Tapping into the Divine

Every artist, composer, writer, and creative leaves a piece of themselves in their work. They can’t help it. Artistry is exceptionally personal and profoundly subjective.

The quirky humorist and author, Douglas Adams, translated this concept perfectly with the following quip: Beethoven tells you what it’s like to be Beethoven and Mozart tells you what it’s like to be human. Bach tells you what it’s like to be the universe. (source)

Indeed, Ludwig van Beethoven has been remembered as a brooding, dark figure who suffered many hardships, including an abusive, alcoholic father and deafness later in life. Compositions like his fifth symphony reflect that drama, with a wide “range of tempi, rubato, and dynamics.” (source)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, likewise, suffered setbacks in life, but he remained positive with a keen sense of humor and a fun-loving personality. His music connects to human foils through farcical comedy (e.g., “Mozart’s opera The Marriage of Figaro follows a madcap day of comedic misadventures in a count’s palace”) and sheer joy (e.g., the cheerful “Jupiter” symphony full of life and “joy stacked on top of joy, five times over”). (sources)

Finally, Johann Sebastian Bach believed he played the notes, but God made the music (source):

The height of holy choral music, Bach’s “Mass in B minor, BWV 232,” is a tapestry of adoration and majesty. The Mass offers a profound spiritual experience by transcending earthly worlds with its soaring choruses and exquisite vocal solos. (source)

Similar to composers, writers have varied motivations for creating their works. Inspiration can come from internal desires to share personal stories and experiences for posterity in something like a memoire. Other driving forces can be more altruistic based in the desire to help others through fiction and non-fiction narratives (think a devotional or an encouraging journey of a character overcoming life’s challenges).

But perhaps Bach’s approach of serving the divine supports writers in the most amazing way, empowering them to tell an inspiring story of courage, accomplishment, perseverance, or steadfastness through a loftier lens. Channeling the power of the universe to create that work in progress goes far to silence doubts and surmount the obstacles all artists seem to struggle with from time to time.

Even God has left thumbprints on the world following its creation according to Genesis 1:27 (NIV): “God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” That means every human being has a strand of the divine within, along with the heavens and earth, the seas and land, the flowers and trees, and all living creatures.

Perhaps this sacred connection differentiates art, music and literature created by artificial intelligence (AI) versus meaningful human experiences. Blessings to all the writers, artists, and composers out there giving so much of themselves to share their creativity with the world.

“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” ~ Edgar Degas