Stillpoints: An Introductory Guide to Haiku Painting

Just released! Limited Edition! Stillpoints is a breathtakingly beautiful synopsis of renowned healer John Diamond's method and philosophy of Haiku Painting as a form of meditation.

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John Diamond, M.D.

I am often asked whether music plays a part in my painting. Well, I never listen to any at that time because I want to respond to, be moved by, what is inside me, not what is outside.

However, I often find myself singing inside while painting. I’ve sometimes wondered if that should be the title of the picture. Then the last four titles would be “O Sole Mio,” “Finlandia,” “Beethoven 7 Second Movement” and “I Could Be Happy With You.” It’s not that I set out to sing them internally, but I suddenly realize that I am.

Why not sing aloud? Because those vocal movements may restrict the free movements of my hand. I’m painting, not singing. And at other times, I sing without painting.

There is another reason why, when painting, my singing is silent.

At the front of the palate behind the central teeth you will feel several ridges, called rugae. The martial arts teach that the tip of the tongue should press against these rugae for then the chi is greatly enhanced. It is a position of strength throughout the body, for it is the normal resting position for the tongue. Unfortunately, in most people the tongue instead lies loose and flatly on the floor of the mouth – and the Life Energy is always diminished.

A basic problem with all speech and singing is that the tongue is not in its position of strength, and therefore the speaker and singer must overcome this negativity by the intention of the communication.

When painting, my intention is not on the singing but rather on the painting. So I keep silent, my tongue on the rugae – but still singing, inside. And that singing reinforces my intention: to give of my strength that others may be strengthened.

I’ve long maintained that music and free movement are essential concomitants. I look at all the walkers and runners on the beach: none seem to have music flowing through them. Some are listening to iPods, but that’s passive. Somebody else’s music, not coming from inside them.

I look at, I admire, those rare people who move with grace. Whatever they are doing – walking, talking, or painting – it is obvious that they are moving to, being moved by, an inner Music: the Pulse of Life.

John Diamond, M.D.

I am only interested in Healing. I’m primarily a healer—not an artist. And whatever I do—all of my creativity in many areas—is always with Healing as the Only Intention.

Just what do I mean by Healing? It’s not the curing of a disease, per se, but the alleviation of the dis-ease in the soul, the deep anguish from which we all suffer throughout our lives, whether we are conscious of it or not. This is our spiritual suffering.

And only when our anguish is overcome, can we actuate the Life Energy, the Spirit, within us. Only then can we enthusiastically, passionately, whole-heartedly and gratefully Embrace all of Life.

This, and nothing less than this, is the Intention of the healer. And so it is for all my artistic endeavors: that through these we may come a little closer to the Embrace of Life.

I believe that the primary Purpose of Art is to Enhance the Spirit of all. As it was everywhere in ancient times, and as it still is in traditional cultures.

To this I dedicate my creativity, as I have in over fifty years of healing.

John Diamond, M.D.

The test of every act of creativity—Does it help you to enthusiastically, passionately, wholeheartedly and gratefully Embrace all your life? This I believe, is the basic Purpose of all the arts—and thus should be the basic Intention of every artist.

The word embrace is derived from the Greek brakhion, meaning the upper arm, hence brachial and brassiere. And in Hamlet, Fortinbras—strong arms. To embrace is to open one’s upper arms to invite and accept the other into oneself. I like to think of the upper arms originating not at the shoulders, but in the center of the chest, and extending out from there to enfold, encircle.

And there we find the metaphoric heart, the heart chakra, the chakra of love. Thus, to embrace is to open one’s heart to welcome the other with love. To embrace is to love.

Henry Moore proclaimed that a work of art “may be a penetration into reality, not a sedative or drug, not just the exercise of good taste, the provision of pleasant shapes and colors in a pleasing combination, not a decoration to life, but an expression of the significance of life, a stimulation to greater effort in living.” Not to “escape from life”—but to Embrace Life!—enthusiastically, passionately, whole-heartedly and gratefully. This—and nothing less than this—is Healing, True Healing. To this we are stimulated to Great Art.

John Diamond, M.D.

I've only ever had one previous painting experience. And that was fifty years ago.

I prepared a large board with a neutral light brown color and then dug up some worms from the garden. These I dipped in various paints I’d got from the art therapy department. Then I just threw them onto the board and let them move around until eventually they crawled off and I returned them to the garden, hopefully to survive. Then I signed my—their—painting “W.M.”—for Worm. But when people asked, I said it was by William Morris. I framed it and displayed it over the fireplace—and wondered what reactions it would get.

Everyone said they liked it—probably just being polite. But then they’d point out all sorts of forms in what was essentially formless: birds, ballerinas, dolphins—whatever. I realized that is was a sort of ink-blot test of their psychologies. I learnt a lot about them from W.M.’s painting.

But looking back to it and then forward to my present painting, I see a connection. I would describe my paintings as having no subject, no conscious shape or form. And yet there is an experience to be gained from every one of them. And that’s all that matters.

And not just an experience—but an Experience. A sense, a feeling of harmony, of balance, of peace. Hopefully, of Love. For Love is the only True Experience.

