Creative incubation

I’m grateful to fellow photographer Colin Dixon for pointing me in the direction of Andy Ilachinski’s Tao of Photography – and his posting this week of some of Joseph Campbell’s thoughts about sacred space. Photographic creativity, of course, involves ‘writing with light’ by way of a purpose-made chamber, an inner room, a camera. Illumination.

Our human creativity incubates and processes illumination in the inner chambers of our lives. Meditation. Contemplation. Comprehension. All leading to galleries of ‘images’ – made within, where space is symbolic, the whole world is mythologized, and spiritual life is possible.

Sacred space is a space that is transparent to transcendence,
and everything within such a space furnishes
a base for meditation, even for the youngest child.

When you enter through the door,
everything within such a space is symbolic,
the whole world is mythologized,
and spiritual life is possible.

This is a place where you can go and
feel safe and bring forth what you are
and what you might be.

This is the place of creative incubation.
At first you might find that nothing happens there.
But if you have a sacred place and use it,
you will eventually find yourself again and again.

Joseph Campbell
American mythologist, writer and lecturer
1904-1987