Early days in this adventure - Episode E2B is a funny sideways glance as we work out our cadence for the show...

Our substack post for this episode is full of other content as well - we decided to simplify this post on our website with the introduction, show & transscript. We will share other content across to the site in separate posts as this is easier to access, shorter to read, and is indexed better by search.

Falling in Love

Isn’t it true that when we fall in love, we put forward what we feel is our best self? We hope, with every fibre of our being, that our special person will love what we have to offer.

And yet, ironically, as I explored in my video this month, our most vulnerable parts—our shadow sides—we most hope that our loved one will accept. This paradox of revealing and concealing is the very essence of building courage to act and also opens the pathways to earning trust.

I’ve come to see this same dynamic at the heart of ‘sacred business.’

The deeply human act of connection we make through art is like falling in love and coming to terms with the relationship. We actually do this with pieces of art and music - we form very deep bonds that can last a lift time.

This is especially true in the world of fine art and yes, in pop art! Where we form lasting bonds with an artist, their work, and our lives are enriched. We change inside, and this informs our relationships with others when we share that love or even dislike for a particular artist or composer. Our culture deepens through this defining moment. We discover more about ourselves - and this informs and enriches our social relationships.

Transcript

Art as Sacred Connection: Falling in Love with Art

[00:00:00] Good morning. It's the 15th of October today. I'm your host, Joe Bowers, PhD, and I am here in our little recording studio and gallery space, I saw a post about two weeks ago maybe. From a very loving, dedicated wife of a gentleman, who she said was blind and finding it very difficult to access posts on Substack.

[00:00:39] And we just joined the platform on Substack not too long ago. It's a much more narrative and story-driven platform. And already, I think in our first month, first few weeks we've made contact with people and had beautiful [00:01:00] exchanges in depth discussions.

[00:01:02] And, it feels to me like. The old days of blogging on the internet when people were gathering together and finding community, finding real connections. And I think that's pretty rare these days. And the vibe on Substack is pretty positive at the moment, and that's really special.

[00:01:26] This gentleman as partner and I hope that you find this recording with our post that's going out later today. And I hope that you enjoy it. It comes out from the heart. So this post today, I'm gonna be partly reading and. Speaking to it as I go along, which I like to do as I'm reading my material.

[00:01:55] It's more creative that way. So the table of [00:02:00] contents that, shows a little bit later in the post shows, the different topic areas. And what you find with my writing is that I like to use metaphors to bring across. A point. I like the layered approach to meaning and the poetry of that and the philosophy of it.

[00:02:22] this comes, back to my learning how to learn in the early days of my training and. Personal development. the deeper we explore topics, the more layers of meaning surface. And it's an endless process of deepening and of, moving forward in our mental capacity as well, to think in more complex layers.

[00:02:52] Over time. my writing became more philosophical and with complex long sentences that ran for a whole [00:03:00] paragraph or a page. when I advanced in my academic training and went on to university to do a research degree at the PhD level. my master's research project was all over the place with that kind of philosophical writing, my PhD was driven by a sociologist and, my senior professor,

[00:03:24] Instilled in me to simplify, break it down, simplify it, break it down, simplify it, make your sentences readable. So I got that driven into my brain and It changed my approach to writing and it simplified my neuro pathways. Also, it simplified my way of thinking, and made me more focused on the point that I'm trying to get forward.

[00:03:56] But now, later in life, I find I'm [00:04:00] integrating these two extremes, bringing them back together. I'm coming back to my poetry, coming back to my fine art, coming back to my paintings, which you see behind me.

[00:04:12] This is just a podcast for now. As we say, not just a podcast. I love podcasts. I love radio productions. Growing up with it over the years on, radio Canada was a powerful, beautiful experience for me. I remember sitting in my bedroom in the cold freezing winters of Canada listening to CVC. To stories and commentaries and people's lives and events.

[00:04:43] It was such an exciting experience to have that auditory story in the midst of your personal world and your life to connect with a world that was out there and so full of potential and power and excitement [00:05:00] and adventure. Anyway, back to our post. I diverge. So in this post, the heading main headings, were and are falling in love.

