The Indigo Artist: From Rebellion to Living Their Dreams
By CC Treadway
Ah. I can remember it like it was yesterday, preparing for my incarnation, getting all geared up to squeeze my way into that adorable baby's body. We were gonna kick some ass together! F-in shake it up!! Challenge authority, bust the system, rebel at every opportunity, all the while creating vast universes of peace on earth! There was a world to save, and we were gonna do it! Obviously, there were going to be some tests. First off, I was going to incarnate as a sensitive, skinny, blonde woman. Not exactly the prototype for battle, but it would add to the challenge, and any good Indigo likes a challenge. This was a body perfect for bringing in high vibes, although not so perfect for grounding them.
When Lee Carroll and Jan Tober came out with the book, The Indigo Children, I scoffed at it. I did not need a category to make me feel better about myself, and as far as I was concerned, the information in there was old news. It just meant I had to rebel against being labeled an Indigo.
My friends were almost all fellow system busters who didn't exactly fit into any one subculture. If they were a part of a subculture, you can bet they were dissecting it and expertly making fun of it. We walked in the grey area, rebelling against both black and white.
And then we were all grown up. Suddenly there were bills to pay and F-ing the system wasn't paying them. Angry teenage techniques are difficult to apply when becoming a successful adult. Indigo's have been, in some ways, forced to integrate to survive. But stepping into your own power doesn't mean letting go of all your fight, it just means getting smart about it. It is much easier to make a difference when you have a roof over your head and food to eat. Indigos want to make a difference. So when do you lay down the sword?
Almost every Indigo I have ever met does not consider adulthood the ideal platform for expressing ones individual spark. How do we move from rebelling against this system to define ourselves, to evolving as powerful individual's with humanity and earth, system and all? The artist knows this dilemma, and many would never consider laying down the sword, that might mean laying down the brush. Granted many artists don't care about this stuff at all, but if you are an Indigo artist fueled to make a big impact in the world, you think about it almost all the time.
I hope that by listing a few examples of fiery, artist, Indigos who have figured it out, I will give both parents and kids some inspiration. I've put together a few examples of how art and the rebellious spirit can actually function as an essential part of the community.
"We collectively as human beings make the same mistakes over and over. I think that even though people do make the same mistakes again and again, there is always that possibility for change. Create good and counter act some of the bad. That is what I am trying to do. I really feel like I have no choice and as an artist I am trying to communicate and might as well speak my mind through my art."
— Shepard Fairey from the August, 2007 FecalFace.com interview
Can graffiti art and advertising work together for collective awareness and wisdom? Ask Shepard Fairey, an artist born out of the underground skateboard scene who somehow brought the two worlds together when he launched his "Andre the Giant Has a Posse" sticker campaign in the mid nineties. Remember the WWF wrestler Andre the Giant, who also starred in the hit movie "The Princess Bride?" Well, he had no connection at all with Fairey. To make a statement about how you could take any image or idea, and create a following by subliminal marketing, Fairey used an image of the pro-wrestler with the words "Andre the Giant Has a Posse" on it. He made stickers out of this image and posted them everywhere. This form of graffiti spread through the international skateboard scene like wildfire and no-one even knew what it was about, they just needed to be a part of it. They ( and I was one of them) diligently placed these stickers all over- on signs, tollbooths, buildings, cars, restaurants, toilets, everywhere they could stick. This grew into T-shirts, larger poster work and stencils that he would secretly put up on the sides of buildings in the middle of the night (called bombing … its illegal.) Everywhere you looked you saw Andre- and unless you knew Shepard, you had no idea why it was there- but you wished you did. If you have never heard of him, I would bet money your subconscious has. Even a frame of the movie "Batman" has one of his images in it.
Shepard and I went to the same college (Rhode Island School of Design) and were good friends. I admired him because he was so committed. He was in it for much more than making a point. He seriously and passionately wanted to make a difference and help wake people up to their own power. At that time he was also incredibly rebellious and argumentative and I always wondered if he would be able to use those qualities to thrive, instead of nose dive.
Thankfully he figured it out. Out of this "experiment in phenomenology" sprang, with much persistence, struggle, jail-time and controversy, a successful artist who now shows his prints and paintings in high profile galleries around the world. He also owns a thriving design studio, Studio Number One. His clients include Adidas, Billy Idol, Led Zeppelin and The Black Eyed Peas. As he rose in success, he had to stop using the recognizable image of the now deceased pro-wrestler and changed the company name to Obey Giant. In his mid thirties, he continues to launch underground, street art campaigns to challenge the system and makes sure that a large portion of his work is affordable to anyone. All of his art has strong messages about how easy it is to be brainwashed and manipulated by everything under the sun. His work aggressively promotes peace and asks you to question your reality.
The genius is, he used the subliminal strategies that advertisers use to achieve it, making him one of the few artists who successfully harnessed mainstream tactics to accomplish an underground experiment, thus firmly establishing himself as an essential part of the system, while actively working to expose it. I have never met anyone who understands the grey area while holding such unshakable beliefs in right and wrong.
