Creative

In the Sumerian initiatic tradition, creativity is understood as a current we receive rather than a possession we hold. It descends from a higher source through the crown chakra at the top of the head and is interpreted by the brain; what we call creation is what we are open enough to receive, shaped by our personal experiences.

The chakra system is not exclusively Vedic. The Sumerian initiatic cosmology mapped an analogous system of the same seven energy centers, from the base of the spine to the top of the skull. The crown chakra answers to Capricorn: structure and responsibility. The archetype that demands responsibility is the same one that opens the channel to creativity.

Too much responsibility hinders creation: the deadline that strangles invention, the perfectionist paralyzed by duty. This is the creative block most of us know.

Too little responsibility causes a different kind of harm. The scientists who built the atomic bomb showed brilliance, but they avoided the question of whether it should exist at all. Genius without responsibility can be catastrophic. Even if we abandoned nuclear technology today, the contamination would take about 24,000 years to decay.

Ancient Sumerians believed the force that demands responsibility is the same one that opens the channel to creativity.

This artwork is built around the Sumerian secret seal of Capricorn, with further symbolism throughout the composition.