Follow Your Bliss: How to Be Happy by Living a Creative Life
Follow your bliss down to the sea on Nólsoy, Faroe Islands.
Do you want to be happy and follow your bliss? While life is full of challenges I was determined to discover how living a creative life would enable me to follow my bliss. I felt sure happiness would follow.
You will follow your bliss by living a purpose driven, meaning rich existence. Being happy and regularly experiencing bliss is a natural consequence of spending your time doing what you love to do, particularly when it involves living a creative life undertaken in the service of others.
Being able to follow your bliss, while requiring ongoing focus and effort, is achieved by identifying your true purpose in life and dedicating sufficient time and energy towards its fulfillment.
You’ll find that a positive, life affirming mindset will allow you to implement creative solutions that will bring comfort, connection and inspiration into the lives of others. As a result of helping others more happiness and joy will flow through into your own life.
I can’t wait to uncover how to be happy by living a more creative life.
But, before I do, we need to first explore the meaning of bliss and how you can create the space and mindset needed to follow your bliss on your journey through life.
Find Your Bliss Meaning
The search for bliss involves a quest to discover your own true purpose in life. For most of us bliss is ephemeral and very much of the moment. It’s not a feeling or sensation that can be easily tapped into or made manifest on demand.
Experiencing bliss, on a regular basis, requires effort of the mind and of the body. And I don’t mean to suggest by that any requirement to place yourself into a meditative state and sit, cross legged, in what’s known as the lotus position.
That’s not to say that certain insights one arrives at through a meditative state could not be considered blissful. They most certainly can. But there’s more than one way to crack open the proverbial bliss coconut, and a life built around creativity and serving the needs of others is the best way forward for many of us.
It’s a matter of what’s right for you: a life of detachment or a life based around engagement. Most likely, an approach that allows you to balance your creative endeavors with your everyday duties and responsibilities will be the best way forward. And it’s totally achievable.
Bliss can be associated with and, indeed, triggered by a connection to beauty.
Would you consider yourself to be creative and/or spiritual? Then you’re more likely to notice and appreciate those short glimpses of beauty that many other folk probably don’t pay enough attention to.
There’s no doubt that immersing yourself in nature, in art or another creative activity can put you in a mindset that’s more receptive to experiencing bliss.
Likewise, some folks reach a sense of bliss through extreme physical exertion. I think that’s all about being in the moment and the fact that, by concentrating so much attention on your exertion, there’s simply no time for the doubt, pettiness and negative emotions that seep into our minds during other times of the day.
It’s all a matter of where you place your attention and how focused it is.
One of the great things about a creative pursuit like landscape photography is that it’s not just about the location depicted, it’s also about the weather. And because weather can change from one moment to the next, you have to be attentive and ready for action.
I certainly felt a deep sense of bliss while creating the photo at the top of this post. I remember following that stony path towards the sea on the island of Nólsoy near Tórshavn in the Faroe Islands.
The feeling was electric as the sun came out and illuminated the path before me. It’s hard to describe the elation I felt as I made my way towards the shoreline and the deep blue colors of the sea under that brooding, stormy sky.
Mind you, as the weather on the short journey over to Nólsoy had been grim, most folks alighted the ferry and headed straight for the cafe or the pub. But that’s almost never an option for me.
As I travel to create beautiful, life affirming photos I had higher priorities in mind. Despite the lure of a refreshing, amber nectar I decided to take a walk and see what I’d find. I’m so glad I did and this photo is a testament to that resolve.
Who Said Follow Your Bliss?
Comparative religion and mythology expert Dr. Joseph Campbell coined the phrase follow your bliss in the early part of the 1950s.
I remember, like many other people, being introduced to Dr. Campbell and the notion of following your bliss on the Bill Moyers hosted, six-part 1988 PBS television series titled Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth.
Soon afterwards I purchased the book that accompanied the series and it’s become an important part of my book collection.
Actually, in preparation for moving house recently, I donated most of my books, CD’s and DVD’s to charity. But that book was one that stayed with me and, now that I’ve settled into my current abode, I’m very much looking forward to reading it again.
Campbell’s principles are formed, in part, upon the Hindu belief of Satchitananda (Sat-Chit-Ananda) which refers to one’s true nature or what is also described as the subjective experience of the ultimate, unchanging reality known as Brahman.
Actually, Satchitananda comprises three separate words which can be described as follows:
Sat is truth, all inclusive and never changing
Chit means consciousness
Ananda refers to one’s innate happiness or bliss
I remember watching the Power of Myth and being totally in awe of the concepts Dr. Campbell presented. Campbell’s intellect and deep rooted knowledge of the topics discussed was evident as was the passion with which he presented his arguments.
