Living just a few miles from an active volcano was a powerful experience. Every evening we sat on our roof top deck watching radiant orange lava flow in a steady stream down the side of Volcan Fuego.
PRACTICE
Most artists are hyper sensitive and mental health is a daily effort. But here's the thing – Mindfulness while working is equal to mindfulness while living a mundane life. It's all the same level of effort.
While Guatemala was burning literally, I was burning away delusions figuratively, in my mind, by sitting in countless hours of meditation for a week. These silent retreats, called Sesshin, are intense experiences that truly cannot be explained.
This practice comes first. The art comes second. I cannot fully commit to making art unless I am fully committed to meditation, mindfulness. It is no news that to live is to create. We are constantly creating new life, right down to our cellular structure.
