Transfiguration may come from passion and the expression of passion. I know it comes from the creative force.
Martha Graham and Agnes DeMille are two dancers from the twentieth century who turned dance from an exercise into an art. Agnes DeMille brought emotion and acting into choreography that before then has been designed solely to show dance technique. Agnes made it part of the story line. Like Michael, her work was inspired work.
Martha Graham brought the “interpretive” part to ‘interpretive dance,” her passion being movement and the body as a vehicle for expression. Of dance as art, Martha said: “I wanted to find a way to reveal the inner landscape – to chart a graph of the heart.” Who does that sound like?
These two women revolutionized dance. They were competitors but each held the other in high regard. Martha Graham’s style of dance could be considered harsh, angular, frightening and even disturbing. The “mother of modern dance,”
Martha Graham
Graham’s Lamentations performance in a tube of material is torturous. DeMille was the neiceof celebrated Cecil B. DeMille but she chose to not trade on the director’s fame but make her own way and name for herself. Her career was stopped in mid stride by a cerebral hemmorhage (stroke) and she was despairing of her life when Martha Graham wrote her a letter that challenged and changed her. Great work followed as she emerged from her despair.
These women were artists who were true to themselves despite critics and both embodied the drive and slavery that true creativity brings. Martha’s advice as a creative artist is the best I have ever found. She absolutely understood the creative force. It is true of another artist and dancer of the twentieth century who stayed true to himself and his art:
“There is a vitality,
a life force,
a quickening
that is translated through you into action,
and because there is only one of you in all time,
this expression is unique.
And If you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and be lost.
The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine
how good it is
nor how valuable it is
nor how it compares with other expressions.
It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly
to keep the channel open.
You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work.
You have to keep open and aware directly to the urges that motivate YOU.
Keep the channel open…
No artist is pleased…
There is no satisfaction whatever at anytime
There is only a queer, divine dissatisfaction
a blessed unrest that keeps us marching
and makes “us” MORE alive than the others.
Martha Graham ( – a letter to Agnes De Mille-)
Here is another way to describe that creativity:
Deepak Chopra talks about the transfiguration of a butterfly:
8 Comments
Hurrah for such creative force! What a divine gift to possess and those people who do have these gifts in large doses, do the right thing by expressing it and letting it pour out no matter what.
MJ was a great custodian of his outstanding artistic gifts because he never let anything come between him and the expression of those gifts,
no matter how onerous the obstacles.
Wish I also possessed such large talent – what magic it might feel like, me thinks!
Hello E, Oh yes, talent is magic and magical. And when something comes from that creative space, or from the creator, it has power beyond the sum of its parts. The truly talented are slaves to their gift. Michael was particularly attuned to/as creative channel. We don’t know that you don’t possess a huge talent, E. Have you tapped into where yours lies in reserve? Have you explored your life mission? Do you know what you came here to do? i wouldn’t close the door on possibility quite so fast, E. Instead, invite it in and keep your heart open. ~Rev B
Thank you for the encouragement, Rev B 🙂 I will look within.
Hello Barbara !
Wow, you’re up and ‘going’ again … at least here at Innermichael you are ! Good to see you here and thank you for this ‘inspirational’ post !
The words of Martha Graham remind me of Michael’s poem “Dancing the Dream” and “Dance of Life”, both of them reflect imo the same.
Deepak’s quantum leap of the butterfly : imagination, intention and human love ! Connecting with other people in the same transformation = social transformation and together bundle our ‘forces’ for a better world !
I LOVE IT !
Btw, gosh, was that Olivia Newton John ? Haven’t seen her since ‘Let’s get physical’ and ‘Grease’, haha. But that’s probably because I live in Europe …
Thanks Barbara and keep up the spirit, it seems that your healing is going the right way !
But let me send you some extra healing blessings to you, wooosh, wooosh ! Did you feel it ?
With the L.O.V.E.
Erika
Hi E, Not necessarily. I prepared some things ahead of time and this was one of those things that I wanted to share. IM family is important to me. Oh- so that is what that whoosh whoosh was! I was wondering! I FEEL IT! ~B
Butterflies exemplify the incredible creative force that is made manifest when the organism is ready to “make that change”. Thank you Barbara for this lovely piece. Thinking of you and sending healing thoughts and prayers your way.
Victoria
Hello Barbara,
It’s nice to meet you. I just wanted to say that it is so heartwarming and comforting to find a website where Michael is loved and appreciated. Thank you for that, and don’t ever stop opening our eyes to who Michael really was… and is. I think his love will always be present with us here in this world, and just maybe he can feel our love, as we can feel his.
Hope you are feeling much better by now. God bless and keep you in His tender care.
Ditto T. Welcome. Inner MIchael is a research project. There are plenty of fan sites where you can adore Michael if that’s your interest; this site is not that. I am fascinated by the genius of this man who goes far too unrecognized as the most significant artist of the twentieth century, and how cleverly he constructed his own mystique for the purposes he held dear and close to his heart (and, it turns out, close to his chest.) I have never seen anything like this kind of intrigue. And the Michael research is the wildest ride I have ever taken. This journey has led me down paths I never would have dreamed– and spanned the spectrum: from the brightest pilgrimages to the inner self and bright shadow to some of the darkest places I have ever been. I hope you have visited the “Words and Violence” curriculum inspired by this work and the world’s two most visible humanitarians and cheerleaders– Diana and Michael. I hope you will take a look and if you like what you see. spread the word. The mission? To take on “bullying” in all its forms and to create a more humane narrative on this planet. Enjoy! http://voiceseducation.org/content/words-and-violence-second-edition The table of contents is in the left margin. The darkest hours were spent in researching the tabloid industry and it’s lethality. Those articles are in the “In Depth Articles” section. The contributors are listed in the Appendix: http://voiceseducation.org/node/2487 The case Studies were all written by fans. I am always interested in what “fresh eyes” see in the project so send your reactions. ~Rev B