We’ve all been introduced to mythology, of one kind or another, through books, movies and religion. Dr. Campbell encourages us to take those myths seriously by looking beyond the characters and stories depicted and exploring any underlying themes and messages.
Dr. Campbell’s ability to reference myths and sagas such as the Ramayana, Kalevala and Star Wars to distill and connect archetypal figures from a variety of cultural traditions was a revelation to me. Even Darth Vader gets a mention.
Most important of all was that Joseph Campbell elevated our understanding of the relevance of mythology as a way to better understand the human condition and our own place in this world.
His contribution is significant, particularly in relation to the common perception that myth is fiction and, therefore, not to be believed.
“We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one
that is waiting for us. Find a place inside where there’s joy,
and the joy will burn out the pain.”
Without wanting to lose myself in semantics I’ve long been concerned about how the relationship between the words fact and truth has changed over the years. Many people seem to hold to the notion that a myth, because it may not be factually correct, must therefore be untrue.
Facts are related to data and empirical evidence. Truth, on the other hand, often relates to more subjective understandings and also to belief systems.
Needles to say, as science evolves and our ability to gather, test, diagnose and explore improves our conclusions change.
For a very long time people believed that the world was flat. Most held that as an undeniable fact. But as we discovered more about our world and, as a consequence, our place within it we slowly began to reconsider our place in the universe.
So, while different, facts and truth have clearly influenced each other over the years.
What Is Personal Bliss?
Bliss refers to a sense of personal fulfillment and satisfaction derived when you serve the needs of others. Bliss brings meaning to your life resulting in a state of profound contentment.
How you go about achieving bliss will be based upon your own true purpose in life and how it is you go about helping others. It’s a personal quest, though it’s one we should all undertake.
How Do I Find My Bliss?
I’ve found bliss by marrying my two great passions in life: travel and photography. It’s important to remember that finding bliss is easier when you’re involved in creative pursuits, particularly when they allow you bring joy into the lives of others.
I particularly enjoy the process of photography as I find it enables me to sense the sublime in all things. And that’s more about the interplay of light and color than it is about the places I travel to or the people and things I photograph.
My travels are actually quite demanding and I ask a lot of myself, both physically and emotionally. But it’s through putting myself in difficult situations and often pushing my limits that I’m best able to live in the moment, free of the regrets associated with the past and the worries we so often project into our future.
My travels have allowed me to visit incredible places and meet extraordinary people. Along the way I’ve discovered quite a bit about myself and my ability to push ahead and achieve the goals I set for myself. I’ve been able to bring those lessons home with me and incorporate them into my normal, everyday life.
Most important of all my travels are based, almost entirely, around photography. It’s ironic but it’s through all the drama and hardships involved in reaching these destinations, as much as the destinations themselves, that my most unique and serendipitous experiences occur.
I love both color and black and white photography. Likewise I love photographing people, landscapes and architecture. I’ve even done a little bit of sport and wildlife photography over the years.
I brand myself as a travel photographer, but that doesn’t mean I look for work photographing models in swim suits lounging around hotel pools.
I’m much more interested in exploring my own, personal approach to the world around me and expressing that through the art of photography. To that end light, color and other elements of composition are key components in my image making process.
“Searching for the beauty that exists on the edge of understanding is
central to how I experience bliss. Photography is the creative
endeavor by which I go about that journey.”
Beyond the people, landscapes and architectural elements I usually find myself photographing, the following three themes, in particular, underpin my own creative journey through the art of photography.
Beauty
Duality
Bliss is, of course, fleeting. Fortunately, the technical discipline of photography concentrates my attention in a way that allows me to document those fleeting moments.
Likewise, composition allows me to find order in an often chaotic world. And from order understanding follows. From that point of view you might refer to photography as an active meditation.
To better understand the motivations behind by own approach to photography I recommend you take a look at my highly crafted Artist Statement.
Over time my approach to composition has become quite deliberate and I’II use elements of composition such as light, color, balance, repetition and symmetry to help realize a sense of harmony and cohesion in my photos.
Duality has become a major theme in my work and the juxtaposition of opposites (e.g., warm and cool, light and dark, rich and poor), as much as the connection of similar elements within the frame, underpins much of my visual explorations.
Heavy rain and gale force winds in Vidareidi in the Faroe Islands.
Follow Your Bliss, Even When It Rains
I made this photo, in the pouring rain, from inside my hire car in Vidareidi on the island of Vidoy in the Faroe Islands. Vidareidi is the northernmost settlement in the Faroes and famous for stormy weather.
