Fingerpainting on the Moon: Writing and Creativity as a Path to Freedom

by Peter Levitt

in Fingerpainting on the Moon, Peter Levitt shows us new ways to create and live from the spiritual source of our lives. “We were born to create,” he says. “It’s our birthright. Our nature. Remember: Everything is permitted in the imagination!” Based on Peter’s more than thirty years as a poet and teacher, this book helps readers to express and rely upon their deepest nature in creative work, whether it is writing, painting, music, or just being alive. “You are both deeply human and deeply Divine,” he tells us. “Only practice fingerpainting on the moon and you will discover how true this is.”

Creativity of any kind requires risk—the risk of being a beginner, letting go of control, or revealing intimate or even unknown parts of ourselves. It can also be a source of tremendous joy: the joy of giving voice to our deepest needs and imaginings. Taking a gentle and freeing approach to creativity, Peter Levitt shows us the essentially spiritual nature of creative acts and helps us open our hearts and minds so we can express ourselves with courage, innate wisdom, and authenticity.

No special conditions are required to create. We need not wait for inspiration to strike, or worry that it has abandoned us. Developed over decades of work with writers and other artists, the exercises, stories,
meditations, and other tools in this book will:

• Connect us with our inherent and inexhaustible creative and spiritual source
• Quiet the inhibitions and doubts that derail our intentions to create
• Build and nurture trust, intuition, spontaneity, clarity, and confidence
• Rekindle our spirit of play to energize our creative efforts

Synthesizing centuries of global wisdom from traditions that include Zen Buddhism, mystical Judaism, Su?sm, Christianity, and Native American beliefs, and offering insights from such masters as Paul Klee, Itzhak Perlman, Allen Ginsberg, and Pablo Neruda, this book will nurture and sustain the artist in each of us, freeing us to generate work that is genuine, vital, and compelling.

Genres: Writing, Art, Nonfiction

256 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2003

Reviews

[Jennifer Louden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. I am sad to say I avoided it for years because I thought it was another fluffy how to be creative books. It is far from fluffy - it is far better than Writing Down the Bones, in my opinion - to help you actually write. I will be using this book to a) write and b) teach my writing retreats. LOVE IT!

[Maddy Walock · Rating 3 out of 5]

True rating: 3.5 stars

Starting this review by saying; I am not a religious person and I skimmed the last half of this book.

This book had many good tidbits of reassurance and teaches how to allow yourself to be free within your practice. I think I would have rated this higher, if the elements of exercises and religious examples were removed.

The material that just tells you it’s okay to open up and to be truthful and honest and to take moments to really ground yourself and to appreciate the world. Those were really helpful for me honestly. I did not participate in the exercises given. I do think that they would be helpful if you are more into the spiritual aspect, just not for me.

[HadiDee · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s a lot of stories and anecdotes, that grew somewhat tiresome, but there are also some interesting reflections on creativity and writing. I think this would have been much better as an essay rather than a book

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know that I picked this book up based on the whimsical sounding title and the fact that it is an area of interest for me. I decided to read it this month because the Genreland Challenge for May is ART and fingerpainting is an artistic medium. It was not what I was expecting and my reaction to it varied, sometimes from page to page, between "do I want to finish this book" to "I must keep this book forever and reread it often." The focus of the book is as much on Zen spirituality as it is on creativity - with an awful lot of therapeutic measures thrown in. I will be going back and reviewing portions that I had marked to add to my accumulated wisdom scribbles journal. That will determine whether I keep the book or share it with others. I am leaning towards keeping it because a lot of the creativity exercises he includes would be great with a little tweaking to use in a therapeutic setting at some point. I will be discussing this with my therapist tomorrow as well, because it does reference a lot of parts work, which is her jam.

[Dodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across this book by accident. The book examines spirituality and creativity. Each chapter has a parable and a theme. The author shares personal stories, suggestions and writing exercises.

[Doni · Rating 3 out of 5]

It may not be obvious from the title or subtitle, but this book is as much about getting in touch with your spirituality as it is about getting in touch with your creativity.

[Skye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Levitt has written a book that I wish I had penned—a book that examines the creative life and its relationship to the spiritual life. He includes writing exercises, writing examples, and even parables. There is a wonderful story of St. Francis of Assisi, and how he overcame his revulsion of lepers, for example. He weaves in Buddhism, describing the six realms, including the realm of the hungry ghost. Since reading Levitt’s book, I now light an oil lamp as an offering to my hungry ghosts before I begin to write. This has added a new dimension to my experience of writing.

[Shavawn M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a lovely meditation and love letter to mindfulness as a tool for writers. Each chapter reveals some sort of teaching story -- usually from Jewish mystical tradition or from Zen -- to help writers find their way into a deeper way of telling their own stories. Levitt is a poet, and he has sprinkled the narrative with fragments of his own work, as well as quotes from others. This book was a balm for me. The introductory chapter on Awakening Joy is revelatory.

[Laura]

This guy taught seminars at my MFA program at Antioch LA.