The Art of Transformation at Ananda Assisi

Welcome to the last of the videos I’ll be sharing here from my 2 months at Ananda Assisi while I was doing the Transformative Arts Certificate program at the Academy of Art, Creativity & Consciousness. (you can see them all on my Youtube Channel)

This video and the peacock art piece were my Final Project for Level 1 – A Personal Journey.

I dedicate this creation to all beings of many realms who helped bring me to and shape the sacred container for this summer’s journey & process. You know who you are.

For the first 75 seconds of this Final Project, I chose to play with the symbolism of the lotus flower …. or it chose me.

With just a few days left in Italy,  I was compelled to walk to the studio in the dark to set up my 2 iPhones so I could film a 3-hour Timelapse of the lotus flowers opening. I’d been a witness to their beauty all summer and marvelled at the life within this small fountain – a snake, tadpoles, koi fish, a chorus of frogs, and mating dragonflies.

In some cultures, the lotus  symbolizes the path to enlightenment, with each petal representing a step towards spiritual growth and transformation.

Also a symbol of beauty, purity and overcoming adversity, the lotus emerges clean from the murky waters and mud in which it grows.

You can see in the timelapse of the trio, that every morning, lotuses dance their new beginning, opening and rising to the light of the sun. That’s why they’re also a symbol of rebirth.

Then came the manifestation of a vision I’d had of filming Paramjoti’s exquisite dancing prayer against the blue backdrop of the Ananda temple roof. I’d been daydreaming of slow motion shots of her whirling skirts, especially while lying facing up near her feet.

She herself was like a lotus flower opening to the Light.

Footage of her graceful spiritual expression became the ribbon of light that unites all 3 parts of this video.

And that blue temple cupola that so captured my heart! You’ll see that from the inside during the choir concert, it too is reminiscent of a lotus bloom.

All that happens under it, from daily meditation, classes, concerts, Sunday services, etc. – all are petals of spiritual growth and transformation.

So you can imagine my joy when I let go of my busy-ness and fatigue on this last week of classes to take in one last Ananda Joy Choir evening concert.

That’s when I recorded the song “Cherish These” by Swami Kriyananda, the founder of Ananda. How perfect!

Is there anywhere on earth,
Perfect freedom, sorrow’s dearth,
Selfless friendship, blameless birth?
Cherish these, naught else has worth.

The lotus, the dance, the choir, and the roof to the Temple of Joy – the ideal ingredients to thankfully celebrate my summer experience. 

Our mission for this final transformative art project was to create a process piece that represented our summer’s personal quest.

Tranformative art is about the process, not the product. So I opened to understanding why I’d been so strongly Guided to be in Italy this summer.

As I asked my Team of Divine Helpers for inspiration on one of my walks back to my room 15 minutes away, I received a vision of a peacock tail behind a television playing the many art videos I’d created in my 2 months there. 

I’ve always loved both the beauty and symbolism of the peacock.

Thought of as the modern version of the phoenix, they represent transformation.

But what most impresses me about them is their ability to eat poisonous snakes and plants and transform these toxins into nourishment. What a perfect symbol for transforming one’s challenges into beauty.

This is further enhanced by their many eyes (fanned out along their tail), representing the wise vision necessary to see clearly and live in alignment with Truth.

One of my biggest blessings this summer was breaking my Netflix habit – an overindulgence in watching movies.

I tend to do everything intensively – creative projects, travel, friendships, studies, and yes, watching movies. I’m a Scorpio! But watching too many and sometimes toxic movies isn’t good for my body, mind & spirit.

Months without wifi in my room (or the time with such a full schedule of classes and other opportunities) helped me break my habit.

Each of our program’s weekly themes and my experiences at Ananda awoke a desire to make videos instead. Hundreds of hours went into the creations I’ve shared with you this Fall.

And no doubt that having watched so many movies in my life has given me an insight on the techniques and visual possibilities I explored in this self-taught medium. This was my version of turning toxins into nourishment. 

As I reviewed the pile of artworks from the summer, I was inspired to shape the peacock tail on a labyrinth. I drew and decorated it sitting in front of the school while my cameras were filming the lotus pond.

On another early morning before class, I spontaneously wrote the prayer following the path of the labyrinth.

Once I had the labyrinth tail with its affirmation feathers installed behind the television, I recognized something was missing.

I had a tail. The TV playing my videos became the peacock body. I still needed a head.

Another early morning in the studio and the peacock was complete.

There was no draft for this prayer. I wrote it without stop along the path of the labyrinth, not knowing that I’d be recording it for all to hear…

The journey towards the centre expressed my gratitude for all the blessings of my summer.

The journey back out called upon my Team of Divine Helpers to continue Guiding my way.

This was a surprisingly emotional process.

My heart was so filled with love and gratitude as I was writing my prayer.

That’s when I realized I wanted to include more of the community in my final video – transforming my project into a Thank You gift.

I don’t tend to film people much, so this realization inspired a few creative walkabouts to capture the smiling faces of those I wanted to remember.

Of course I didn’t get everyone. But oh am I ever glad I stretched my comfort zones to ask folks if I could include them in my goodbye video.

This also gave me a chance to invite them to our final exhibition, where I gave away all of my summer’s art pieces in thanks for the difference they’d made in my life there.

I didn’t have enough for all I would have liked to thank. May this video be an extension of my gratitude.

And may it touch your heart in whichever way is meant for you.

Namaste

Dominique Hurley

P.S. If you’re curious about spending 2 months or a thematic week in the Transformative Art program at the Academy of Art, Creativity & Consciousness in Italy, check out their web page here.

P.P.S. If you’ve enjoyed these past few months of inspirational offerings, please consider donating to my art & life fund. All amounts add up and are appreciated. Thank you for your patronage. Click here to donate by PayPal or credit card.