Idea – to Surrender/Stop thinking about "Art" but continue making images/things

Posted on February 11, 2009 by billdonovan


I was reading a book about the psychology of cult leaders, and it was saying that after a cult leader consciously learns everything they can they normally go into a mode of surrender – and let their unconscious work on the material they have learned for a while. Once they are ready they then take their conscious knowledge and unconscious savoir faire, and use it to start a new religious movement. Another phrase for cult leader is charismatic leader of a new religious movement.

I wonder how this can be applied to an artist, where they have established a cult of personality around themselves, and achieved what we think of as “being famous.”

Would their personal development be very similar?

Should artists who go to school, consciously surrender to their unconscious afterwards so they can achieve an identity that integrates knowledge with personality?

Anyways, let me know what you guys think.

Filed under: artists, cult leaders, ideas, psychology of a charismatic personality

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5 Responses

  1. Michael Robert Pollard, on February 11th, 2009 at 7:56 pm Said:

    sound thinking. I think I’m kind of like that. I didnt realize i was religious fanatic.

    peace and love

    MRP

    Reply
  2. Bill Donovan, on February 12th, 2009 at 2:35 am Said:

    One other thing that was interesting in the book was that the Charismatic Leaders who start the new religions rarely believe in taking their own religion literally. So not know you are a religious fanatic is actually a good sign that you may be a Charismatic Leader in the making, DIY religions.

    Reply
  3. El_CaminoArt, on February 12th, 2009 at 5:05 pm Said:

    I am curious about the book… I have created another person (the JellyFish Parrot) when I do ‘performance’. It is a version of me with the same background and experience I have, but with a more pointed direction and ‘persona’…
    I realize so much of my reality now has been tempered by my military experience…and the JellyFish Parrot is an overtly outward expression of that…
    For some I think the charismatic cult type persona works but surely not all. I do believe we create Our Myths as astists…kind of the same. Getting too cerebral for me…my concussions are starting to kick in

    Reply
  4. deryke, on February 13th, 2009 at 4:56 am Said:

    so, are you surprised or relieved i haven’t commented yet? ;)

    Reply
  5. Bill Donovan, on February 13th, 2009 at 11:50 am Said:

    D, I was wondering what your opinion would be on this. You probably have good insight.

    Reply

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