I arrived at my accomodation late in the day and awoke during the evening to the sound of gale force winds and pouring rain. That weather continued throughout the next day making it extremely difficult to make any photos.
I can vividly remember the car door slamming into my body, again and again, each time I got out of the vehicle to try and explore. But it was worth it as the experience was exhilarating.
Down by the sea there’s a few historic buildings where I met a young German couple. Not long after I arrived the guy headed off to explore further afield, but I felt the need to stay close to his diminutive partner as I feared the winds might sweep her away.
I’m glad I did as there were numerous times when I had to reach out and grab her arm as she was, quite literally, lifted off the ground by those ferocious wind gusts.
After her partner returned I headed off to make a few pictures, taking care to try and avoid the biggest wind gusts by keeping myself very low to the ground as I made my way around the compound.
That’s where a positive mindset comes in. By getting out of your house or hotel room you can experience the rain, whether on a walk or sitting in your car by the beach.
You may not end up with the photo you had hoped for but, by adopting a creative approach, you’ll likely return with one or more unique and totally authentic images.
That’s very much the case with this photo, made through the windscreen of my hire car. It’s perhaps the most abstract image from that journey, and I love it because it brings back one of the most memorable experiences from my visit to the Faroe Islands.
Bliss has been described as a heightened sense of joy, personal fulfillment and happiness. But the sensation of joy and happiness are fleeting and, these days, often associated with the need for personal gratification.
Ironically, it’s the need to continually feed the monster, desire, that keeps most of us unhappy, most of the time.
This post is all about a more authentic and, ultimately, a more rewarding way to follow your bliss.
Beauty and Bliss: Living a Purpose Driven Life
I find my own way to bliss through beauty and I find and photograph beauty in a variety of subjects, including those that wouldn’t typically be considered beautiful.
The beauty of a child, showcasing their own inherent innocence, can be truly mesmerizing. But I’m also attracted to the elderly and the beauty of experience that’s drawn into their faces.
Architecture celebrates the interactions of light, surface and space, and showcases the ingenuity of the artist/architect to realize such grand endeavors. When visiting larger cities I love to spend time in cathedrals, temples and other places of worship, just as much as I do visiting secular architectural splendours.
The purity and serenity of the natural landscape has long attracted me and I’ve experienced many profound and blissful moments in remote parts of the world, including the following places:
Himalayas
Central Australia
Iceland
There’s something very special about being in nature, away from the hustle and bustle of crowded cities. I’ve been fortunate to have had some profound experiences while photographing in some of the more remote parts of our world.
It’s at such times that I feel connected in a way that allows me to, somehow, go beyond that which is seen and glimpse something of the sublime. That force that connects all things.
Do you know the story of Cain and Abel? The sons of Adam were said to have inherited an equal division of the world. Cain was granted ownership of the land while Abel was given ownership of all living creatures.
The names of the brothers are a pair of opposites. Abel comes from the Hebrew word hebel, meaning breath or vapor. In other words, anything that lives and moves and is transient. Conversely, the root of Cain seems to be the verb kanah, meaning to acquire, own property, rule or subjugate.
Is it any wonder that Cain accused Abel of trespass.
Cain, who would build the first city, was promised dominion over Abel. Yet Abel, who preferred to wander, was the favorite of God, himself a god of the way.
While portrayed as brothers, Cain and Abel actually represent two different peoples or cultures. Cain represents planters, while Abel represents herders. Their story is the myth of the herding (or hunting) people conquering the land of the planters. It’s a myth that’s appeared in numerous cultures over the millennia.
In each case the younger brother is both the favorite son and the victim. In the case of Cain and Abel it’s also likely that Abel refers to the Hebrews, while Cain is a reference to the Canaanites whom, according to the Bible, the tribes of Israel conquered after their return from exile in Egypt.
If you remember the story, Cain killed Abel and, as a way of atonement, God denies Cain the fruits of the earth and forces him to wander as a fugitive and a vagabond in the Land of Nod. Nod refers to the wilderness or desert in which Abel had wandered previously.
I remember as a child hearing my mother wishing me pleasant dreams with an “Off to the Land of Nod” after reading a bedtime story to my younger sister and I.
You know I always have to check myself when writing the words wander or wonder. They’re similar looking words and, from that point of view, it can be easy to confuse them. While they mean quite different things, I also feel they can be quite closely linked to each other.
You see it’s through wandering that a sense of wonder often finds it’s way into our lives. So, from that point of view, wonder and bliss are closely connected. Are they not?
I’m suddenly reminded about how the term walkabout has been used to describe a rite of passage in Australian Aboriginal society where an adolescent male is sent into the wilderness, for anywhere up to six months, to undergo the spiritual transition into manhood.
