If eyes are the windows to the soul, then masquerade masks frame these portals. Eyes transform into mystical moorings when we see them peering through a mask. We might find this inexplicable desire to venture inside the mind of the masked person.
A creative person opens the portals to his or her soul through the process of sharing artwork, writing, or music etc. If we accept the invitation, we push off from the dock and embark on a journey into mystical realms. We may even wonder: What was he or she thinking when she made this piece of artwork?
Artist Elya Filler
Yet the greater adventure the artistic person presents to us is to face our own dark muse that drives us to create. If we journey into our soul, we confront the pleasure and pain resident there; we wrestle with our need for unconditional love that motivates us to create in order to mask our lack.
A visual of this journey into the soul can be visualized in the Phantom of the Opera scene where the Phantom takes Christine to his underground cavern. Christine’s anxiety grows as he rows the boat through the mist to his underground hide away.
Once there, she confronts the truth about her muse, an impostor poses as her deceased father. She sees the Phantom’s tortured soul fleshed out in material forms. The mirror symbolizes his vanity, only possible when a mask hides his gnarled face. The closet, flush with his desire for unconditional love; A mannequin replica of Christine clothed in a wedding dress hides inside. The bed, his tortured, unmet passion drives him to control another.
It is there in this soul chamber that Christine realizes she must take ownership of her artistry. She can break free from her dark muse; she doesn’t need him in order to pursue her gift of song. She rises up inside and does the unthinkable. She tears off his mask and exposes his shame. She repudiates his confession of love that masks his control. She agitates his compulsion to overpower her. In the end, she escapes from his inner madness, and in doing so, severs from her muse, the dark angel who released her gift of song.
When we journey into our soul and confront our dark muse, we see those areas of injury that drove us to overcompensate and create. Perhaps, like Christine, we long for an absentee father. Maybe we relate with the Phantom, a social outcast driven to find purpose and acceptance through our art, writing, or music. Whatever dark muse drives us, self-reflection will reveal its form.
The soul is a fascinating realm. If you imagine it as a hideaway, you can expect a mix of magical playrooms and skeleton-filled closets. As artistic people, we frame our souls’ windows with various art forms and then invite viewers to embark on a mystical journey with us to this secret place. In doing so, they discover their own dark muse as they relate with ours. The intrigue? Like the mind behind the mask, you never know what you will find.
Such a powerful post… it is within these depths that true creativity lies waiting to be shared with the world.
Reflections. Your comment got me thinking, “…it is within these depths that true creativity lies waiting to be shared with the world.” What an insightful statement. It sure takes courage to venture into those depths and release creativity so it can reach the world.
I loved Phantom, and I have to say I felt for him, too. Maybe it was the writer in me seeing my own insecurities in him. You are correct though. As artists, we need to take control of our abilities. I think we sometimes hide behind our muse, blaming him/her for our bad days or good days, but really, it is all under our control.
Kelly, I so agree with you. I also felt sorry for him. In fact, I related with him on so many levels. You know those dark times of soul when passion gets all mixed up inside of you. I think this is why my daughter and I have returned to see the play multiple times. We enjoy the messages. Being a creative person is such a mix of darkness and light. Often the lines blur. We think the play reveals this tension well. Thanks for leaving your thoughts.
Beautiful writing and pictures. I think I finally see why you like masks and the ones on your posts are always so creative.
A lovely post as always. Your artwork inspires me.
Patricia recently posted..Uncanny Crows
I love your masks. I’m not sure I’m exactly a creative person. I may have a writing muse at times, but I don’t think I feel creative in the way you describe. Probably a good thing for me. I’m out of time as it is.
Eve, I do have a thing for masks. Check out this post on my personal blog. It explains why as well. Thanks for the complement. Sorry for the long link http://jodeeluna.wordpress.com/2010/01/07/in-search-of-my-blogging-identity-self-disclosure/
Thank you for the kind complement Patricia. My daughter, Elya, paints many of the masks with acrylics, and I do the ones with mixed media as well as arrange the florals and feathers.
Christine, I think you are very creative as expressed by your unique blog and book. I do agree with you about the lack of time issue. I’ve been drooling over my half done art projects and keep saying to myself, “Maybe this weekend.”
The Mrs. has seen Phantom a dozen times, and I never understood what the big deal was until I listened to the feelings, memories, and life questions that it evokes.
I certainly need all the education that I can get. Thanks for contributing to that effort JoDee.
slamdunk recently posted..American Picker
Slamdunk, you are a good man. I took my husband once and he grimaced through the entire play. “I just don’t get why you like this so much.” He said. I think I would really like your Mrs.