[00:05:11] My first powerful metaphor, human connections, remarkable art. New fidelity in art participation and digital art participation. So you see there's a narrative flow here from, connecting with a deeply human experience to moving into how do we apply this in the field of fine arts and what does this feed back to us about our human experience?

[00:05:43] How does this help us to grow? How does this inform our consciousness? how does this enable us to raise our consciousness, to feel the vibrations and the energy of art, and what does this do in our lives? [00:06:00] Then I go into introducing a holistic model of art as a process of becoming, and this model of art is really quite.

[00:06:10] Beautiful, I think, and it's a complex model, and I'll try to explain it a bit more in this discussion, particularly for those who are visually impaired. So you'll get a description of this model and what it looks like on the page. And then I offer a complimentary research paper, which is titled The Australian Art Market Comparative Analysis of Regional Indigenous and Artist LED Models.

[00:06:43] And this is a, a written paper. There is not an audio layer to that, at least not yet. My readers, my, if my participants hear this and they, see the paper [00:07:00] and you're interested in it, if you want me to record it, I will. Just let me know. Send me, comments or, dip into substack. Send me a note. Or you can email me at Ozzie, that's spelled A-U-S-S-I-E, ozzie@sineart.au.

[00:07:26] That's ozzie@sineart.au. That's our email address for this project. And as Substack, is today, you put a line through your. newsletter, your publication, and you can have paid subscription content under the line, so to speak. So those who, invest in A monthly, annual, or a premium tier subscription.

[00:07:59] In our case, we [00:08:00] call that the custodial circle, the custodial members who want to support us at that level. the paid content goes out to the paid subscribers, whether monthly or annual, or at the premium and the table of contents for those sections in this content Today is the artist process and prosperity model is explored.

[00:08:29] And discussed further and goes a little bit more of a deep dive into the first introduction to this model, which will continue in future posts likely, And the next section in the paid content section is the heart of.

[00:08:45] Purpose, exploring that a bit more and that metaphor, that deeper sense of that going into then relational alignment, like I mentioned before, how these, these growth [00:09:00] processes in art, particularly with fine art, acknowledges this journey that we undertake as human beings where art is part of our evolution of, of meaning.

[00:09:15] Purpose, culture, our identity and our consciousness, and our sense of ourselves and who we are. And then the last section in the paid section of the post is the unconscious repertoire when technique becomes art. And that's an integral moment. And this lineup of concepts and approaches here where we pull it all together and we explore the unconscious repertoire and how this operates within the life of an artist.

[00:09:57] But more so we're looking at this as [00:10:00] a human being. How do our connections with art and the art process inform and change us as people? Isn't it true that when we fall in love, we put forward what we feel is our best self?

[00:10:16] We hope with every fiber of our being, that our special person will love what we have to offer. And yet, ironically, as I explored in my video earlier this month, our most vulnerable parts, our shadow sides, We most hope that our loved one will accept this paradox of revealing and concealing is the very essence of building courage to act and also opens the intimacy pathways to earning that person's trust.[00:11:00]

[00:11:01] I've come to see this same dynamic at the heart of quote unquote sacred business. The deeply human act of connection. This is what business is really all about. We make this moment powerful and meaningful through art, because art is like falling in love. Art is coming to terms with relationships.

[00:11:36] Relational moments. Art is embodying our connection, our feeling, our felt sense. We actually do this with pieces of art and music. I do personally, I have over the years as a musician and a painter, and in so [00:12:00] many ways as a poet and philosopher. We form very deep bonds that can last literally beyond this lifetime.

[00:12:12] This is especially true in the world of fine art and yes, in pop art as well, where we form lasting bonds with an artist. Their work and our lives are so enriched. We change insight, and this informs our relationships with others. When we share that love or even dislike for a particular artist or a composer, our culture deepens through this defining moment.

[00:12:46] I was thinking about this just yesterday actually, when I was listening to. And I felt depressed. I felt down [00:13:00] listening to this piece on the piano, and I thought to myself, why do I feel so depressed? When I listened to Chopin for the first time ever, I looked it up and did some research about his life and found out that Chopin had a very, very difficult life.

