Behind the screen
des chapeaux to creative beings
Setup
The stage is set for yet another day of performance. Those same steps on the same musical piece that have been performed on this stage for the last three years. There was a time when the nots and not nots turned up to watch. But in this small town, the people too are used to now.
Why dance again? Isn’t she bored already? Perfection was what began her career. That rose her to fame. Behind that screen, lies a perfectionist. A meticulous observer and deliberate practitioner who has given all her life into reaching the pinnacle of art. As her master said,
“No emotion has been written that she can not portray;
No form exists that she can’t take;
No note has ever been played that she can’t flow through her body into the audience.“
She can do all there is in the book. She knows the rules. She knows the art. Truly a maestro!
But what makes those thousand performances different? And who are those few people who can admire her art and still come to watch?
Act
No doubt, it was her perfection that put her on the stage. A spot among the best. But is it what made her the best of the best?
Now, she doesn’t dance to the music. She creates it. Makes the rules she doesn’t obey. The pianist plays not with closed eyes anymore. He follows her steps. She is the director of the piece and performer of her role.
There is an unpredictability in her dance. The harmony between expectation to stick to book and her dissidence to it, resonates with the observers. She isn’t disrespecting the masters. She is giving it her own color. One that arises from the depths of intuition and instincts. Intuitions of mind played with instincts of body. You almost forget where you are. Lost in a world she draws. A experience of a lifetime. Journey into transcendence. Priceless!
Lesson
This isn’t true for only great performers of dance. Creative people understand it. They recognize it for they have been through it. That flow state where the rationales of action are eclipsed by the epiphany of being. Those members in the audience are those creators. They had their times and their fields. They can see her flow into that state each time she comes to dance. Unpredictability is just one result. It goes deeper. Love? Maybe still deeper. There is no word to it, for the dictionary and words were not written in the flow state!
It exists. Appreciated by those who know it, seen by all who come.
I admire practical ideas and pragmatic thinking. I agree with the theory of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. And an important point to note is to remember to not commit mistake of jumping levels. You should not aim for self-actualization or charity when you don’t have food for your own stomach. For example, aiming for being happy without having livable income to meet basic needs is foolish. It seems a marketed idea by various groups to keep populations stable. Money can’t buy happiness maybe, but sure can help avoid some pains. Financial literacy is much needed. But here, my focus is on a higher level. NOT an alternative!
This flow state can be related to self-transcendence. The epitome level. When you have all that you need. This is what satiates. Needs merge with being!
