“There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and (will) be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is; nor how valuable it is; nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours, clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep open and aware directly to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. No artist is pleased. There is no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer, divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others.” – Martha Graham to Agnes DeMille
Reason and revelation are evidence of the male and female principle at work in the invisible realm of thought. When positive revelation and negative reason fuse, original thought, creative genius or brilliant life expression is conceived.
You, whether you are male or female, are a womb for creation. You can live your life in a way that makes the womb that you are hospitable and nourishing to the invisible seeds of creation, that is, the life force, or you can live in a way that desecrates and incapacitates the womb that you are. The choice is yours.
As with human pregnancy, creative living is occasionally uncomfortable. It forces you to grow and stretch in ways that test your resolve and your ability to remain focused on keeping the channel open, but at the end of the day there is no fulfillment, no happiness like that which emanates forth from a life lived in blessed unrest.
To live a life worth living, that is, a life inspired by revelation and conditioned by reason, you must get used to discomfort and keep the channel open!
Gregory Hake 
The “quickening” was used in the popular series “The Highlander”.
I love the description of the impulse that follows true creative action. Once blessed by the experience, will forever be chased… Awakening & Enlivening us, causing the eternal “unrest” that drives us to new heights!
I greatly appreciate the timing of your expression, and appreciate the “Blessed Unrest” even deeper.
Thanks, Gregg!
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I love this part of the quotation that goes along with your ending sentence, “You have to keep open and aware directly to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. ” This does put a refreshing insight into what it means to keep the channel open. And to keep heeding those urges. It just takes one step to act from those urges that leads to another and another step. As it was mentioned yesterday about the simplest possible solution it reminds me of the simplest possible step prompted from our blessed unrest that gives a greater and greater sense of living a fulfilling life.
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If you learn to listen to the flows of life, you can become sensitive to the ins and outs of creativity. Imagine walking through the forest with your head down and looking at your feet; you won’t see or feel any of the wonderful things around you. Compare that to walking with your head up and scanning, looking and feeling with all your senses. That is how we should be living life. We should be able to translate our perceptions of the world into our unique viewpoint and output. No matter what anyone says we all have our own unique pattern, and we should be using our capabilities for our own creation.
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Great explanation. Love the quote. Describing this phenomena is so helpful. The discomfort can become larger in your mind than it actually is. Becoming familiar with the butterflies is the stomach, the racing heart or dry mouth and realizing they are your indicators that you’re pushing your present limit so don’t stop, keep going! I believe we are each born to add more value and often it feels like a stretch.
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It seems like so much of the world we’ve fashioned is designed to lead us away from this understanding as it puts a premium on comfort. This is not to say a life of ‘blessed unrest’ is self-deprecating, demeaning and demoralizing like the images of ascetic martyrdom conjures, but that the premium comfort comes only in measure to the materialization of these inner urges we all house. The simpler comforts in life, if they end up mesmerizing the senses, will dominate and thus this primary responsibility we carry, succinctly put above in both quote and post, simply gets drowned out. Since there is no longer a worthy opposing force to your life, no meritous challenge, weakness emerges as growth ceases. This kind of discomfort, this soul discomfort, is a worthy opponent and mighty blessing for it bestows purpose – the true elixir of life!
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This is such an excellent point and one that we often forget, thinking that pressure or unrest is “bad” and should be avoided at all times. However, if anything is to be created, there must be a movement into areas that are new and less comfortable. Thanks for this great reminder today!
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Thank you for such simple yet revealing insight to living a life filled with purpose. A blessed unrest is welcome in my life, your words make clear right function as it relates to creativity and handling the right pressure that comes with growth. Thanks!
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This is a great reminder that times of discomfort and unrest can be right parts of a greater creative scheme in which we have an irreplaceable role. Looking forward to a great day!!
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That is an amazing quote. Great post!
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