The aim of the master’s thesis was to research spirituality, creativity and the connection between the two. We tried to outline two abstract themes, both relatively difficult to grasp and explain. Therefore, we put effort into finding tangible examples to explain the meaning of the spiritual in creativity.
Within the scope of this work, we wanted to gradually learn more about the true purpose of art, about its role in the society and features that make it a body of quality. The aim was to gain new understanding about the aforementioned themes and their influence on both the individual and community. With fresh insights, we tried to find mechanisms which support a good spiritually-creative life. The subject matters we presented in this thesis are multilayered in and of itself; hence, we tried to view it from multiple viewpoints, including philosophy, psychology and neuroscience.
We split the theoretical part into three main sections, i.e. art, spirituality and the spiritual in art. Within the first chapter about art, we discussed works of art, the criteria of a good work from the perspective of a viewer and creator, characterization of works we ought to create. We touched on the gifts that artists count among their own and challenges they face, we mentioned creativity in connection to neuroscience and lastly, we included some information about folk art. We dedicated the second section to spirituality. We defined the concept of religion, spirituality and faith, outlined the features of five main world religions, met with Jung’s view on God, also the connection of God and neuroscience. We describe prayer and meditation in connection to how they function from the perspective of neuroscience. In the third chapter, the centre our attention is on the analysis of the spiritual in art, where we focused on what hinders soulful pursuits within the realm of art. We briefly narrated Frida Kahlo’s life and work, which gives us a deeper insight in the artist herself. Additionally, it helps us create context and provides examples on which we are able to explain certain activities within the female nature.
We began the practical part with a presentation of our topic and the outline scheme of work. We continued with a short story and some other creative bits and pieces, which complement the main artwork. Our focal point was the creation of handmade bronze masks. The created work represents a form of encouragement. It reflects the truth about repentance, i.e. not everything is lost within regret and sorrow, it is exactly where it can be found.
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