Almost every religion starts with the creation of the universe or the god(s) themselves: Jehova (Judaism), Ptah (egypt) or Brahma (Hinduism). Even the scientific view of the universe starts with creation: the big bang.
On a pure biological level we all posses the power to create new life by having sex. But even on a ‘personal’ cellular level we constantly recreate ourselfes and have ’sex’ by refreshing our body cells. Creation and Sex go hand in hand; every day and every second.
Many people say, that everything humans do has to do with sex and competition - even high art like literature or symphonies. I have to agree and disagree at the same time. YES, we all do and like art to some degree, because it’s the cosmic sex of creativity - but NO, we don’t just do it to compete for better chances in the genetic pool.
There is more to it.
Professor Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in his lecturing flow.
When you paint, write or just cook a great meal - and you are getting really deeply into it - you start to get into the Flow (here is a great book from Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi about it). The Concept of Flow is a mixture between meditation, ecstasy and total concentration (the same could be said about sex as well).
The Flow is the power wave you ride when you create something, it’s like pure ecstasy during sex.
Creativity is even more: it’s exploration, reflection, association and play at the same time. Creativity is also like a pregnancy - a seed in your psyche slowly evolves, you nourish it, you feel the growing pain and at some point you need to give birth to your idea. The analogy goes even further: sometimes idea get a life on their own - and no longer belongs to you, but to the world.
So if according to the Bible God has created us in his image, then it makes perfect sense that we love creating stuff and that we love sex, because it’s the ultimate act of creation.
The atheist point of view is actually very similar: no life without creation. The universe uses a lot of time to constantly create new planets, solar systems, elements and even life like us. The universe is very creative and never stops doing it …
Creativity arouses us humans in many ways, new and creative ideas can be very ’sexy’. Working on a new sculpture or painting can be very demanding, but also very sexy, erotic, intimate and breath taking.
It might sound perverse when you hear stories about artists like Picasso who sometimes masturbated while drawing - but I personally understand this perfectly. Artists need the Eros of Creativity, the electricity, the flow and exchange - either with art or another person as well - it’s their way of life.
Picasso’s sexual drive is often deemed central to his art, yet relatively few people have seen the myriad paintings, drawings, engravings and sculptures in which he portrays variations on the sex act. Even today, American museums would probably shy from showing what Gertrude Stein prudishly (or was it excitedly?) called Picasso’s ‘dirty side.’ ‘Picasso Érotique’, a new exhibition here, now lifts the curtain.
That said, it would be inaccurate to view the show as a display of naughty pictures, even though some steamy engravings were kept in a locked room when they were first exhibited here in 1968. Rather, “Picasso Érotique” offers fresh insight into his creative process, above all the evolving role that sex played in his life and imagination, from the curiosity of early manhood through the unbridled passion of his middle years to the voyeurism of old age. - from here.
That is also the reason why you will always find a higher percentage of gay, lesbian and bisexual people in artistic circles - not just because sex is ‘free & easy’ in these groups, but because artists often see and accept beauty in others without gender barriers - and they are less afraid to explore the flow/attraction. (side note: but art is never an excuse for screwing around, ok?!)
So it comes as no surprise that the Greek Gods had their nine muses to go out kiss and inspire artists from all disciplines.
We all create, we all have sex and we all are touched by beauty. These are universal principles, you find them in science as well as many (all?) religions.
The Eros of Creativity is no excuse for perversion and lack of responsibility - BUT it is the universes (God’s or Nature’s) invitation to explore, experiment and express ourselves without shame and dogmas.
*repost from 17. December 2003*