"I'm a self-taught, independent creative, specialising in spontaneous, raw, intuitive art, natural light photography & radically honest writing." - Jay Taylor
ABOUT ME:
Art, music and writing have always been trusted outlets through which I process life as a sensitive being in the troubling, confusing World of Man. Creativity is the living expression of freedom. And freedom is our true nature...
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A born New Paradigm visionary, I never resonated with the unjust authoritarian structures which coercively control the people of the earth. As a result, I've spent a lifetime navigating the choppy waters where a passion for truth, fairness and evolution meet restrictive, largely divisive social mores. This has involved a gradual process of embracing my radical disposition, and discovering how to help foster more harmonious ways of being and interacting. Whilst being buffeted by prevailing social winds, I learned to set compass whenever possible by wonder, laughter and joy, aided by the natural and spirit worlds. Having the release and support of creativity - both my own, and that of others - has been my saving grace countless times...
UNITY IN DIVERSITY
Born in Manchester, England, in the late 1960s, my Northern British upbringing was not well suited to my innately free-spirited character. Extensive travel during my twenties and thirties was far more inspiring, deepening and validating a love of the unity to be found in diversity. This ethos, though mostly absent in my formative experiences, is the foundation of my worldview and creative endeavours. Meeting people from other countries and cultures opened my eyes to the fact that, as I had always suspected, human beings share more similarities than differences, even if they are "not from round here."
Becoming a mother at age 35 was a catalyst for transformation, growth and learning at a cellular level. The atomic restructuring that occurred the first time I gazed into my newborn baby's eyes changed everything. Subsequently, 21 years of Unschooling has unfolded organically, revealing the marvels of active, autonomous learning. In nurturing, protecting and facilitating my child's uniqueness, I have fallen in love with the discovery of experiences and information in the context of one's own everyday life and interests. This dynamic, organic approach informs my life and work, giving my creations vibrancy, spontaneity and authentic expression.
Becoming a mother at age 35 was a catalyst for transformation, growth and learning at a cellular level. The atomic restructuring that occurred the first time I gazed into my newborn baby's eyes changed everything. Subsequently, 21 years of Unschooling has unfolded organically, revealing the marvels of active, autonomous learning. In nurturing, protecting and facilitating my child's uniqueness, I have fallen in love with the discovery of experiences and information in the context of one's own everyday life and interests. This dynamic, organic approach informs my life and work, giving my creations vibrancy, spontaneity and authentic expression.
"The work of other creatives - musicians, artists, poets, writers - was a lifeline when I was struggling. Knowing that I was NOT alone, even in those darkest hours; knowing that others felt the same pain, the same joy, the same confusion. Knowing how much difference they made to my world was why I craved 'success'. This is a fundamental reason to reach out through creativity."
FEELING IS HEALING
Friendship and connection, communion with the All That Is - that foundational sensation of belonging - these have always been my driving forces in life. As an 'outsider', the tendency to seek them out has been both a burden and a blessing. But whenever dark nights of the soul have threatened to overshadow the joy of being alive, it has been moments shared, insight communicated, warmth, love and acceptance which have motivated me to survive and thrive.
Research, therapy, life experience, sharing thoughts, observations and feelings with other people - all reveal that most of us, to some degree or other, feel the urge to break free of the current system of control and live in peace and harmony. The advent of an Internet increasingly populated with accounts of peoples' mental, emotional and spiritual struggles confirms this: the pain of living in the World of Man affects us all.
Healing begins when we face this fact, and begin to practice compassion, integrity and right action. And this is the real story of my life - a movement toward reclaiming the Garden at the heart of the human experience, in order to join my free-spirited brothers and sisters there.
Research, therapy, life experience, sharing thoughts, observations and feelings with other people - all reveal that most of us, to some degree or other, feel the urge to break free of the current system of control and live in peace and harmony. The advent of an Internet increasingly populated with accounts of peoples' mental, emotional and spiritual struggles confirms this: the pain of living in the World of Man affects us all.
Healing begins when we face this fact, and begin to practice compassion, integrity and right action. And this is the real story of my life - a movement toward reclaiming the Garden at the heart of the human experience, in order to join my free-spirited brothers and sisters there.
WHY ART?
"Art is a wonderful platform for exploring every aspect of what it is to be human. The arts in general have been fertile ground for dissident and visionary voices through the ages... In seeking to express and honour my uniqueness, I hope to encourage others to do likewise."
There is something magical about creating art: it is both deeply personal and yet absolutely transcendent. Releasing an original artwork to do its work in the world means letting go of the illusion that it is 'mine'. Each 'brush baby' has a life of its own, and as it flies the nest, it invokes further creation, more appreciation, and more freedom. I echo Sacha Stone's observation that, "The elevation of art, beauty and consciousness, through right action, standing in pure truth in every living moment, is the path of least resistance to the highest possible outcome (for humanity).”
