achieving a finalized work of art. Clear communication and in-depth visioning sessions beforehand are crucial to an integrated and cohesive end result.
Infinite Possibilities
Our art and our lives have been greatly enhanced as a result of this process. We find in one another unfathomable wellsprings of inspiration. While the solo artist may encounter his/her own creative limitations, there is virtually no end to what multiple artists can achieve when working together towards a common vision.
We find affirmation in one another’s vicissitudes- difficulties as well as successes and victories. We see ourselves reflected in our fellow visionaries, refracted light of the crystalline whole. We develop a greater sense of our part in the larger picture when we work together, realizing that the process is equally as important as the final result. Artistic collaboration becomes a grand metaphor for the method of human evolution and the unification of consciousness.
Individually, we find ourselves willing to take on larger and more ambitious projects, as a direct result of having seen what we could accomplish with just a few more arms. On the more technical levels, there are newfound painting techniques learned from (and discovered with) one another. A broader scope of vision emerges as we rise to one another’s creative challenges and strive to create art that will fuel our co:inspirator’s creative fire.
We seem to grow together exponentially as we support and affirm one another in our madness. When we devote ourselves so fully to a vision quest that new dimensions of language and expression emerge, it is truly a divine blessing to be surrounded by fellow travelers of the art path. We are ushering in a new era in which the meme of the tortured artist is transcended; the new visionary art being an expression of a healed holism.
Links
Historic Gathering of Visionary Artists in Alpine Eco-village | Lila
[...] with Amanda Sage and Andrew Gonzalez, while being joined by other experienced artists such as David Heskin and Aloria Weaver – not to mention the anticipated 12 – 15 students. Each summer’s gathering has become [...]