[00:13:20] He was struggling with tuberculosis. Also, while he composed many of his beautiful works and astonishing artist, so deeply gifted, and yet he suffered with depression himself, and he also deeply, deeply suffered from unrequited love. He was rejected by a couple of. Ladies that he fell in love with over time and this impacted his sense of himself and he reflected this in his music

[00:13:58] Brought me to that [00:14:00] place that he may have felt not so productive for me. But personally, I find Chopin's music is a vortex. It's like an entryway into another realm, and it's energetic, it's artistic, it's interpersonal, Very powerful. It's energetic vortex. So we discover more about ourselves and this informs us this relationship we have with the art and it enriches our social relationships.

[00:14:43] Human connections for an art or music collector. These bonds are a form of sacred contract that is built on a foundation of humanity, vulnerability, and a growing sense of assurance and [00:15:00] trust. The collector or art lover feels assured the artist or musician has reached a level of performance in their craft and that this warrants enduring loyalty and support.

[00:15:16] This affirmation of the artist and their work in question is no small offering, and in many cultures is called a form of devotion and affection. I was listening to a beautiful, Indian artist last week I see in his following that deep devotion and affection, and no wonder he's such a beautiful artist, gorgeous singer songwriter in the West.

[00:15:46] We say this is an investment in an acquisition. I laugh out loud, at least when getting transactional, these are the words that are used. But when we're not as blunt and [00:16:00] bottom line or was Westerners, we might say instead that the artist is admired and respected. Seth Godin, a Western business and marketing guru suggests that when an artist achieves this level of admiration, they produce something remarkable.

[00:16:19] Remarkable. Is Seth Word that really defines this characteristic of something of value that is, it's worth mentioning. It's worth making remarks about. And so we've got this feeling for this today when a Facebook compatriot posted one of our paintings and the painting was The Bishop's Rose Gorgeous painting.

[00:16:46] Andrew posted the Bishop's Rose and later wanted to add the link to the paintings webpage to share that part of it story with his [00:17:00] followers. And I was very moved by that and very touched by that because our.

[00:17:05] For him in that sense was remarkable. It was worth making a mark, making a comment about and sharing that forward. This kind of organic reach is, is where we are building community and art participation and. It's not so much about the monetary value or even about the aesthetic value of the work. It's rather about the human and felt story that's being shared.

[00:17:34] We now feel, and we know profoundly that an artist embeds their story. Their joy and their grief into their work onto the canvas. A painting is an offering. It is, as I shared, an externalization of something inward that speaks back a story of our own [00:18:00] becoming.

[00:18:00] A collector in turn responds to this call. The collector hears the call to acquire a work of art and so deeply because when they connect with the story, the meaning.

[00:18:46] I'll finish this small section. So we're talking about the collector responding to the call of art, you know, and, we use this term collector, it's a fancy term, but really a [00:19:00] person that, that holds a piece of art in their hand and they will not let it fall, is a person that falls in love with that piece of art.

[00:19:11] A person that admires it or appreciates it in some way, they need to have it. They want to have it. When you feel that for the first time and you feel the magic of holding a piece of real, genuine, you know, one of a kind art that is authentic, that is directly from the artist. It changes your life. I have pieces of art from different artists and it informs my sense of value in life.

[00:19:46] It informs my consciousness. It gives me a sense of participating in those artists life, in their energy and what they stand for, and that makes a great deal of difference for me. [00:20:00] I see the story you're telling me. And it resonates with my own, this is this feeling. I connect with this piece of art. I need to have it.

[00:20:13] it doesn't need to be a painting. It could be any kind of craft or physical object or a sculpture. It could be a piece of copper that's carved into a beautiful bracelet. What we feel then is that art appreciation transcends ownership of an image or an object or a canvas. Art appreciation transcends ownership, and yet ownership.

[00:20:43] Expresses that deep appreciation. it embodies that relationship. When we put down our cash for something, we're exchanging energy for energy. That's what's happening. We are really queuing into the value of that. And it's not about [00:21:00] the money. It's not about the price. It's about the meaning.

[00:21:04] if we connect with that piece of art, then that's meant to be with us. It's meant to be for us. Especially now in this technological era and with AI looming over our heads. To gaze upon an image on our phone. A real genuine art is to hold a piece of art in the mind and the heart, even to touch the soul.

