Myth and Mysticism in Art

Reflection #82: How digging into our deepest personal myths connects us to everyone through our Art

A few months ago, I received a comment on one my posts that shook me a little.

In part, the commenter wrote the following:

"All this mythical crap is just to sell books."

And, "I don’t believe in ghosts, aliens, sprits gods and mysticism. It is a waste of time."

Setting aside the fact that I've never sold a book (though, I admit, I wish to someday), after letting this comment marinate in my mind, I must say that I disagree with it. Myth and mysticism, whether one believes in the unseen world literally or not, are useful concepts, and even necessary elements, in creating art.

In fact, True Art is myth and mysticism, as Art is something that wells forth from the ineffable source within. And myth and mysticism, along with their associated symbology, represent our valiant attempts to express the inexpressible deep mystery inside.

When I think about great artworks of the ages such as Michalangelo's David, Homer’s Odyssey, The Lord of the Rings, The Creation of Adam, Starry Night, Harry Potter (yes I'm including it) – the Art that resonates deeply with people – it is myth.

Art is Myth and Myth is Art.

Myth represents the truth of what is inside of us as humans and sharing deeply personal truth is what resonates with others.

Annicha by Christopher Remmers, 90 x 65, Oil on Linen. Courtesy Christopher Remmers — Learn More

Did you know that different and disparate cultures often have extremely similar Myths, even if they had no contact with one another?

The Christian west is not the only culture to have a story of the first man and woman in a garden with a serpent tempting the woman to eat the fruit off a forbidden tree. Christianity is not even the only religion to worship a god that willingly sacrificed himself by hanging on a cross. Consider the Scandinavian and Old German mythological god Odin, also known as Wotan, or Woden from which we derive our word Wednesday or “Woden’s day” (And Thursday is “Thor’s Day!”). Wotan willingly sacrificed himself upon the world tree to learn its secrets, he was stabbed in the side with a spear and after nine days (a multiple of three), he rose again. Sound familiar?

Mythology and magic resonate with us because they represent universal inner truths about the obstacles we all face when undertaking our own personal inner psycho-spritual journey.

The critical comments I received and quoted above have things inverted: Myth and mysticism in art aren’t a ‘waste of time,’ they’re actually the most important things.

Great Art comes forth from the symbolic and is thus born from inner myth.

When I write, I absolutely do not calculate what will 'sell books.' In fact, when I share my deepest truths, my myths and mysticism, I am often terrified to publish it for fear that I will have to deal with a huge backlash of anger or negativity.

For those still trapped in the chains of modern materialism or rigid religious dogma some of my topics probably feel controversial. But I’m learning to consider my fear of publishing as a sign that I’ve created something good. Importantly, ‘good’ does not mean ‘saleable.’

“Great art divides the audience” – Rick Rubin

If I were to engage in ‘crap just to sell books.’ That is, if I were to write books for the market, with the goal of simply maximizing sales, I would write some obvious advice-peddling ‘self-help’ book like Atomic Habits.

I'd try to write something that appealed to people who buy their books at the airport. And my articles would be listicles full of platitudes that sound nice and that are imminently shareable on social media. They certainly would not require people to face any terrifying truths. The market for comforting lies is far larger than the market for truth. But I can't write like that.

A (real) writer shines a flashlight into the dark corners that terrify most people, and honestly, artists who work in other mediums should also shine their light of truth into dark, forgotten nooks and crannies from time to time. Just beware that those who shine the light into terrifying corners must sometimes soldier on without much thanks or acclaim.

“Light came into the world, and man loved darkness rather than the Light” – John 3:19

I'm more likely, given my love of mythology, to write, instead of something like Atomic Habits, a book called Atomic Hobbits. Now, that’s a story with potential.

Just think about it: The power of the one ring versus little tiny hobbit nukes. And if the hobbits nuke Mordor, killing innocent people in the process, then who was truly the bigger evil in middle earth? Isn't that far more interesting?

Mysticism is where one ends up when he understands that these myths and spiritual stories that we have externalized into “beings” are really just symbols for the spiritual struggle and reality that goes on inside each of us internally.

"The kingdom of heaven is within you." – Luke 17:21

And that’s where we find myth and mysticism — within ourselves. It’s where we find The Mystery. It’s where we find creativity. It’s where we find the portal to the Kingdom. It’s where we find Truth. And ultimately, it where we find the truth of our Self.

And Art is about sharing truth; the human truth of our inner struggle. Art is soul-to-soul communication. By sharing the truest myths that you find inside your soul, you tap into the power to truly connect more universally with everyone.

So, yes, I fully admit, the way I make Art is tied up with myth and mysticism and, not only will I not change that, I plan to go deeper, delving even further down into the mines of Moria for the mithril contained in the deep veins of my psyche where man and God commune.

I may awaken a balrog or two, but that is the price one must pay to reach the actual rarest treasure one can dig up – the truth of who they really are. I am searching evermore to discover my deepest and truest name; searching for the name the force known as God has prepared for me that I wish not to take in vain.

So, in this space, please expect Myth and Mysticism full speed ahead – sales or no sales; for a world without the Myth of Narnia, is a world where a wardrobe is always just a piece of dead wood full old clothes, and that is not the world in which I wish to reside. Especially when the alternative is entering the inner portal, where I’m free to walk through a magical wardrobe into the snow and have tea with Mr. Tumnus before receiving spiritual guidance from Aslan.

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” – Albert Einstein

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Gandolf and Balrog, Digital Painting by Xavier Collette. Courtesy Xavier Collette — Learn More

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Referenced Posts:

The Mystery
I’m not sure who you are channeling but it is true and I’m being enriched by your work. You are a wise soul and I appreciate you. — Ed Penniman

What is Art?
…this is one of the ones I chose to print out and put in a binder. I will be printing out some of your others to read, cherish, highlight and study. Your Substack is one that I return to time and time again, always in awe. I am elated for your upcoming book. — Harley Claes

Resonance
Your words have inspired me today. For a while I’ve known that being an artist means being true to myself and my art. It’s one thing to get that idea and quite another thing to put it into practice. Thanks for the encouragement! — Susan Thompson

The Courage to Find Your Self
This morning I found the topic interesting as I am at a major crossroad in my life. Starting over at 72 after my 21 year marriage ended due to a cheating spouse. It destroyed everything I thought I knew about myself and my life. It rocked me to my core and I have not painted since discovering the betrayal nearly a year ago. The divorce is final. The house has finally sold and I am now free to embark on a new life alone. Your words have encouraged me in that I know all this was part of the Lord’s plan and He is wanting so much more for me…. — Linda F Windland

I Never Even Called Me by my Name
Thank you for this! This resonates so much. I heard God call me a surfer once. I didn't understand but over time, I see it's who I am - I love catching and riding spiritual waves. — Eugene Terekhin

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No AI Zone: Everything written in this post (and all my posts) is written 100% by me, Clint “Clintavo” Watson, a flesh and blood human seeking to grow my soul and come home my truest self; for that is the essence of creativity. I do not use AI to assist me with writing — that would deny me the very growth of my world through writing that I seek.

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Poetic expression, spiritual ideas, and musings upon beauty, truth and goodness should be free to spread far and wide. Hence, I have not paywalled the work on this site. However, if you’re able to become a paid subscriber, I’d be eternally grateful. It would help, encourage and enable me to continue exploring these topics and allow me to keep it accessible for a world that is in desperate need of beauty, truth, goodness and love. — Creatively, Clintavo.