Art in and of itself is a form of communication--an extrapolation of the thought-life of an artist that metabolizes into different forms of energy. It can live kinetically in liquid form as music or film—or as a solid compound through art forms such as photography, literature or the fine arts. Whether birthed through inspiration or facilitated by means of commercial commission, art in all its forms carries the core goal of influence. As an artist seeks to rise and evolve beyond levels of plateau over the course of their development, a question will arise in the review of their existing body of work: Where is my expression of art taking me, and where is it leading those who consume it?
The destination of the voice of every artist can be determined through the examination of the thoughts that generate their creative expression. In turn, those thoughts form a roadmap leading back to the heart and intimates the composition and the experiences that have shaped it, per the well-known proverb: As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. In parallel, the human heart is a source of malleable power and vulnerability that shapes creative thought, and in turn informs creative action.
Self-awareness is a necessary and critical quality in achieving an optimal destination for artistic expression—as illustrated through another popular proverb within scripture: Above all else guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Through the practice of self-awareness, meditation and prayer, arrhythmic thoughts within the heart that hinder impactful communication and artistic growth can be identified and addressed—and in turn, that arrhythmia can also be utilized as a tool in cultivating greater artistic depth and context of the creative voice, through the revealing and illumination of universal truths, dysfunction and self-conflict within the human experience.
The ultimate destination of the creative voice can lead an artist and their audience along unique roads of self-discovery, and towards the discovery of other cultures and human experiences, beyond individual experience. Ultimately, every artistic destination, when navigated under the illuminative power of self-awareness, leads towards the discovery of human beauty and truth.