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Although I have drawn and painted since I could hold a crayon, I felt restricted by the structure and conformity of figurative art - a mirror, one might say, for similar feelings in relationship to society. Although art itself was a treasured outlet and stress reliever, art classes in school were almost entirely uninspiring - a succession of tennis shoes, pencil cases and other trivia needing to be recreated perfectly using the crappiest of media on toilet-paper-like pages, in the pursuit of letters and gold stars handed out by teachers who seemed largely devoid of any real artistic talent themselves. In the face of this stifling atmosphere, I painted horses, dragons, warrior men and women and other mythologically-inspired archetypes. Their often subversive nature flew satisfyingly close to the boundaries of what was acceptable, but usually left me feeling frustrated and inadequate. Try painting The Dragon devouring Saint George, using only the cheapest poster paints available, applied with something akin to a straightened-out toothbrush impaled upon a fat, splintery stick. Not fun! In fact, 'doodling' was usually where I found the most genuine pleasure - free-form pen or watercolour works which took shape of their own volition, spontaneous, organic and weirdly intriguing. I also wrote illustrated diaries and journals, poetry, lyrics and songs. The latter I performed as a singer and sometime guitarist for many years, before an extensive insider look at the music business left me in no uncertainty that the 'rockstar' life was not for me...
Whilst looking for avenues of expression other than singing and songwriting following my mother's suicide in 2006, I began to experiment with acrylic paints and true abstraction. After early attempts to recreate similar forms to my doodles using acrylics, I vividly recall the sudden thrill of painting without restraint or intent - throwing or moving the paint around on the substrate, loosely guiding it rather than focusing intently as required by those intricate little doodles. In the months that followed, my innate love of creating art was rekindled and its expression became increasingly uninhibited and rewarding. Working with a variety of media, experimenting with abstraction whilst sometimes incorporating figurative elements, I opened heart and soul to whatever wanted to come through in my art. And my soul began singing in paint...
In early 2010 I felt called to share my work with a wider audience. I have since built up an extensive portfolio, exhibiting online and in venues around my native UK. In 2012 I self-published ‘Art for a New Paradigm’, a book of my paintings with accompanying inspired text, and my art and photography can now be found in private collections around the world.
"The drive for authenticity in a deeply inauthentic world is tempered by a genuine love and compassion for humanity which permeates everything I do, even when expounding on our collective shortcomings."
VISION:
My dearest wish is for the healing and development of our collective consciousness. Each of us has the chance to play an active part in liberating humankind from the cancerous conditioning which currently ails us and the earth. I clearly see us blossoming into that which we truly are - unique, amazing individuals; cells in the body of humanity, each with an indispensable part to play in the health and vitality of the whole. When we reclaim our birthright, free from interference, a new era of human consciousness will emerge, fully in alignment with the laws of nature. It is from this energetic understanding that I paint, and inspired by this vision that I share.
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The World into which we are born is built upon a faulty framework. Raised in societies which promulgate limiting beliefs via divisive, restrictive brainwashing, we literally and figuratively "know not what we do". As destructive as the effects of this phenomena may be, all are therefore innocent of blame for our irresponsible actions, to the varying degrees that our enculturation blinds and misleads us.
Yet within every human being is a guiding force which continues to speak to that which is alive in us, rarely fully deserting us, rarely entirely overwritten. Our longing to honour this deep, underlying truth is a secret yearning which every one of us shares. Everyone, at some point at least, thinks they are all alone in this. But we are not. That inner voice - the voice of truth - speaks to every man, woman and child of other lives, other possibilities, of the knowledge of who we really are and what we are really capable of. Sit still in a field in the sunshine a few minutes and your inner superhero will begin to surface, whispering in your ear like your very own pocket dissenter.
Our true nature is not as presented to us by cultural systems which benefit the few at the expense of the many - yet it is continually mirrored back to us by nature itself, who never tires of reaching out to remind us of it. And happily, we can rise above these erroneous systems wherever we see them falsifying us. In order to thrive, we need only to grow a backbone - to pull up our panties without getting them in a bunch, and put into practise ways of being that benefit and respect our authenticity. Restoring balance, living in a sustainable manner, is as simple as realising our true nature and beginning to live in accordance with it.