[00:21:32] To have that art on the canvas, to know that the artist touched that canvas with the brush and that their soul is expressed in that art is a very powerful thing.

[00:21:50] New fidelity in art participation, [00:22:00] this new modality in art and culture. Is a new and reformed experience of sacred and ancient custodianship. If you catch your head around this notion, you are opening up to a secret that no one's talking about right now. Everyone is focused on the risks and downsides of the technology revolution, but as we look deeper into this, we see that our era is redefining the very nature of art.

[00:22:34] Digital forms of art in both reproduction and in original digital creations are reframing the essence of sharing art rather than in one piece, personally owned. The reframe expands this concept toward a shared moment and a continuity in a cultural [00:23:00] sharing of parts and fractions of an artwork, and often across vast distances.

[00:23:10] Digital art participation. A person in Australia can hold a share of a real physical painting hanging at a gallery in France. Their investment can attract personal value, cultural meaning, as well as a. Likely percentage increase or decrease in the share of value of that painting.

[00:23:43] Likewise, an artwork that's grafted into an NFT - A non fungible, a non fungible token that's hard to get your tongue around. A non fun, a non [00:24:00] fungible token that's funny is said to be an art asset. An NFT, if you don't know about NFTs, they're little beasties that are created on the blockchain

[00:24:15] And they are a digital. Signature. You could say they are like a, a little file folder that contains a set of data. That data, can be many different things. But in this illustration here, we're talking about the data being a piece of art. So the art is digitized. The visualization of that art is digitized into this.

[00:24:43] Token, which exists on the blockchain, and it is immutable, it can't be changed. it is eternal. For as long as the web exists, this token will exist and the data [00:25:00] within the token enables it to be. linked to an individual's, wallet that is to personal ownership and sovereignty. And there is a sense of sovereignty for sure in the way that this is linked back immutably to an individual in time and space

[00:25:24] Inheritance, so to speak, to their sovereign right of ownership of this piece of digital real estate, you could say. So the NFT is a digital form of art that imprints a permanent enduring and incorruptible nature to the work or its representation. the latter quality of the digital form raises questions for the asset class definition.

[00:25:54] Just like real estate and physical objects endure over time and they're also subject [00:26:00] to aging and entropy. We don't know that that's necessarily the case with an NFT in terms of aging and entropy and most assets. Even gold has an aspect of entropy that is built in as stable an asset as gold is.

[00:26:18] It is a physical object subject to the vagaries of existence as a physical object. one might suggest that the digital systems and their evolution also comprise forms of entropy. I think there's merit in this argument, and this is a perspective that's born out of the experience of generational changes in technology that may hold merit over time and like a physical painting then an NFT.

[00:26:53] May involve both concrete asset class definition as [00:27:00] well as this sense of entropy and even this new form of participation and cultural exchange is being rewritten. By blockchain code and owning a piece of art as in a painting, an original artwork can be rewritten on the blockchain and made possible in ways that support real artists in real time.

[00:27:26] For example, artists have built into their NFTs the code that would allow them to have a royalty kickback when their works are resold in the future, ensuring the support of the artists in ways that were never possible in the past. We're looking at NFTs, at OS Fine Art and thinking that, at minimum we could use an NFT as a digital certificate of authenticity akin with our physical [00:28:00] certificates or PDFs that we have.

[00:28:02] For each artwork, we produce three certificates, a certificate of authenticity. A certificate of narrative significance, which tells the story of the artwork and why it's important. And we have a certificate of custodial providence and the certificate of custodial providence ensures the history. And ownership and that level of custodial, providence is part of the authenticity.

[00:28:34] It's usually included within that certificate of authenticity itself. But we have expanded these certificates to ensure in an immutable end. Profound way that these layers of an artworks providence is really properly documented and ensures that this value is continual, continual [00:29:00] continued over time for.

[00:29:02] The lover, appreciator and collector of art. So however you slice the pie here, art appreciation is both participation and potentially about some level of ownership. Or at best, what we prefer to call custodianship, the sacred Act of Custodianship. This latter concept arises from indigenous wisdom, and like most ancient cultural teachings, the vision is more holistic and less transactional.

