Blackening the page
Leonard Cohen, when writing his bizarre second novel “Beautiful Losers” on the Greek island of Hydra, claimed his only job was to “blacken the page”. It remind me of a relatively more recent David Shrigley drawing, which (to paraphrase) said something along the lines of “My task is to fill the page, you haven’t been allocated a task yet.” Who is going to allocate us a task, but ourselves, at any given moment (or perhaps, I guess an employer or loved one, or pretty much anyone you meet, when one thinks about it)… nevertheless, I was offered the task today of writing somebody’s life story, and it may well have been interesting, but I didn’t want the person to be counting on me to complete a task I was uncertain I would finish. However, writing a blog post with no specific goal in mind has inspired me to exercise my writing muscle and get typing. Funnily enough, not having a goal in mind, meant something has come out about goal setting, leading me to something I’ve been thinking about, the art, if that’s what it is, of manifestation. This is not something I claim to know a lot about, but it makes perfect sense to me that our expectations, hopes, and unfortunately, fears, have some serious impact on how things pan out. I did read a fair chunk (ie not all of) Paul McKenna’s “Change Your Life in 15 seconds” (it’s not actually called that, but something similar with a slightly longer deadline). These claims made by guru types seem unlikely and to be taken with a poisonous helping of salt, but I felt some changes occurring, before I lost my mind and ended up in hospital, which was a change I wasn’t trying to manifest, admittedly.
By no means do I hold Mr McKenna accountable for my previous psychosis, nor would I want to suggest a link, however, as when somebody decides to get into the Dark Art of Magick, it’s a case of a degree of caution at least would be advised before plunging headfirst into the unseen. You may well be a very grounded and practical person, with no interest in New Age Spirituality, never mind bloody Magick, but when you think about the power of intention, particularly repeated as a mantra (however unwittingly) it might be possible for one to see that visualising future outcomes, good or bad, is in a sense rehearsing them. Or you may not. I don’t really care either way.
As I write, Charles Mingus plays in the background. One might choose to emulate one’s heroes, those winners in their various fields, or at a more personal level, the characters we admire for their personalities or other qualities. I watched a video today, which a friend had sent me on instagram, about the benefits of “to-be lists” over “to-do lists”. Yes there are manifold tasks and chores to be undertaken in the course of a day, and they’re not going to take care of themselves, no matter how lovely that would be (“thanks a lot, “Sorcerer’s Apprentice” of Fantasia fame” those enhanted brooms caused rather a lot of trouble, as have Roombas or whatever, in homes with dogs in, but I digress…) — even the enlightened still sweep the floor, and those of us who don’t like it, however talented/entitled (& to their opinions) they are, a degree of effort is expected in life. I am terrible for this, I get into a slump, the dishes pile up, and somewhat avoidently I create paintings, musical recordings, blog posts, and it’s a different muscle, as I said, and all well and good, but there’s something to admire in good housekeeping to fulfil a need lower down towards the foundation of the Maslow iceberg whatdyoucallit. Which is to acknowledge a place for order, amidst the creative chaos, and the intention to at the very least, tidy up after myself. So I’m going to sign off, and put the empty mug and glass in the dishwasher (another enchanted object indubitably) because, as I’m reliably informed; Rome wasn’t built in a day, but every day they built a brick… and oh yes, did I digress again? a “to-be list” is a list of qualities we may want to come to embody more fully; be it kindness, thoughtfulness, or a rugged kind of sensuality… whatever, it’s down to us to sculpt the person we want to become, and that, like any creative project, starts with an idea shining in the blue sky.