That’s a very cursory explanation, but it does point to the importance of wandering in traditional societies. You could say you wander to find yourself.
The search for great subject matter is a major motivation for us photographers. As much as finding beauty in people I meet on my journeys, sublime natural landscapes and magnificent architectural wonders I’m also intrigued and very much drawn to a certain type of beauty, which I find in more mundane, everyday things.
When I’m out and about on a suburban train or, perhaps, wandering around through an industrial part of town, I’m always keeping my eyes peeled for beauty in the banal. In fact some of my greatest successes have come about Photographing Unconventional Subject Matter.
Statues and stained glass windows, particularly those depicting characters and events from world religions, have long attracted my attention. As a child I remember being fascinated by the statues and stained glass windows in St. Mary’s Catholic Church in my hometown, Hamilton.
Later, when I started traveling to Asia, I became enamored with statues from Buddhism and Hinduism. In fact the thesis for my first post graduate degree was titled Statues and the Landscapes Between.
Beauty, wherever I find it, is my window onto a state of bliss. But this is a deeply personal experience and to find your own window you need to be in the right frame of mind.
In this regard it’s good to remember that looking is not the same as seeing.
Changing your mindset is easier when you place yourself into an environment that enables a more positive outlook. I find walking, particularly in nature, opens me up to the kind of transcendental experience I’m seeking.
Likewise, a church, temple or other place of worship often permeates a sense of peace and calm that’s ideal for creating the beautiful, life affirming images that have become so important to how I go about following my bliss.
Local tourist passing through a mist shrouded landscape on Huangshan Mountain, China.
Understanding Bliss By Exploring The Human Condition
To understand the human condition is to understand the joys, struggles, aspirations and disappointments of life. We can both understand and better appreciate the moments of bliss we experience in our own lives by paying attention to the needs of others.
While photos of beautiful people adorn the covers of magazines, I’m more interested in creating beautiful images that explore the human condition in a way that’s sensitive, respectful and made in collaboration with the subject depicted.
To this end I feel empathy is critical in the documentary photography tradition.
Travel photography is both a window onto the world, beyond your normal everyday experience, and a mirror that reflects your thoughts, opinions and life experience onto the faces, places and sites you photograph.
“Tune out, turn on, drop out.”
Common Myths About Following Your Bliss
It’s important not to confuse pursuing short-term, ego driven desires simply to satisfy one’s need for self gratification with dedicating oneself to following your bliss through service to others.
The road to bliss is longer and harder when you’re continually seeking instant gratification. Constructing a mindset based around the notion of abundance can be helpful as you won’t feel the need to compete with anyone other than yourself.
By concentrating your attention on serving others there’ll no longer be any room for jealousy in your life. As a result so many of the frustrations, inadequacies and jealousy that stop so many folk from realising their true potential will no longer be part of your own reality.
While you may not find the level of bliss you desire working for other people, your interactions can make a real and ongoing difference to the lives of your customers and those with whom you work.
Treating people with respect and opening them up to opportunities around what you do will enable others to learn, engage and flourish.
Empowering customers and colleagues is probably the best way to a happy and engaged workplace. Of course such action requires us to surrender a degree of control. And that does not always come easily.
Of course our world is not a glorious utopia. In some circumstances something approaching a benevolent overload may be required to keep a team from fracturing and staying focused on their goals.
There’s nothing wrong with a hard boss, so long as they’re a fair boss. So long as people are respected, given the chance to express their opinions and provided with ongoing opportunities to learn and take on new challenges life should be good.
Needless to say respect is a three edged sword. While an employee might expect it, they also need to give it: to their boss and to their fellow employees. And a good boss has to balance the needs of an individual with the needs of the team, the organization and the larger community.
I think Mr. Spock said it best:
“The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.”
Bliss is often associated with passion and doing what you love to do is critical to experiencing bliss on a more regular basis. That’s why it’s so important to discover what you need to be doing and find a way, if it’s at all possible, to devote yourself to it.
Needless to say the financial necessities of life dictate that, if your bliss lies in a creative endeavor, it might not be possible to pursue it full time.
All the more reason to dedicate time to following your bliss, whenever you can, and to ensure that you create the right environment and mindset to make the most of your time while pursuing your passion.
Why You Should Follow Your Bliss
Thus far we’ve explored the concept of finding your bliss and how important it is to orientate what you do to help others. Now it’s time to speak to why you need to follow your bliss, each and every day.
A life devoted to following your bliss is most certainly attainable. Needless to say following your bliss involves patience and bringing a greater sense of balance into your life. But you don’t need to be a monk, cloistering yourself off from the world, to do so.