[00:29:38] The exchange we call art within our experience and in culture is an act of profound connection. So how do we rebuild a sacred culture today? How do we nurture a sacred business that honors this sacred [00:30:00] custodial contract where respect and enduring relationships of value are supported across generations? And this is integral to the act of. Art creation and sharing. We need a model that is holistic, not just a transactional business model, but we need a sacred business model.

[00:30:26] We need a holistic model as a process of becoming in art. Art as becoming, becoming as art. We need a map where every action stems from an authentic core. This is why we develop the artist process and prosperity business model. It reframes the sacred business, not as a machine for generating revenue, but as a living system for cultivating authentic relationships.

[00:30:59] The artist [00:31:00] and prosperity business model is an oval egg shape. Design with a small egg in the middle, which is, a matte blue color, and the larger egg is an orange color. And then we have a kind of oval. asymmetrical, oval around the central egg, expanding into the circle, giving a sense of expansion and growth and movement.

[00:31:29] In the design of the logo around that egg, that orange egg, the larger egg around that are circles. Four circles on both sides of the egg, and at the bottom is the subtitle story and narrative identity. So at the top we have artist process. At the bottom we have story and narrative identity.

[00:31:57] As a foundation, I believe the [00:32:00] story and the narrative and the identity of the artwork and the process is really where the gold lies. That's where we dig into the gold of the meaning and purpose and identity of an artwork. That is the power of its medicine, of its story. That is, the dreaming of the artwork and what that means.

[00:32:23] This is the identity of the piece on the left side of the diagram. Then we have. On the other side of the diagram, we have the functional, quadrants, I would say, or domains of action and participation within the egg itself. We have a whole range of different headings, and these convey from the center, from the heart outward in a radiating way.

[00:32:54] At the heart, we've got processes and artifacts. The processes of [00:33:00] art creation. and the artifacts that are generated such as paintings, some canvas or sculptures in the clay studio, these are the embodiments of a process. They are the concrete operational layers of manifesting the art as a creative process, that crafting of art and that crafting is the.

[00:33:27] Is the integrity and the professionals professionalism and the skills involved, the processes and the artifacts are at the heart. Without them, we might say, well, why bother? Right? Because it's really, it's the power of the beauty. In the art of the, of the embodiment of that art that makes it special. Even with a digital piece of art, like an NFT.

[00:33:53] That NFT expresses a physicality, even though it is a digital product, is a, it comes [00:34:00] from a process and it is an artifact of a artistic process. Whether or not we agree with that or not, you know, is debatable, but that has always been the case with artwork. From the earliest times on until today. So within the circle, we look then, and we at the, at the two sides of this picture as it radiates outward.

[00:34:27] One side looks at the goals and visions, the growth and learning, the revenue streams, the sustainable income, the prosperity manifesting. And the other side looks at the communications, the productions, the relationships, media and purpose, nurturing, awareness, welcoming and engagement. And so you see here there's a very holistic picture [00:35:00] merging of the quadrants, of the manifestation of how the process and the artifacts radiate energy outward into the world, and how the artist process.

[00:35:15] Radiates outward into the world and forms quite profound, integral relationships with people, places and times, and with processes and with environments and ecologies.

[00:35:33] At the base then of this orange egg, we have the term long-term career trajectory. So there's a sense then that this process we're talking about within the egg itself is about the artist growth, the artist's career, their portfolio. Their sense of themselves, their identity, and how that forms over [00:36:00] time and how it grows into an integrity.

[00:36:05] It grows into a sense of expressing, a style and a purpose and a meaning, and even a destiny, So these are very profound areas within the circle, within the model, and. on the left side, we have tradition, method, form, and medium. Four key areas that inform, inspire, direct, and guide and artists process in creating artifacts of meaning and value.

[00:36:40] On the other side of the diagram, we have home, website, venue, gallery, we have social and tools, and we have community and family. And those are areas of [00:37:00] manifestations of places and times that embody. That outward expansion of energy that comes from the artist's process and the artifacts that they generate.

[00:37:13] The innermost circle processes, artifacts, relationships, and media. And purpose is that engine of the artist. It is the creativity, energy, and create or energy that the artist channels and manifests your media and. Purpose is your authentic voice, your why. This purpose is the seed from which everything else grows.

