Walied Jassat
Engineer, PRoducer, Writer, Artist, Musician, Project Manager from South Africa
What Inspired you to do a Soul Art journey?
I came across Laura’s TED talk and other videos and was really inspired. I then followed the website and facebook, and when i heard about SoulArt Day it just captured my imagination and i said to myself, i have to do this, no matter what… it is a top priority! For a while now i have been feeling like i’m free falling… like the carpet has been pulled out from under my feet, like the old solid foundation has crumbled and i’m falling deeper in, and its scary but its also magical and beautiful as i try to find my self yet again for the first time, re-create my self and my world or life… I am following my heart and it feels partly weird and partly tantalizing… unearthing the parts of me that were repressed, resurrecting the poet and artist that were buried under the ruins when the great quake struck. Mt talent and longing was never nurtured in fact the opposite was the case, i was forced to study engineering and my creative side atrophied, but still came through indirectly in other ways, but now it wants to burst out!!!
How would you describe your creative process?
I start with inspiration, mainly nature, and then absorb my favourite artists, Rob Gonsalves, Rassouli, Alex Grey, and bands: Switchfoot, Creed, Lifehouse and a bit of new age and trance, and then i sketch (music playing loudly), and then i paint, but sticking loosely to the sketch outline, and slowly fill up the canvas with colorful energy, and then I let it breathe and return later to improvise and embellish, but just have fun and enjoy and learn, cos this was my first proper oil painting 🙂
What insight did you receive from your Soul Art?
Mainly that i love painting and artistic expression and would love to do it more often, that it makes me feel alive and fulfilled… blissful… I lose track of time and everything becomes beautiful and vividly vibrant, and i feel my heart expanding, kind of the same feeling i get when I’m playing the guitar, all becomes energetic vibration. I want to be this character Geronimo who feels things deeply, and inspires others, and is free of fear and inhibitions, and just shines… he is trapped inside me, in a prison shell, but now he bursts free
What is the most important thing you would like to share about your Soul Art experience?
We made it a family journey with my wife and daughter, we each did the process, and then created soul art, and had so much fun and shared learning doing it together. I feel more myself when i am creatively expressive, I feel more beautiful myself, and I am more spontaneous and feel my self esteem rise – I am also attending a fascinating course on Jungian individuation and I feel by following my heart’s desire i can shine too… I can be free – thank you all for sharing the journey!