EMOTIONS IN THE CREATIVE PROCESS

Emotions or commotions?

Uneducated emotions are the source of deteriorating relationships and success.  We tend to overextend them or to bury them.  These polarities not only cause tension in our nervous system, but also create a feeling of exhaustion. The unrealistic management of our emotions, as well as the lack of knowledge about them, is one of the biggest impediments in the development of equanimity and self-centeredness. It gives us a false sense of self based on reactions, dramas and destructive commotions.

Rasas or the essence of emotions

The essential aspect, or energy, that defines a set of emotions and moods that belong to the same “family” is called Rasas in Sanskrit. Rasas are very specific and defined energies that affect the mind and the body.

The nine Rasas

We as humans can be slaves of the oscillation of these energies. We need to study them and form steady behaviors in order to increase our happiness and constructive expression. There are 9 rasas with subdivisions or related aspects--each Rasa has a corresponding practice to be matured and/or enhanced.

Rasa	Related aspect
Love (shringara)	Beauty, devotion
Joy (hasya)	Humor, sarcasm
Wonder (adbhuta)	Curiosity, mystery
Peace (shanta)	Calmness, relaxation
Anger (raudra)	Irritation, stress
Courage (veera)	Pride, confidence
Sadness (karuna)	Compassion, pity
Fear (bhayanaka)	Anxiety, worry
Disgust (vibhatsa)	Depression, self-pity

Emotions in art

The creation of art with certain Rasas can be healing and educational, however the manifestation of pure art in order to be healing and inspiring needs the maturation of the artist’s inner Rasas. The art that is able to communicate the subtlety, and the non-verbal aspects of a group of “friendly” Rasas (love, joy and peace) has a powerful, transformative and permanent impact on the subconscious of the spectators.

The creation of art with less desirable Rasas should not be neglected. Expressing them only can enhance the power of the opposite. The group of emotions is not there for us to be selective about them. We don’t want to create a division of our likes and dislikes, but to embrace all palettes of the divine expression and to chose an unattached attitude about them. After all, we have passed through them in one way or another. What remains important then is to regain a discipline that enhances, supports and matures these inner tendencies.

Shringara Rasa

Shringara is the Rasa of love, art, beauty and spiritual devotion. It is the royal of all rasas, the very purpose of creation and the universe. It refers to the enjoyment of the company of the opposite sex, in a very lovely and romantic manner. This Rasa is also the mood on which we concentrate when creating a lovely atmosphere, on family and friends, on good manners, art, culture, decoration, dressing attractively, behaving nicely, on beauty and enjoyment. Shringara literally means “good taste”.

Cultivating Love (Shringara Rasa)

To master beauty, to be beautiful and to manifest it all around you, you need to put the beloved in every thing you see. The expression of love is simple and the mind has a hard time assimilating this basic concept. De-cluttering complications in all aspects of life gives the opportunity for love to be. Neatness, attention and harmony are part of this sadhana (daily practice).

Love is diverse.  This is another concept that the mind twists into possession or obsession. The diversity of food, friends, company, and culture bring expansiveness to your heart. Taste and touch are natural ingredients of this Rasa; all we need is to approach it with moderation.  The cultivation of love will allow admiration, aesthetic, sentiment and devotion to emerge. By mastering these four sub-rasas you achieve the power of attainment or Prapti,

The art of being the love and the beloved

This is the ultimate art… to make you a vehicle of the beloved and to express that inherent divinity through your grace, speech and behavior. Without being moody you represent yourself with respectability and a sense of worth. To be devoted to any expression of this Rasa gives you accessibility to your spirit, to peace and to the diversity of wonders that the universe offers you. You will never be bored, complaining or disempowered. You will be the art piece and the creator, and in that union, an atomic explosion of truth and enlightenment will remain as a witness of a simple smile.