Every person, every object, every event—every experience—is a sort of Rorschach test. On each we project a particular aspect of our unconscious. Nearly always from the superficial unconscious—a particular admixture of versions of love and hate. Some stimuli, however, can actuate our projection not from the superficial unconscious but from the Deep Unconscious of Pure Love. But, again it is the Love within us, our Souls, that we project onto the other.

Of course, the saint only ever projects from the Deep Unconscious, regardless, unlike us, of the nature of the stimulus. The saint only ever projects Love and so it is all he ever experiences.

If you feel It from any of my paintings, don’t thank me, but thank Whatever brought it about through me. I had no more to do with it than the worms. Perhaps I should sign all my works “W.M.”

John Diamond, M.D.

I am not aware of any other artist (if I may call myself one) who imagines, envisions, the frame even before he starts to paint. And yet the frame is an essential part of the final presentation, is integral to the actual art.

A frame is essential for a definite reason. It delimits the painting from its surrounding, say the wall. This relates to a specific lung meridian 2 problem which I call the wonderland problem. Let me explain.

So often I see people who, at an unconscious level, have escaped from a threatening world into wonderland. Of course, psychotics. But I’m talking here of people who, for instance, make bad business decisions believing them to be good. On deep testing I find that they do not believe the floor they are standing on, the clothes they are wearing, and so on, are real—but that fairies are real, and Santa Claus.

And that bankruptcy is not real, but limitless wealth is. And in this state they have made the unreal decisions (which seemed so real to them) that they are now in trouble. But the trouble, too—the court cases, the dunnings—are not real!

A painting, a photograph, is of another world. Not everyday real, like the wall. And the frame is essential lest we slip into unreality concerning this real world. It also helps us to concentrate on, go deeply into the art, feeling unconsciously reassured by the frame that we will not lose reality. You are now safe to enter the other reality of the art.

Let me tell you this as an aside. I once had a very schizophrenic patient who painted a face—except that it was all over the canvas, in pieces—as was his thinking. He explained to me that the eye (there was only one) was to see who was spying on you, and the ear (again, only one) was to hear who was talking about you.

“But,” he went on, “I don’t need to tell you about the lips—they speak for themselves.” I didn’t laugh—but had a comedian said it, I would have. Comedy, you see, is a guided tour through the wonderland of insanity where we are protected by the comedian. And we can go deeper knowing we are safe. He is our frame, separating one reality from the other.

So I frame the painting that you may go deeper into it. And the frame is always very carefully chosen—almost always very simple, small and nearly always black. Chosen, as envisioned, with this Lung 2 wonderland problem in mind.

Nearly always I leave a white border between the actual painted area of the canvas and the frame. Then it feels better. I believe this feeling is based on the Chinese philosophy of life—and thus of painting—of Empty and Full. The white around adding to the sense of Emptiness to balance the Full. Of course, there is Empty in the painted area as well as the predominant Full, but more Empty is needed to bring Peace and Resolution.

There is also another reason I leave a white border around my paintings and photographs. And this relates to the heart meridian, the meridian of anger. Specifically, to Heart 5—castration. Anger that one’s power has been taken away.

When you look at any painting or photograph with the frame impinging on it you will feel, at some level, anger—which is, of course, not my intention for my art. It is as if the art is crying out that it has had its power reduced—is castrated—by the assault of the frame. And it seems to sigh with relief and smile with gratitude when by the white border it is fully displayed—not cut off.

You may ask do I always in my mind see the frame on the canvas before I start? Not consciously—although by now it must always be working underneath. Nowadays, I often reinforce my mental image by placing a loose frame around the canvas before I start. Now, the canvas and I—we are ready.

John Diamond, M.D.

Many years ago after I had spoken at a university, a professor remarked to me that I had a different system of aesthetic criticism. Yes, I suppose it is different to most—at least to modern critics.

For I believe that the purpose of all artistic endeavors—and for that matter, every activity—should be to enhance Life Energy: to encourage the Embracing of Life—enthusiastically, passionately, wholeheartedly and gratefully.

And this can only ever come to pass when the activity is utterly altruistic. Yes, the only aesthetic criticism that matters is the proclamation of Beauty, Blessedness and Belovedness—of all of Life.

Paintings are incredibly wonderful in so many ways. But I am concerned not primarily with the usual—and obvious—criteria. To me, as a healer, the major question is always the same: how much does the painting raise our Life Energy—help us feel Beloved?

So it is that my Stillpoint Drawings have the potential to raise our Life Energy, to help us realize Perfection, even more so than a renowned painting. It will not have the qualities of the latter that our egos so crave, but nonetheless, if it brings us closer to the realization of our Divinity, then, in this sense, it is a much greater work of art. It is my belief that this is and always will be the true reason for art.

However diseased, however disturbed, you may be—just look at, take in, but one of my paintings and you will immediately Embrace your life, enthusiastically, passionately, wholeheartedly and gratefully. And further, you will be so Inspired as to Inspire other sufferers who will go on to Inspire others.

That is my Dream!