I mentioned in a previous post Seth Godin’s Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? I first came across this book in a webinar hosted by Suzi Dafnis where she interviewed Seth.  He’s such a fascinating person with a refreshing point of view. What he had to say resonates with a fundamental premise in the book I’m writing but he’s coming from a different angle.  The thing I love about Seth Godin is that he’s always 10 steps ahead of everyone else.  His idea of making yourself an indispensable linchpin no matter what you do is the perfect solution to the dilemma many of us find ourselves in today. His book centres around this idea and encourages you to innovate your own life, find and create a niche for yourself and get so darn good at it that nobody can ever fire you again and you can pick and choose what you do.

For example, no one else paints quite like I do.

Nature's Silence ©2004 Kadira Jennings

Where I differ from Seth’s point of view is that he says to pick a thing – kind of any thing and just go for that.  However it is my unswerving belief that we all have within us a Creative Genius, and that is the thing we need to uncover and put to work because it is totally unique to us.  This is what will truly differentiate us.  If you would like to know more about your Creative Genius take a look at my page on InnerPrinting.

I suggest that our GREATEST SOURCE OF ABUNDANCE is to be found in our ability to tap into this Creative Genius.  This gives us the ability to create and innovate.  There is no innovation without creativity.  Therefore we owe it to ourselves to learn to tap into and nurture this creative source.

This is the last post in my current series looking at art and beauty.  Alluding to the last post and my experience with La Pieta, perhaps the real beauty in an art work is always contained  within the work on a subtle level and then experienced and held within the heart of the perceiver.  And this is why they say – ‘ a picture is worth a thousand words’ because it speaks to us in a language that is beyond words no matter how hard we might try to use them to describe it……  plainly experienced here by my fumbling attempts to convey the magnificience of La Pieta.

So is true beauty in art then, the embodiement of a sublime experience that uplifts our souls to joy?

And now I would like to leave you with some questions to ponder on the nature of Art and Beauty.

• do you look for beauty in anothers work and if you do what is it that gives you the experience of beauty?
• define what beauty means for you;  is it a connection that up lifts your heart, perfection in form, design or function, man made things or nature – the list is endless – What is it for you?

Landscape Tryptch ©2002 Kadira Jennings

Is it always about beauty that draws you to a creative work?  Or is it that they have to have meaning for you at some level.  An interesting thing to consider is what attracts you to some art works and what repels you in others.  This perhaps gives you also a clue to something about yourself.  When you resonate strongly with a particular work – what gift inherent with in the work have you received?

I’d like to share with you an artwork that I connected with so deeply it moved me to tears.  The scene was at the Vatican  home to many of the worlds greatest art works. I was in the Basilica, gazing in awe at the massive scale of Bernini’s bronze altar canopy and the huge frieze of the stations of the cross lining the walls.

This travel blog photo’s source is TravelPod page: Bernini’s ginormous bronze altar canopy, Vatican City, Italy

Then noticing a  rather large crowd, I pushed my way to the front to see what everyone was gawping at.  Well,  I was  absolutely blindsided by a work of such beauty and presence, I was literally rooted to the spot, tears coursing down my cheeks and utterly overwhelmed.

Words or pictures just cannot describe the power of Michelangelo’s  Pieta.  It was not about the religious content it was the power of the emotion that emanated from the ‘living’ marble of this sculpture.  The awesome experience of someone reaching across the centuries and impacting my life on such a heart felt level.  I had seen pictures of this work many times before of course but the experience of it was utterly amazing to me.  This work of art is filled with beauty on so many levels.  A gift from one soul to another that transcends all boundaries  – this is what truly great art can achieve.

La Pieta Michelangelo