Shiva, Shakti and your creative practice
Working with Shiva/Shakti energies in your creative practice
Shiva and Shakti are Sanskrit words for the masculine and feminine polarity that exists in nature, similar to the Buddhist concept of Yin and Yang. In the Tantric tradition, Shiva is the male god of consciousness, and Shakti is the female goddess of primordial, cosmic energy. These two archetypal energies swirl in each of us, regardless of gender, creating our unique personality blueprint.
If you cultivate awareness of how Shiva and Shakti energies influence your creative practice, you can improve both the inspiration and execution of your artistic work.
Creative energy is inherently Shakti, it is movement, growth and pure energetic flow. Shakti is the spark of inspiration.
Shiva energy is the focus your creative energy takes. The structure of your project, choice of mediums and deadlines are examples of Shiva energy.
Just as it takes a man and a woman to create a baby, it takes both Shiva and Shakti energy to create art. Finding balance between these energies is the key to staying inspired and realizing your creative dreams.
If you’re a creative person, regardless of your gender, you probably have an abundance of Shakti energy that you easily connect to. However, it can be challenging to cultivate the Shiva energy required to execute all your creative ideas. Taking time to define your creative purpose can help you harness your inherent Shakti in a more satisfying way.
Traits of excess Shakti energy or lack of Shiva energy:
starting lots of projects you don’t finish
getting lost in your process and not liking the end result
never finding time to actually get into the studio
struggling to create a cohesive body of work
not sure what your medium or “artistic” voice is
Alternatively, if your creative practice is more dominated by Shiva energy, you might find that you successfully complete you projects with skill, but sometimes you wish you practice felt more free and experimental. In this case, it’s important to find time to create freely, without any goals or expectations of making a finished product.
Traits of excess Shiva energy or lack of Shakti energy:
feeling confined by a particular style or medium
experiencing creative block
creating work that feels formulaic or predictable
fear of taking risks in your practice
boredom with your creative practice
It’s important to find your personal balance with these energies so that you can maintain an inspired art practice and still “get things done” in a professional sense. It’s also important to note that at certain times in your life you’ll be drawn to explore one type of energy more than another. For example, art school might be a great time to dive into your Shakti energy by exploring new techniques. When you graduate and are looking to build a career, it might be an appropriate time to strengthen your Shiva focus and direction.
If you are feel out of balance, blocked or dissatisfied with your creativity, you can identify whether it’s a Shiva or Shakti issue, and do a personal practice to boost the right energy.
Practices to increase Shiva energy:
silent meditation
journaling to get clear on your goals and intentions
schedule time for an “art date” with yourself in your calendar
create a long term goal and “reverse engineer” how you will get there in small tiny steps
reflect on your personal life mission, and identify how your art practice fits into that
Practices to increase Shakti energy:
movement mediation such as ecstatic dance, flowing yoga or leisurely swimming
go to a show or exhibition of another artist and get inspired
commune with nature
create an experimental art piece that you have no intention to show, sell or share publicly
learn a new artistic medium or technique
Dance with these elements in your creative practice as if you were romantically courting them. Tune in, and sync to their rhythms. Personally, I feel most balanced when I start my workday with a 30 minute silent mediation (Shiva energy) and end it with a flowing embodiment practice (Shakti). My natural state tends to be more Shakti dominant, so beginning the day with meditation helps me maintain better focus. Ending the day with a Shakti practices helps me relax into a restorative state of mind. Whatever your unique balance, be creative and passionate with how you play with Shiva and Shakti energy. Most importantly, remember that your concept of “balance” will constantly shift. When working with energy, it’s more helpful to focus on awareness of your subtle energies than committing to a specific practice or routine.