Why is art important?

In Damanhur, “everything is important”: spirituality is important, education is important, sociality is important, organic farming, health, research, love for nature, the Temples … everything is important!
This is actually quite logical as life is intense, full, and meaningful in every moment. Whatever it is that we are doing, everything is important and deserves our attention. Falco Tarassaco says:

“There is no “busy” time or “free” time, there is simply time… to be filled with useful, beautiful actions and to be lived intensely, whether we struggle or whether we rest.”

Likewise, we can say, that for a spiritual researcher there are no important things or futile things but only things to do well, through which we can grow. So we do not ask a Damanhurian if something is important but rather why it is important.

Three valid reasons

Art for example, why is art so important in Damanhur? Why is it so present in the Damanhurian vision? Is it simply a question related to beauty?
Art is something fundamental for the people and for the community.
For people it is a way to discover themselves and express what they have inside, to develop individual talents and to realize that they are much more than what they imagined before. The discovery of the inner artist is one of the most beautiful discoveries we can make about ourselves, because it teaches us at least three things different:

It explains a lot about ourselves, educating our inspiration and our technique.
It shows us new ways to interact with others, because art is often a collective event and even when it is carried out individually, it involves meeting with the public.
It allows us to develop our relationship with matter and form, whether it is represented by colors, lines, moving bodies, sounds or words.

It is our identity

For the community, however, it is a fundamental element to define the collective identity. The Damanhurians love paintings, stained glass windows, statues, songs, and theatrical performances that for over forty years have given color and flavor to their lives, because all together these things represent their collective character, their way of telling the story and the history of their life.

So no, art is not important as an aesthetic motivation but because it is the storytelling of a dream that started many years ago and that continues, indeed without anyone sleeping!

Without art there would be no identity. Perhaps it is exaggerated to say so, as there would simply be much less, but what matters is that while many groups over time have chosen to characterize themselves with strength or wealth, the Spiritual People of Damanhur chose to do so through art. Every Damanhurian manifests himself to others through his own expressive talent.

Be the artist of yourself

Art is a universal language, not limited to those who live in community or want an individual experience or believe in the creative inspiration that can arise from exercise and desire. Art expresses itself not only through brushes and microphones but also through small gestures.

What are you doing while you read these lines?
What is the position of your body?
What are your movements?
What about the clothes you’re wearing?
How is the room you are in?
How much art is there in all these things?
Do the colors of the clothes characterize you or are they just by chance?
Is your style or your personality appearing as you continue to read this?

To be a creative artist, it is important to be one in daily life, and in daily life it is good to look for an “artistic way” even in the simplest things. Remember? There is no free time and busy time, but time to fill. In the same way, there is no artistic way or trivial way, but ways that define who you are. Now that you know this, you can become the artist of yourself.