Allowing the Unknown

Over the summer I gifted myself a week of time to paint. I have been learning Byzantine iconography and was going to paint my second icon. This artist’s retreat was in Sacramento at a Greek Orthodox church, which was an inspiring atmosphere. I had set the intention to curb the active urge of my mind to appropriate my creativity and to allow the unknown, as much as possible, to yield my creation. This turned out to be a tall intention.

Our group of artists recited the Iconographer’s Prayer every morning before painting. I could sense the vibration of the room shifting as everyone prayed for the blessings of the Holy Spirit, the Angels and the Saints. I would also pray for the openness to receive the image and to be a doorway for the unknown.

I soon realized that my mind was trying to command the unknown to come forward and this made me laugh. Then over the course of my time there I started noticing all the ways my kindly accommodating mind was trying to ‘assist’ me while actually preventing everything that would not involve its participation. In my heart I could tell this was happening by the slightly hurried and charged manner with which it would feign something inimitable. My mind’s methodical interference began to tire me out.

Listen to "The Unknown Is Our Doorway", a free tele-service featuring Alexandra Velickovic, Monk Ryan Rigoli, and Monk Thomas Hildebrand here.

Blog originally published here: https://celebratinglifeministries.com/2023/10/06/allowing-the-unknown/