“A good horse can be picked
by it’s general build and appearance.
But the mark of a superlative horse—
one that raises no dust
and leaves no tracks–
that mark is evanescent and fleeting,
as elusive as air.
Few eyes remark it.”

This is one of my favourite all time stories, and I just read it for the first time like a month ago. It’s about a very poor boy getting a shot at the most prestigious position as head groom for a Duke. He’s completely powerless in the eyes of society yet he has the all-powerful ability to see the essence of things. The story was suggested by a Taoist tale in the book of Lieh Tzu that dates back to c.350 BCE.

I feel that in order to get this rolling I have to lay down some, albeit very lumpy, groundwork. As there is no definitive explanation for what art is or how it’s made, this is just another amusing gathering of ways to consider it. I’d encourage anyone to come up with their own ideas about what the creative realm embodies and I’d also say, don’t worry about holding tight to those ideas (as they tend to morph beyond any permanent cast we attempt to form).

Although I am not claiming to present any ultimate truth about art and creativity I do want to offer some sort of touchstone that points to the qualities I can’t stop thinking about (and I confess it will be an ever-floating criteria).  As it turns out, the majority of people I meet are enchanted by the same evasive qualities.

When I ask my adult students to compose a list of what they consider to be art, it can look something like this (naturally, we could add to it):

I then ask them to list the qualities of craft (I don’t mean the popsicle stick ashtrays we made back in the 80s, I’m referring to one’s skills. I should also note that some from the ‘art’ list could also play here):

Reflecting upon the first web we can see how this perception of art is virtually impossible to universally assess or gauge with any singular criteria. We can also observe how craft could easily conform to a uniform system of judgement.

As Jean Merrill admits in the quote above, we can judge work to be ‘good’ based on its general build and appearance. So it comes as no surprise that the art/creative experience in an educational institution leans toward the development of technical skill or craft. This isn’t problematic if we call it as it is. We need fine craftsmanship in our lives. To say it’s art without discussion imposes significant limitations on creative dabbling and discovery not to mention an individual’s recognition of their unique abilities.

What I wish to be super clear about is that I am most impelled by the elusive qualities of art. That certain something that triggers an inexplicable resounding shift in our very being so that a space is created where everything we think we know dissolves. A space of unlimited possibility. Okay, I could also describe this as that certain something that really excites us (and probably confounds us too). Bob Dylan once said that “the purpose of art is to stop time.” You know when you hear a song and it just takes hold of you and you are suddenly completely in the moment? THAT something (for those of you that feel this is a bit meta-ish here’s some recent, maybe comforting, neuroscience on the subject).

We’ve all recognized it in another person’s life and/or work- be it music, visual art, film, literature, dance, sports, engineering, business, technology, medicine, gardening, cooking, surfing, fashion etc. etc. etc. But, for those of us who haven’t already located it, how do we find this ‘something’ in ourselves?

Credit: Photo by Everett Collection / Rex Features ( 672225d )

I really don’t know.

What I mean is, I cannot offer any specific steps or formula because there is no set path to follow. Hence the wonder, mysteriousness and elusiveness. Art in this sense resists any attempt to pin it down or name it for good. We call it art and yet it’s so vast, ambiguous and complex that we can only feebly attempt to babble about it (like I am right now, for instance). This is why the alive and ever changing aspects of art have often been dismissed as floofy, mystical, esoteric and unteachable. And I agree that these aspects of art and creativity cannot be taught. How can you hand anyone some essence of the human spirit? Right? But what if it’s not about handing it over? What if it’s about helping someone to see that they already have it? This is where I think I might be onto something in terms of some guiding possibilities…

We’re going to have to agree that creative expression in this regard is not exclusively reserved for the gifted, talented, geniuses.

And to begin, we must actually UNlearn.