What’s more it’s unlikely most of us can be completely single minded when it comes to constructing our life around the goal of following our bliss. We have to accept that all manner of obligations and interruptions will pop up, almost certainly, on a daily basis.
Following your bliss does not give you permission to avoid the responsibilities of your job or your role as a partner or parent. The secret is to find a balance where a positive mindset enables you to find ways to make the most of your situation and not begrudge your responsibilities.
Being open to possibilities and making the most of the situation you find yourself in will allow you to find contentment and joy, even when the going gets tough.
Over the years I’ve been quite successful at this strategy. I really enjoy the connection with participants and the technical and conceptual breakthroughs that come, like a bolt of lightning from a clear sky, into the eyes of those folks I’m able to help on their own creative journey.
These days I do this through private photography classes mostly in Melbourne, Australia. But feedback tells me that I’m also able to help and inspire a lot of people through my website and blog. Which is the primary reason I put so much work into it.
Melbourne based writer Samantha Marshall knows how to follow her bliss.
Bliss: Heal Yourself, Heal the World
I created the website www.travelphotographyguru.com that this post is featured on way back in 2010. The tagline for the website is Heal the World, One Photo at a Time. That ties in, very much with a related belief I have: Heal Yourself, Heal the World.
It’s my belief that to truly be able to help people you should also be working to heal yourself from the troubles, anguish and hurt you’ve experienced in your own journey through life.
It’s probably best that you sort yourself out first, but the reality is that many of us help others and, as a consequence of our good deeds, end up helping ourselves.
It’s all about finding the right balance that works for you.
I’ve learned to respect my own need to create content (photos and blog posts) and, to do so, I need to retreat somewhat from the world.
I use my camera to seek out and create beautiful images, I then find the time to post process them on my computer and get about sharing them, often as part of a blog post, as a way of bringing joy and inspiration into the lives of others.
This approach allows me to remain enthusiastic, engaged and energized over considerable periods of time. What I’ve learned is that there’s a time to be social and a time to be focused on creativity.
It’s all about serving your own need to life a purpose driven, meaning rich life.
Most recently I’ve been spending time connecting with a variety of creatives (e.g., painters, musicians, craftsman, designers, poets, writers) on a near daily basis.
This photo features Melbourne based writer and all round cool gal, Samantha Marshall. Samantha is an award winning author who writes, in her own words:
“… a fusion of paranormal, fantasy, sci-fi and general magical delights, with a happily ever after thrown in for good measure.”
Samantha and I had a hoot driving around and looking out for interesting locations to make these photos. It was a lovely day, until it rained, and the drive gave us an opportunity to explore, discover and get to know each other.
You can’t imagine how helpful that can be, to subject and photographer alike, when the idea is to create photos that are descriptive, beautiful and useful to the subject.
To have been able to glimpse something of Samantha’s character in these photos was important to me. And I feel I’ve done just that.
I asked Samantha to speak about following bliss in her life. Here’s what she has to say on the matter.
“There are always ups and downs, but the heart of my drive has never changed. If not for developing my passion, I’d never have found the strength to stand on my own two feet and reach - really, really reach - for what I wanted in my life.”
It’s been a difficult and isolating time for so many folks. But art and other creative pursuits offer us solutions.
Immersing yourself in creative endeavors
Reaching out for connection
Bringing joy and inspiration into the lives of others
Are these not prime examples of how to find and follow bliss in your own life?
I love getting out and about, traveling and sharing the beauty of our world with an ever wider audience. I also love teaching photography and helping folks closer to home explore creativity in their own lives. You can see how closely linked these two activities are to each other.
So long as my endeavors are based on serving others I consider that I’m moving in the right direction to find and follow bliss in my own life. And that makes me happy.
My wish for you is that you’ll find ways to bring a greater and more frequent sense of bliss into your own life. And you’ll do so by following this very simple recipe.
Discover what it is you want to be doing
Take a creative approach to what you do
Ensure what you do serves the needs of others
Being creative, particularly when it’s done in the service of others, will enable you to bring joy and connection into the lives of folk near and far. Building an audience for your work and your message can only help you attain that goal.
This is the ticket to live the life you were meant to live. An authentic, purpose driven and meaning rich existence.
And don’t worry about being selfish. As long as you maintain a sense of balance, that ensures you meet the duties and responsibilities associated with your work and family life, you can forge ahead and follow your bliss knowing that you’re involved in a creative endeavor that’s done in the service of others.
So, how about getting on with it and start down the road that will enable you to follow bliss in your own life?
From there you’ll be able to better appreciate and make the most of the joy and happiness that flows your way, and let that radiate outwards so that it has a positive effect on others.
