"The Craft of Creativity" ((Inuyoko Mass #8))
Hello everyone. Thank you for coming to my Mass this sun. My name is Inuyoko T'Alveni. This is to be my first Mass as a Cleric of this faith, and I have been a part of the clergy of this Shrine since Deoch 53. Last time, I spoke about the invisible energy that we as Aislings generate when we interact and collaborate with others. That energy being the sustaining force of inspiration and creativity.
This double-moon I want to talk a bit more about creativity, not as that more nebulous energy, but as a muscle. As a craft. I once heard a story of a wise man who pondered a difficult question for suns, if not double-moons or deochs. Then one day, while soaking in a warm tub, he suddenly lept up, yelling "o-ho!" as a burst of inspiration struck him and he went to work. For those of us who consider ourselves creative, it can often feel like we are at the mercy of the flame of Deoch to mercifully warm us when we are frozen by indecision and writer's block. Many folks have talked about finding their ideas in their dreams, unable to create until the spark is happened unto them.
I am here to tell you that this is not a necessity. In fact, it is the opposite. Who are we, after all?
Aislings!
Dreamers!
For all we know, our very world is a dream, so we may always have access to those fonts of inspiration.
There is precedent for this. Think about the stories of Deoch and Danaan. The spark was originally her pursuit, which is of course why we are the tuatha de Danaan. It's difficult to say what her original inspiration was, but we know that her work was unfinished when Deoch took it on. As beings of such different essence, it was surely not a simply task to follow through with her design. It must have taken time, and focus, and ingenuity for him to finish. And study. We can change and grow, but it doesn't happen all at once.
When we look upon the works of art displayed at the college and in the library, we see a thing of beauty and marvel at the artistry. But underneath it we don't see the hours of painting which preceded it. The study of the line work, anatomy, and landscape. That work is where the spark of inspiration lies. An artist rarely starts from a blank slate and waits for things to be channeled from elsewhere. It comes from within, from the amalgamation of our experiences and practice. The more we dedicate ourselves to these crafts, the easier it will be to draw inspiration from the gift of our sparks instead of from the aether.
And of course none of this is to say there isn't inspiration to be found anywhere outside of us. I have been inspired myself recently by the ventures of young Aislings who travel around Temuair with fresh eyes. Their perspective on a world I have grown accustomed to helps me reorient myself to feel rapture once again at things that have become drab.
But we have to keep that muscle strong. For writing, for drawing, for performing. Even for kindness and solidarity. We are not the ones who sit and wait for change, we are the ones who make it. We claim it as it is our gift.
In Deoch's name, Mass is cast.
As a matter of closing remarks, I would like to give a special thanks to our Minister, Landon. I was inspired by his work, "The Dreamers," which I read recently. His thoughts on dreams, as well as what the process of completing the Spark must have been like for Deoch were taken to heart and were on my mind as I wrote these words. He is a wonderful Aisling and mentor, and an inspiration to me. Thank you, Landon.
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