The Cleverest Trick

Rumi Says:



"No better love than love without object,

no more satisfying work than work with no purpose.

If you could give up tricks and cleverness,

that would be the cleverest trick!"


If you can, be sure to see the Berkeley Art Museum's latest show "Create".  It features incredible art work, unselfconscious, true, beautiful, touching, and all done by people with various kinds of disabilities.  They have truly given up "tricks and cleverness" and become amazing artists and observers of life.  Compared to the work of  many "real artists" these folks have a freshness and energy about their work that illustrates Rumi's point beautifully.  Go and see, and you'll feel what I mean.

Art and Freedom

Talking to my son the other day, I related to him a time when many felt there was a clear distinction between work and art.  Graphic Art, or commercial art as they called it in my day, was not valued.  Fine Art was what real artists did. 

More and more I've come to think those distinctions are really meaningless.  Whatever you do with a whole heart is meaningful.  When you enjoy what you do, you are creating what I think of as art.  I define art as that activity that engages you fully, that makes you feel great when you do it, and, as a result, the result is beautiful.  As Rumi says:

"Anything you do every day can open into the deepest spiritual place, which is freedom".

Now, that's art.  The truth that sets you free.  You can find it in anything you do.  Distinctions, labels, all of that are meaningless.

Does what you do set YOU free?  If not, decide that what you do is art, and see what happens.