Magical thought taught us that when man becomes predatory beast, it’s a bad thing. Werewolf. What does science seem to want to make humans? Describe humans as? They are busy working on ways to “bait” the hairless monkey, and they are having some success.

I’m sort of lingering on the notion of self-expression when it is a reaction to so many external inputs. Almost like creativity has exhaust qualities to it like this is in some ways, unhealthy, that perhaps self-expression needs to be a focused choice rather than a bestial outburst. I fully agree with that insight.

The system has beat us down well enough that the only thing we can think to do is take the bait. We have been educated to believe that the only things we might ever want are things they can provide. There is one thing they need us to avoid at all costs. Can you guess what?

In the old days, people used to buy sheet music so they could play the piano together, being entertained took over, really. Being entertained is very different from being creative. If we are creative the hairless monkey stops taking shiny baubles and begins to consider whether the lab is really where they want to be, is this not so?

We want to escape. Actually, even that statement is a product of the system, binary thinking, and because our training makes us think in terms of wanting to escape, we never do. Escapism has another name.

Creativity? No, creativity is confrontational, adaptive, and experiential.

Entertainment. Yes. Now I am not saying that we should never be entertained, that we must always be busily creative. We need to rest and should, and if we are entertained by the creativity of others, that is ok. But understand what it is you are choosing to do or not do. Art is not something to be admired and then left alone. Art isn’t for strange and out of touch people living in low rent flats. Art is life. It’s been asked, “Does art imitate life or does life imitate art?” The answer is neither, both imitate you.

I need to show my writing off then. Swap some writing for some writing. I strongly recommend sharing writing with a friend, and in fact that is how it should start, just like this, artists sharing with and supporting artists.

Wondering what is real?

Real is anything you can imagine? Real is anything you can share.

Then why is it a mental illness? The mentally ill cannot share. They have instead been shared at, burdened by. They lose even the beaten animal centre most people still have.

They are often unaware of their imagination maybe? They’re unaware of their imagination for a reason. Their imagination is taken up by every other imagination.

The guy in “A Beautiful Mind” didn’t even know his best friend was only in his mind until many years later. His story is unfortunate. Magick actually has techniques that allow for centering and control of things like he experienced. He would have been taught to confront his experience without resisting it, and given guides for staying connected to his peers, symbols and concepts that reshape hallucinations, and he would have remained capable of using his mathematical gift as well.

We are a lot more sensitive towards mental illness than we used to be. More acceptance that they too can have control and be strong. Let’s hope increasing sensitivity continues.

And live as any healthy one would. Actually, they don’t have to live “healthy”, they just have to live well, not sick.

Your thoughts are welcome. Be well friends.

Travis Saunders
Dragon Intuitive
~science,mysticism,spirituality~