Please go to his website: www.obeygiant.com. You will see his strong, passionate and humorous work.
I first saw Kathi at a fasting workshop, but didn't connect with her until a year and a half later in an elevator. After figuring out how we knew each other, we became instant friends and colleagues. I had just come back from a trip with Drunvalo through the Grand Canyon where we camped at the Havasupai reservation. It was a powerful trip and I had some very deep experiences in ceremony with the tribe there. My heart was wide open. Kathi and I didn't know, but we were about to embark on an artistic collaboration that would bring everything we cared about together.
Of German and South African descent, Kathi is an international Indigo with a mission: to unite world cultures through the exchange of the arts. She is a globally recognized Butoh dancer, and at 30, owns her music, film and dance production company, Kiahkeya. Kiahkeya was founded to "communicate in the space between modern society and tribal traditions, aiming to promote cross cultural interchanges in the performing, socio-environmental and healing arts." She teaches transformational "spirit dance" in workshops around the world. Like no one else, Von Koerber is driven to inspire others with her fearless dancing, singing, ceremony and artistically moving films. This is one Indigo who was happy to get off the spaceship and onto the creative beauty of earth.
I ended up being the editor for her film "Footsteps in Africa." Kathi, her performance group Intaka, and a camera crew lived in the Sahara desert with the nomadic tribe, the Tuareg, for five weeks. Her aim was to capture the transcendental frequency of the desert and of the music and dance of the Tuareg. The film is the experience of being with them, of being in the desert, of dancing and singing with the Tuareg. Tamashek, the language of the Tuareg, could not be learned in five weeks, but it was easy for the team to integrate and share with the tribe through music and dance. It is not a traditional documentary, but and experimental film. When sitting down to edit, Kathi and I would generate so much energy out of our collective passion to communicate effectively, but artistically, to both tribal and modern societies. We admired the Tuareg for their resilience and their careful thought around the future of their ancient culture.
With the help of talented musicians we created a healing soundtrack that integrated the original music and chanting of the tribe, with composed elements and vocal toning. Without going deeply into life stories, both of us overcame a lot of attitude, rebellion and anti-establishment viewpoints to somehow arrive at the same place: Using our creative talents to help bridge the ancient and modern worlds. In essence, we are fueled by being a part of healing a deep, existential wound that humanity carries. That to me is the mission of the Indigo.
In Kathi's next film, she travels to the landscapes of Utah, the melting glaciers of Alaska and the volcanoes of Hawaii to dance with the tragedy of global warming. The footage and dance is strikingly beautiful, conveying the heartache she feels for the planet. It is a cry of passion and deeply moving.
Please check out www.kiahkeya.com.
While Alex isn't an example of an Indigo born in the 70's, he is an example of someone who understands the importance of our young Indigos and their need for support and community. Alex Grey's work transcends the physical into the visionary. He has committed his life to the exploration of spirit through the body in his art. A true seeker, his work reflects not just his dreams, but an experiential testament to his perception and expansion.
In New York City, his Chapel of Mirrors, hosts much of his work, providing the community with an opportunity to learn from him. He and his wife, Allyson, host events such as full and new moon ceremonies as well as a variety of other metaphysical gatherings, classes and workshops. The pair is extremely approachable and visible in the spiritual circle in NYC. They maintain a solid community foundation for the rest of us to enjoy. I have been going to their events for several years now and am always impressed by the variety of people they draw-from a Goth teenager, to someone's grandmother, to me. They provide a space for all, but are particularly good at recognizing and fostering the potential of young artists.
Some beautiful quotes from Alex:
"The Chapel of Sacred Mirrors is a womb for the gestation of the awakening human spirit…People find CoSM nurturing because they can sense the love resonance and devotional energy at the heart of our [me and Allyson's] relationship that is embodied in the artwork. Allyson and I wanted to find a way to share that love. The Chapel of Sacred Mirrors is our gift to the world".
"The highest visions are woven with love. I did a series of drawings, on view in the Chapel, that translate the hearts vision into the mind's eye. I agree that the deepest visions are born in the heart.
"The creative source is in contact continuously with everyone. Every moment is fresh creation, but there are special downloads that artists receive and some artists attempt to bring them into form… It is important for an artist to honor visions and dreams by documenting them."
Please check out The Chapel of Sacred Mirrors: www.cosm.org; www.alexgrey.com.
I hope that these artists inspire you to keep going with your dream, using your talents to break through rebellion and defiance, into truly making a meaningful impact in the world.
Copywrite 2007 CC Treadway. All rights reserved.
CC has a private energy healing and channeling practice in NYC (www.cctreadway.com). She also teaches workshops on healing and the arts and has a successful documentary film editing career. She has studied with Barbara Brennan, Catherine Shainberg and Drunvalo, among others. Her channelings can be found on (www.souldish.com).
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