Creativity is my go-to antidote to societal sickness - the vehicle for sharing my vision and mission with the world. Free-spirited, unfettered and guided by intuition, creating is my 'safe place'. In this sacred place, I become the living embodiment of acceptance, non-judgement and absolute freedom. All of my creative activities, including writing, are manifested 'stream-of-consciousness'. It all manifests without volition or force, expressing itself without constraint in a manner that feels empowering, playful, co-creative and authentic. I offer myself as a channel to whatever wants to come through. I don't censor or hold back anything.
Yet within every human being is a guiding force which continues to speak to that which is alive in us, rarely fully deserting us, rarely entirely overwritten. Our longing to honour this deep, underlying truth is a secret yearning which every one of us shares. Everyone, at some point at least, thinks they are all alone in this. But we are not. That inner voice - the voice of truth - speaks to every man, woman and child of other lives, other possibilities, of the knowledge of who we really are and what we are really capable of. Sit still in a field in the sunshine a few minutes and your inner superhero will begin to surface, whispering in your ear like your very own pocket dissenter.
Our true nature is not as presented to us by cultural systems which benefit the few at the expense of the many - yet it is continually mirrored back to us by nature itself, who never tires of reaching out to remind us of it. And happily, we can rise above these erroneous systems wherever we see them falsifying us. In order to thrive, we need only to grow a backbone - to pull up our panties without getting them in a bunch, and put into practise ways of being that benefit and respect our authenticity. Restoring balance, living in a sustainable manner, is as simple as realising our true nature and beginning to live in accordance with it.
Creativity is my go-to antidote to societal sickness - the vehicle for sharing my vision and mission with the world. Free-spirited, unfettered and guided by intuition, creating is my 'safe place'. In this sacred place, I become the living embodiment of acceptance, non-judgement and absolute freedom. All of my creative activities, including writing, are manifested 'stream-of-consciousness'. It all manifests without volition or force, expressing itself without constraint in a manner that feels empowering, playful, co-creative and authentic. I offer myself as a channel to whatever wants to come through. I don't censor or hold back anything.
In the face of the troubles of the world, and my own personal challenges, laughter is vitally important me. My unlikely band of heroes includes divinely-inspired irreverents like Rumi, UG Krishnamurti, Mark Twain, Walt Whitman, Jed McKenna, Banksy, Hundertwasser, Tony Robbins and George Carlin. It's therefore no surprise that people sense playfulness, fun and openness in my work. Just like the fine art of balancing world and earth, there's an art to balancing hard-hitting with light-hearted, realistic with visionary, and earnestness with humour. Whilst a lot of what I say and do is very serious indeed, I think it's vitally important to remember as best one can not to take oneself too seriously.
A profound and abiding love of the natural world has carried me through difficulties whenever my sense of humour failed. I have found that even in moments of the deepest depression, I cannot look long upon a sparrow or dig my bare feet into the earth and continue to feel existential crisis or despair, despite a predisposition to both. Whenever I reconnect with the Source of Life - with my own natural guidance system and the beautiful earth upon which I am blessed to live - the madness of World of Man cannot prevail in my heart, and the cycle of self-doubt ceases. This dichotomy is often apparent in my artwork: the challenges of living 'in but not of' the World of Man, and my absolute need to find balance by spending time just 'being' who I am outside of its confines. Painting, writing, singing, photography - all of these channels allow me to freely express this dichotomy, and reach out to others who see and feel it, too. Like many before me, I share a vision of a world living in harmony with our true nature and the earth. And this leads me to my mission...
"Over the years, it has become increasingly clear to me that communicating anything of value is best achieved by actively modelling a different way. Like so much in life, I have learned this lesson the hard way: it has taken many wounds and battles to begin to fully realise."
MISSION:
Rather than continually fighting against the existing paradigm, I now consciously choose to facilitate and BE an agent of the new, wherever I am able. I know that a new way of being is possible. I have the living example of my relationship to my own child for inspiration - a relationship of the deepest respect and love crafted by the sheer determination to break generational and ancestral patterns of destructive and divisive parenting.
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Life abhors a vacuum. Given a 'blank canvas', Life will invariably fill the void with itself - with life, with variety, with a symbiotic symphony of diversity and beauty. It is this life force to which I offer a channel when I pick up a brush, a camera, a pen or an instrument. In that channeling lies liberation from the human identification with limitation. It is a wonderfully dynamic process which brings me great joy and connection, and a feeling of serving something greater than myself.
I consider my progress towards being a fully responsible human to be a continual ‘work in progress’, always striving to better embody compassion, inter-dependence and The Art of Authenticity. The regular practise of creativity opens a channel for free expression and intuition. In seeking to inform my own life with more intelligence, in looking for and living sustainable and functional alternatives, I bring a sense of wonder and playfulness to my work which serves as a powerful antidote to the destructive and disconnected behaviour so prevalent in modern society. (Re)discovering my true capabilities and transcending culturally imposed limitations in my own life has become my life's work, sharing observations and insights with fellow wayfarers in the hopes that they may be of use. Feedback from those who share a similar frequency is part of an amazing reciprocal cycle of growth and contribution. This mission is a keystone element which filters through into my artwork.
