Practice 3: Buddha, Waves, and Feet (Video & File)

Today, I finished an audiobook called Modern Man in Search of a Soul by Carl Jung, in which he expresses his thoughts on the spiritual void many of us experience. This absence of meaning leads to existential issues that, in the past, were addressed through religious practices or shared belief systems. Jung argues that even as these structures fade, the need for moral reconciliation remains deeply embedded in us, rooted in psychological foundations that persist beyond conscious awareness.

What does this have to do with art? Well, there’s a chapter in which Jung explores the artist’s role in society and how, at its highest expression, the act of creation transcends the artist’s individual identity. In this state, the artist connects with something deeper—the collective unconscious. This collective unconscious represents a layer of inherited psychological structures and archetypes, a kind of genetic wisdom accumulated over generations. It predates personal experience and serves as a reservoir of symbols, instincts, and narratives that have helped humans navigate reality long before conscious reasoning developed.

The artist who taps into this deeper realm becomes less of an individual creator and more of a messenger, bringing forth ideas that emerge from the unconscious at precisely the moment they are most needed. These ideas function as correctives to imbalances in culture or society—expressing what remains unspoken, what resists rational articulation. In this sense, great art is not just the work of an artist, but a manifestation of an era itself, difficult to define intellectually yet deeply resonant in ways beyond explanation.

I feel I’m butchering Jung’s words here, and I fear misrepresenting him, which might lead to rejection from the reader. Please, consider me an ignorant student of these ideas.

My point in all of this is that I’ve placed a lot of emphasis on technical and structured descriptions—explaining execution approaches so you can follow my artistic process. But I haven’t shared enough about the more mysterious aspects of it, partly because I don’t even know how to describe them. And even if I could, I’m not sure they would be applicable to your own process. Yet, I find myself drawn to these matters, searching for something beyond intellect—perhaps a deeper connection we all share. For what purpose? I’m not sure. But I think I have a sense.

Process: https://youtu.be/MCCbwkBHlHA