Life Energy in Art: Six Articles on Art and Healing
Here are six of the many papers on different aspects of art for healing written by Dr. Diamond.
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1. PAINTING & INTERNAL SINGING
I am often asked whether music plays a part in my painting. Well, I never listen to any at that time because I want to respond to, be moved by, what is inside me, not what is outside.
However, I often find myself singing inside while painting.
2. HEALING THROUGH ART
I am only interested in Healing. I’m primarily a healer—not an artist. And whatever I do—all of my creativity in many areas—is always with Healing as the Only Intention.
Just what do I mean by Healing? It’s not the curing of a disease, per se, but the alleviation of the dis-ease in the soul, the deep anguish from which we all suffer throughout our lives, whether we are conscious of it or not.
3. EMBRACING LIFE & THE PURPOSE OF ART
The test of every act of creativity—Does it help you to enthusiastically, passionately, wholeheartedly and gratefully Embrace all your life? This I believe, is the basic Purpose of all the arts—and thus should be the basic Intention of every artist.
The word embrace is derived from the Greek brakhion, meaning the upper arm, hence brachial and brassiere.
4. MY FIRST PAINTING EXPERIENCE
I’ve only ever had one previous painting experience. And that was fifty years ago.
I prepared a large board with a neutral light brown color and then dug up some worms from the garden. These I dipped in various paints I’d got from the art therapy department.
5. THE FRAME
I am not aware of any other artist (if I may call myself one) who imagines, envisions, the frame even before he starts to paint. And yet the frame is an essential part of the final presentation, is integral to the actual art.
A frame is essential for a definite reason.
6. PAINTING AND LIFE ENERGY
Many years ago after I had spoken at a university, a professor remarked to me that I had a different system of aesthetic criticism. Yes, I suppose it is different to most—at least to modern critics.
For I believe that the purpose of all artistic endeavors—and for that matter, every activity—should be to enhance Life Energy: to encourage the Embracing of Life—enthusiastically, passionately, wholeheartedly and gratefully.