[00:37:41] It dictates the artifacts you create, the processes you follow, and most importantly, the relationships that you cultivate. When this engine is running in alignment, it naturally powers the entire system. Your core purpose [00:38:00] informs your communications with clarity and soul. The quality of your relationships fosters a welcoming engagement.

[00:38:09] This is a living system where prosperity is the natural outcome of an authentic value-driven practice, and that's where we'll leave the model for today.

[00:38:23] You can please take a look, around our website gallery when you go to get this paper, your complimentary copy. If you're already subscribing to this podcast, you can move over to Substack and or go directly to our website to find the paper. You can find this information at substack or. Via our website, Oz Fine Art au.

[00:38:54] Now, the paper itself is, is that that website, Oz Fine Art au, [00:39:00] and the papers entitled The Australian Art Market Comparative Analysis of Regional Indigenous and Artists LED Models. So it's a very well. researched paper with a lot of citations And because we are a regional Australian gallery online, we wanted to understand more deeply.

[00:39:24] The positioning of our brand, but also the, compatriots that are part of the culture of regional Australian art. So we surveyed regional galleries across New South Wales and Queensland and further afield as well. And we came up with a integral analysis that enabled us to see. To get a snapshot of the current Australian fine art market and where things are at at the moment.[00:40:00]

[00:40:01] I. To get a copy of this paper, we suggest you click on the paper title in the Substack post if you're here, and that will bring you to our website, Oz Fine Art au. If you're not in Substack at the moment, what you can do is go directly to our website, Oz Fine Art au, and You can just do a search in the search window at the upper right hand corner of the website, put in the words Australian art market or, or even just Australian.

[00:40:41] you can put in the words indigenous or. Artist led with a hyphen, but I think just the first part of the title would do the artist's art market or something like that. Put that into the search. The paper will come up, click on the link for [00:41:00] the paper. You'll get a description there of the paper, the abstract and everything.

[00:41:05] And then you put in the coupon code, which, is Aussie art market analysis under slash. XP for expiry, 15 dash 1225. That's Ozzy Art Market analysis underscore. XP 15 dash 12 dash 25, and that's the coupon code. If you can't get that clear from this recording, go to our substack and you can find this post and you can get that.

[00:41:43] It's in the, the public part of this post before it goes into the paid section of the post, so it is public and accessible. So you put in the coupon code and you get a hundred percent off the value of the paper. And, [00:42:00] I think, we valued the papers at about $25 per paper.

[00:42:05] And, that's under the, the industry standard, which is $30 for us for a scholarly paper. the average. Cost of a paper now is $30. it goes up to even up to 200 or more per paper if you buy papers individually without, other types of subscriptions or obviously if you're part of a university

[00:42:32] A library, you may have access that way, but we're, we're not publishing the papers in those forums. We're doing it directly to you. So we put the price down a bit to $25 to make it more accessible. So thank you so much for listening, and then I will conclude this recording here today.

[00:42:55] At the break line for our paid [00:43:00] subscribers and they can continue to read on from here, through the email and the substack post. I am your host, Joe Bowers, PhD. I'm an artist who's work contemporary expressionism, impressionist abstract, and I'm informed by a mysticism of nature family. And I moved and inspired by a psychodynamic experience and an emotional resonance.

[00:43:31] My art embodies this felt sense of connection of meaning and purpose and identity of the struggles and vagaries of human existence of the deep and profound existential issues, problems and concerns that we share as human beings, even. My floral series from 2005 expresses and embodies a sense of this deep, profound [00:44:00] yearning for connection.

[00:44:02] This yearning for and expression of love of fidelity. Of intimacy, of connection within nature and in our relationships because those flowers on the canvas connect. They connect meaning, they connect story, they are steeped in narrative and purpose and even destiny. They are an expression of love.

[00:44:30] They're, an expression of fidelity. And dare I say fecundity in the sense that art is an embodiment of passion, of feeling, and of presence. It is a gift of intimacy, and it is on canvas. It is such an amazing and powerful thing when color, form and [00:45:00] texture on the canvas express such a profound and spiritual meaning.

[00:45:06] Thank you so much again for your time, and we'll conclude this recording for our sub post, as we call it, for October of the Artist Journey Podcast on Substack.