Divinity of Inspirations
written 22 Nov 2017 / Emily [Sat Sukh] Peters
As I ponder the inspiration for my works – songs, sculpture, poetry and other projects - it feels like it ‘comes out of nowhere’. The sensation of creating feels like I become a channel or an open vessel with no opening and no bottom – just space that can be filled. It’s as though it comes through me. When others present their curiosity for my inspirations I defer to The Divine.
I feel that the answer lies in both that ineffable sensation of ‘Nowhere’ and The Divine. But what are these two things? And can I really, truly find that elusive origin point of inspiration? For me these two – one, a place (or a no-place) and the other an omnipresence – are the root of the inspiration. From these we are all created and through these we all create. The beauty of these questions lies in their unanswerable nature, and in the web of personal and spiritual development that carries their infinite potential.
When the I that is Me steps aside and asks for guidance, assistance, knowledge, and truth, I receive the fullness of that moment. The expression of the mantra, the meaning of the moment, and the vibration of the collective consciousness’s deepest yearning all swirl together in the space that I used to be sure was Me, but is in fact The Universe, and out come the chords, the melody, the harmony, the rhythm.
In the process of creating the 'Celestial Nectar' album, I met with many layers of false ego: traumas and fears, deep-seeded shyness, not-enoughnesses. They all melted away in the face of this mission. They all dripped off like wax departing the shining wick of a lit candle in the wake of this responsibility. They all dissipated in the presence of this joy!
It was a process of no origin point and many sources: It all started when I adopted a harmonium. It all started when the first thing I did when the harmonium arrived was exuberantly dive into creating the Aquarian Sadhana Mantras. It all started when my tiny child-self knew that the only thing she wanted to do was sing. It all started when I knew I had to do it.
There are also definite sources of inspiration. The experience of the Aquarian Sadhana practice is the reason I can sing in public at all. The experience of traveling the sacred lands of Hawai’I is the reason I remembered the full power of my voice. The majestic story of Guru Nanaak’s union with God was the inspiration for the photographic artwork of the Celestial Nectar album cover. That story, which is the root of the Sikh faith and the basis of the western Kundalini Yoga practice, goes something like this:
Guru Nanak was a great spiritual teacher of the Sikh tradition in the Punjab region of India. Every morning he cleansed himself in the cold water of the river and then meditated. One day he submerged in the water and disappeared. He was missing for three days. His community searched up and down the river for his body, but they found nothing. On the third day, he emerged from the water and spoke:
Ek Ongkar Sat Nam Karta Purkh Nirbho Nirvair Akaal Murat Ahjoonee Saibhang Gurprasad Jap! Aad Sach, Jugad Sach. Nanak hosee bee sach!
God and I are One. True Vibration. Creative Being Personified. No Fear, No Hatred. Image of the Great Deathless Undying. Beyond Birth, Self Existent.
These are the words that the world now knows as the Mul Mantra. It is the root and foundation of the Sikh faith and revered by many who practice Kundalini Yoga.
In my personal spiritual path, I have received generous understandings about human existence, about our potential and our mission through the evolution each of our incarnations. Most of the knowledge I have received tells me that all of the true spiritual teachers who have come before us are telling us that we are here to ascend.
They are saying in so many different ways that we take embodiment to remember that we are separate from nothing and unified with everything. And so, to create an image that pays homage to the potential within all of us to remember our unity with The Divine I set the call and the desire into motion. I called a dear friend and talented artist who I knew could tap into this vibration.
Jacqueline Soir’s artworks are inspired by textures, forms or de-forms, muted colors, water and the magic of reflection. For this project, she was excited to feel into the merging of the bodily form and a body of water. While the concepts and inspiration of water, light and form were beautiful muses in the creation process, Ms. Soir also felt apprehension for the variable of the wild, natural elements. She questioned, as she does in so many projects, “Will I receive a vision for this . . .?” And of course, the vision arrived in the mist and the humble-ness of her seeking.
Jacqueline’s own artistic journey has been one of constant learning. In her words:
Photography is a science. It is technologically based, so that part needs to be learned and then all the intuitive, creative, experimental factors just come naturally to me. So I have been sharpening all those skills for the last 9 years and still continue to. Things like how to see light, how to recreate light, how to sharpen a moving subject... how to blur in the "right" place, what colors do I like best, how to use cheap equipment and make it look like great quality... all sorts of things.
I also have developed (pun intended) a lot of my being-ness through the years as well: Figuring out how my mind works, how my body reacts to different things, basically how to control my anxiety. I have learned how to find the light, how to stay open, how to focus, etc. All by the simplicity of learning how to breathe and flow.
Her other works can be viewed on her website www.jacquelinesoir.com or through her Instagram accounts @studiosoir or @jacquelinesoir
The Celestial Nectar album can be downloaded via iTunes or Amazon Music, or you can stream the album via any of your favorite music applications. Just look for Sat Sukh! For updates on live performances, please see the LIVE page on my website, follow my Instagram account @sat.sukh or subscribe to the newsletter for updates.