Skip to content

Sing, O Muse: Vocality as contemplative practice

Misha Penton

Dance, Movement & Spiritualities October 1, 2023 DOI: 10.1386/dmas_00055_1 (opens in new tab)

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Autoethnographic and poetic-postcritical theoretical paper Peer reviewed
Topics Meditation
Key findings Argues that artistic discipleship can be re-imagined as the artist serving as disciple of the Muse, defined in part as the energy signature of a creative discipline. Proposes that this energetic presence functions both as an inspired, externally perceived sacred source and as an internal guide inherent to the human psyche and the artist's creative process, explored through the liminal spaces between creative and contemplative practice.

Abstract

My practice as a singer–composer explores the sonorous expressivity of poetic language in a relational multi-layered meaning-making process. Drawing on a studio-centred contemplative approach, I focus on the intertwined and liminal spaces between my creative process and personal contemplative practices. My writing is a hybrid autoethnographic and poetic-postcritical engagement within a theoretical frame centred on the work of Robert Fripp and Maurice Merleau-Ponty. I re-envision and re-imagine artistic discipleship, that is, the artist as disciple of the Muse – defining the Muse, in part, as the energy signature of a creative discipline. This energetic presence evolves and morphs as an inspired, externally perceived sacred source and as an internal guide inherent to the human psyche and to the artist’s creative process.