The longer I live in the World, the more aware I become that 'Revolution' is merely a completed cycle of the same repeating pattern - the pattern which creates disease rather than health. It's time to break free and reinvent the wheel, and I approach my art - and whatever happens next - with this same sense of unconventional exploration. As I continue to embrace my part in our human evolution, my focus is on nurturing and developing ever more consciousness in myself and others on a journey into ever-increasing symbiosis and co-operation with Nature and with all of Life.
Allowing the free expression of this intent to evolve upon canvas or paper, working with the forces of Life and Nature, is my calling. My remit as artist and writer is to convey and engender a sense of belonging and connection - to assist Nature in reflecting our true nature back to us, in the service of life and truth.
I consider my progress towards being a fully responsible human to be a continual ‘work in progress’, always striving to better embody compassion, inter-dependence and The Art of Authenticity. The regular practise of creativity opens a channel for free expression and intuition. In seeking to inform my own life with more intelligence, in looking for and living sustainable and functional alternatives, I bring a sense of wonder and playfulness to my work which serves as a powerful antidote to the destructive and disconnected behaviour so prevalent in modern society. (Re)discovering my true capabilities and transcending culturally imposed limitations in my own life has become my life's work, sharing observations and insights with fellow wayfarers in the hopes that they may be of use. Feedback from those who share a similar frequency is part of an amazing reciprocal cycle of growth and contribution. This mission is a keystone element which filters through into my artwork.
The longer I live in the World, the more aware I become that 'Revolution' is merely a completed cycle of the same repeating pattern - the pattern which creates disease rather than health. It's time to break free and reinvent the wheel, and I approach my art - and whatever happens next - with this same sense of unconventional exploration. As I continue to embrace my part in our human evolution, my focus is on nurturing and developing ever more consciousness in myself and others on a journey into ever-increasing symbiosis and co-operation with Nature and with all of Life.
Allowing the free expression of this intent to evolve upon canvas or paper, working with the forces of Life and Nature, is my calling. My remit as artist and writer is to convey and engender a sense of belonging and connection - to assist Nature in reflecting our true nature back to us, in the service of life and truth.
"As a survivor of its dysfunctional programming, I reject that within our current society which models and perpetuates unnecessary pain and suffering. I align myself with nature, with Life Itself, and look to Life and Love, not the world of man, for sustenance and guidance."
THE ART OF (RE)CONNECTION:
Until recently I was steward to 15 acres of land in the heart of the Peak District National Park in rural Derbyshire, England, turning this little sanctuary back to nature and allowing a veritable wildlife haven to emerge. At its heart and mine was The Chicken Field, where I tended to and communed with my feathered friends and the wildlife which embraced me as kith and kin. Having this space to breathe, to explore what it means to be a human in nature, was one of the most healing experiences I have ever undertaken. Four years of all-weather time spent in wildness daily was food for the soul and assisted the development of my art in profound ways. I bring this wholehearted connection into my art and now often paint outdoors, incorporating interaction with the elements into my painting sessions.
'Losing' that sacred space - moving back to civilisation - is a powerful lesson in letting go, one which I am currently processing and responding to as I adjust to a very different way of life. Uncertainty abounds, but I promise you this - I will keep on learning, growing, surviving and thriving. Although very far from perfect, I am sincerely committed to contributing whatever I can, wherever I am.
In our modern world, not everyone is fortunate enough to experience the enduring sense of connection for which I am so very thankful. I trust that my work will contribute something of value - perhaps in conveying a little of the wonder and magic of Creation, Life and Nature to those with whom it resonates.
Please feel free to reach out and talk to me - I am always delighted to find kindred spirits along the road less traveled! - Jay, 14th February 2019
'Losing' that sacred space - moving back to civilisation - is a powerful lesson in letting go, one which I am currently processing and responding to as I adjust to a very different way of life. Uncertainty abounds, but I promise you this - I will keep on learning, growing, surviving and thriving. Although very far from perfect, I am sincerely committed to contributing whatever I can, wherever I am.
In our modern world, not everyone is fortunate enough to experience the enduring sense of connection for which I am so very thankful. I trust that my work will contribute something of value - perhaps in conveying a little of the wonder and magic of Creation, Life and Nature to those with whom it resonates.
Please feel free to reach out and talk to me - I am always delighted to find kindred spirits along the road less traveled! - Jay, 14th February 2019