Inspiration

Invention by Angelica Kauffmann, 1778-80

The painting above depicts Invention and is one of the four 'Elements of Art' that Angelica Kauffmann was commissioned to paint for the ceiling of the Royal Academy's first Council Chamber in Somerset House which opened in 1780.

It spoke to me when I saw it for the first time at the Tate Britain exhibition called:

"Now you see us"  https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/women-artists-in-britain-1520-1920

I believe that our creative ideas are stirring like soft butterfly wings in our mind, often easily dismissed as they may not fit in with the usual train of our thoughts.  However, when we do look up to them and take notice of these inspiring messages, we feel that they are accompanied by enthusiasm that can literally transport us into new realms. 

By looking up most of our frontal body is open and therefore in receiving mode which naturally allows for new (divine) ideas to come to us. 

Where am I going with this?

In cranial work it is the gentle higher energy of the body that speaks to me and inspires my listening.  Before form is always the formless idea...so when a disease or disturbance of any kind is present in the body, I find it helpful to "listen to" inspirational messages from the softer and airier "field" of the body to assist in healing the more denser matter that may hold an unhelpful often stuck pattern. 

"The power of representing this mental picture on canvas is what we call invention in a Painter," claims Joshua Reynolds, art critic at the time of Kauffmann.  And this is exactly what we aim to do in a cranial session......listening to the inspiring, wise and healthy blueprint of our "lighter" body and then assisting this image of health to transfer onto the canvas of our physical body.