Gaudí Did It!

by Pamelgrace Beatty

Yep, he did.  He inspired me.  You see, I met him in Spain, Barcelona to be exact. I was amazed at his creativity, and sheer audacity, daring and courage to create in his own unique style!  If you are like me, you may have heard the name, but don’t know much about him. His full name is Antoni Gaudí i Cornet, and he lived from 1882 to1926.  That’s where the “guts” come in.  His architectural designs were way ahead of the times, and I would still consider them out-of-the-box even now!

Gaudí is said to be the leader of Catalan Modernism. He was, however, in a class of his own. He was a well-educated and experienced architect. He apprenticed under good architects doing what was needed.  When he finally decided to express his own ideas in new works, that’s when the most amazing buildings, and more, were designed. What I found most impressive is that he was doing his designs in the early 1900s, and he was sought after by the rich.  The work he did then, would still be very outré, or unique, in this day and age!

Inspiration

So, you know I’m an artist, right?  I love painting and experimenting with where I go with my art. It is what keeps me engaged.  It’s about the process or journey, not just the outcome of the painting, although it is important that I actually like my final product. What gets me out of the bed in the morning, and heading straight for the canvas, is when I have some new idea about what to do next. I’m jazzed beyond belief. I can’t wait to get my hands on my brushes and paints and have at it! I look at the work done by other artists continually to get re-inspired when my passion or ideas are slowing down.  Something about seeing the results of creativity stirs up the creativity in me. 

Modern art is my favorite style. I find it fascinating.  I wonder, “What is the artist trying to say?” I believe all art is projection work.  That means that whatever the viewer sees in the work is exactly that, what they see.  I have been surprised, however, to have viewers actually “see” what I saw or felt when I did a painting. I thought that was a secret. Mainly, these were abstracts and I thought no one would know what was going on in my head when I painted the picture, but some actually got it. As a result, I have been a wee bit more thoughtful with what I express on canvas.  In looking at Gaudí’s work in Barcelona, there was no way anyone could see his work and not feel the passion that went into it. He was so far ahead of his time that I am surprised his work was even accepted.

While on vacation in Barcelona, I saw the Sagrada Familia, a cathedral that is still being worked on.  Gaudí was the primary designer, but other architects have moved the work forward and it is still awe-inspiring and unique.  I also visited the Casa Mila.  The story behind it is that the richest woman in Barcelona wanted a house in the middle of the city that made her feel as if she was living on the beach. Gaudí did it.  And there were so many more. What also struck me about his work is that it was more than pure inspiration.  He had studied architecture.  He used mathematical equations and numerical themes that repeated in his work.  He went from the scientific/mathematical to the creative space, joining both right-brain and left-brain faculties.  How’s that for being an artist?

10% of our Brain

When I was a teenager, I read an article where the writer said we only use about 10% of our brain. I was intrigued. I wondered “What is the rest of the brain doing? And “How can I tap into it?”  I felt I was being cheated in some way and I believed that I could do more, be more, think more, create more; and that being able to tap into the part of my brain I wasn’t using would make that so.  I really wanted access to that part. 

In college, some students were doing LSD at the time.  They loved the experience they described as opening up their minds.  I didn’t have the nerve to do drugs, so I wondered, “Is there another way?”  I have since discovered there are ways to tap into that unknown land realm in our heads.  Meditating is a door.  Journaling is a door. Just being open to new and different experiences is a door.   Yes, some various drugs do open our minds to parts we have never explored.  Some of these drugs are even legal.  I don’t recommend that path, but that does show there is some truth to the idea that there is more in our heads than we are aware of.

In another article I read recently, the writer asked, “On a scale of 1 – 10, with 10 being amazing, how would you rate your happiness with your life?”   Then he said, “So, if you are saying it’s a 7, what if it’s really a 2 and you don’t know what a 7 could actually be for you?”  Well, that started me thinking.  What if we are settling for mediocrity because that’s all we know?  My coaching work has shown me that often people limit themselves with their own thinking. What if we are capable of far more than we allow ourselves to be?  Think about it.  When have you been most successful?  Was it when you thought small, allowed others to dictate how you should be or how you should live your life?  When were you flying with joy and commitment and achievement? Yes, others may have encouraged you, given you advice and you may have even taken it, but was there an element of creative intelligence within you playing a part?

Still Searching

I am still seeking those doors to the rest of my brain.  I am, at this point, even more sure that we have extensive power, intelligence, and creativity accessible to us.   I know that being open to this possibility provides an entrance into what was formally the unknown.  It involves risk taking. It requires faith. It calls for enthusiasm and the willingness to be like a little child and see the wonders all around us. We can do this.  Your passion for something may be someone else’s long-awaited solution to a problem.  Your curiosity in what makes something heal may lead to a discovery or cure.  Your love for music may enhance the lives of those who hear you play.  You wanting a better life for young children may lead to an organization that feeds poor children, protects vulnerable children and inspires underprivileged children to achieve more.  Who knows where your passion for creating can lead you?   Hopefully, it’s a good place, and if so, may you follow that passion with joy.