Artifact #6 (Week #7)
Objectives:
- Discuss the difference between spirituality and religion.
Artifact:
Blog Posting
- How do you define “spirituality”?
I define spirituality as a feeling that one receives. I think it is very much linked to the world around us and the experiences each goes through. These experiences allow people to make sense of the world around them and create their own individual idea of how life is supposed to be. This is what spirituality is. Spirituality drives everything else around us. It is knowing that there is more to life then what lies on the surface.
- Does spirituality differ from religion?
I believe that spirituality and religion are two completely different things. That is not to say that I think there is such a thing as religious spirituality. Once again spirituality is in my opinion a feeling that comes from the life experiences that occur in each person. So religious spirituality is the feelings that occur in relation to the religion one believes in. Religion is more centered around a certain topic whereas spirituality affects our whole lives in every aspect. I believe religion does affect every aspect of our life as well but it does not so much have free reign like spirituality does.
- How do you define “creativity”?
Creativity is hard for me to define. I think it is anything and everything that is created. Not just what is put down on paper by a pencil or paint brush but can be applied to many aspects of our lives. It is anything that is created by an individual, or yet anything that can bring forth creativity. Creativity generally comes from the world around us as does spirituality but I believe creativity draws from the spirituality in each person.
- What is the source of creativity?
Again I believe that spirituality is the main source for creativity. Without feelings within one’s self there would be nothing to create. The source can be personal stories, experiences, nature, love anything and everything that one draws ideas/feelings from. I do not so much believe that some people are born more creative than others, it is just this idea that some know how to use their creativity to the fullest. So the source is completely open to interpretation and does not need any set of rules to decide what can be called art or where one draws creativity from.
Reflection:
Merely hearing the words spirituality and religion many people think they are one in the same. And they are in fact very much connected but extremely different at the same time. What I learned most by taking the time to sit down and think of my own personal ideals on these two words is that spirituality comes from within oneself. It creates, inspires, brings strength to individuals and is mustered up somewhere deep down in the soul. Religion is what one believes in. It is brought about by outside factors and drawn on by other people’s perspectives on religion. It generally follows closely to a set of beliefs.
Spirituality ignites creativity. It causes what we feel, the lense we choose to view the world through; whether it be positive or negative, and how we bring forth these stances. This is how much, if not all of art is created. It takes something deep down within one’s soul to capture feelings that can then be transposed onto a piece of work. This creativity from one person then causes a chain reaction and generates other spiritual feelings within others which then allows them to be creative in their own lives in whatever manner that may be. Creativity is more then just about paintings, sculptures, etc. Creativity is in every single aspect of our lives and stems from this spiritual journey. Spirituality leads to many beautiful and amazing creations.
What I will take away and hold for future reference from this week’s section is that every individual has creativity in them that stems from some spiritual feelings. These spiritual feelings do not in any way have to be linked to religion but the great part about everyone having a different interpretation is that individuals spirituality can be linked to religion. Spirituality is what you make it, not what is made for you to believe. I will take this discussion of spirituality and try to decipher how different aspects of my life are affected from this very prevalent force in my life.
My original Creative Spirituality Discussion can be found here.
