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FOR IN THIS WAY, the
God would seem to indicate to us and not allow us to doubt
that these beautiful poems are not human, or the work of
man, but divine and the work of God; and that the poets
are only the interpreters of the Gods by whom they are severally
possessed. Was not this the lesson which the God intended
to teach when by the mouth of the worst of poets he sang
the best of songs? Am I not right, Ion?
~ Socrates
to Ion in Plato's " Ion" (380 BC),
Translated by Benjamin Jowett
From where comes
the prophecy of the Old Testament Prophet - From what root
the poetry of Isaiah and the Psalmist branch?
Plato questions
art and inspiration in his Socratic Dialog, Ion. Art Platonically
described as skilled and applied - one learns, and raises
an art to a fine level - a level of excellence in skill
gained from learning, practice, and experience - inspiration
as a possession from an outside source - the greatest of
which, the Divine.
Socrates questions
Ion's credibility as an artist, for his lack of knowledge
to the arts expressed almost universally by all great poets,
yet is depth of oratory for the Homer recitals (that Ion
is famous and lauded for) and anything Homeric, would suggest
that Ion is merely a vessel inspired by the spirit of Homer
and not an artist of skill toward all that is poetic.
His argument
is extended to all the arts, and if one is inspired (or
possessed from an external source), than one can't possibly
be an artist of claim to that inspiration. It is an interesting
idea.
I would say
most often in my case my work is uninspired. That is, I
rely on the skills I have gained through study, practice,
experience, and curiosity of my own limits as an artist.
Often ideas are worked out through process, symbiotic experimentation,
and intuition - even, very likely, if there is such a thing
- a 'mild' duende. However - there are those times, I have
been 'inspirited' or inspired - breathed in - where ideas
I received rather than sequentially developed. The Freedom
ART Project has been one of those INSPIRED moments - that
were sublime and unquestionable direction.
The distinction
for me has been in vision have I been inspired - at times
in action, a duende has taken my hand briefly - most of
the time, I do what I love and have been trained, and blessed
to do.
As for the Bible
- yes, the Bible: sixty-six books penned by 40 authors over
2000 years and 3 languages ... divinely inspired? (see the
side bar links)
August
continued - Faithful Forward... >>8.2
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