Ia Revazishvili on Painting, Inner Comfort, Self-observation, and Freedom

Artist, professional interior designer, lecturer at Tbilisi State Academy of Arts. Loves everything concerning art and self-expression. Her interests include but are not limited to music, traveling, Bergman, cooking, science, history and art-therapy.

- What do you do every day to feel satisfied with yourself?

To answer this question, I have to delve into my childhood memories. I can recall my earliest childhood years, although the genuine understanding of the impermanence of the material world comes along around the age of 12-13. The realization that time was limited made me scared; however, it also brought a desire to discover the feeling of infinity. At school I felt that studying subjects that didn't interest me was a waste of time. I tried to take advantage of every single moment that I had and paint or do something creative every day. Even now, at the end of the day, I feel disappointed if I did not fulfill myself creatively.

Of course, there is no life without everyday tasks or problems and I have a daily routine that I have to perform. It is a great luxury to slow down and think only about art. However, if I am being pulled away from the creative process for too long, it makes me feel dissatisfied or out of place, so I need to be able to return to this space as soon as possible.

- How do you deal with these feelings and what do you do to get back to a state of inner satisfaction and comfort?

Here are some methods I use:

Isolation and Decluttering

At those moments, I need to stay alone. At first, there is total chaos in my head, then, step by step, the process of sorting out thoughts and identifying all the emotions starts. It all happens not only in my head but in the physical world as well. I need to declutter my house. I used to collect a lot of things - small sculptures, souvenirs, keychains, necklaces, but then I realized that all this is completely useless in my space and it robs me of the feeling of freedom. Twice a year I cleanse and organize everything thoroughly. As soon as I discard stuff that does not bring me joy, something new definitely comes in - information, energy, people. Novelty is so important to me, I constantly need to explore unknown worlds, it gives me strength, inspiration and it is a source of new creations.

Music

Music has an amazing impact on me. It pushes me to immerse myself into something that can turn out to be a little painful and melancholic at times, however, at the end of the day it helps me identify my emotions and therefore has a therapeutic effect on me.

Nature

Taking walks in nature helps me a lot, this is also a type of seclusion with myself and the world. I look at the trees, the branches, the leaves and I feel deep love for everything. The earth is a living organism and I think nature is much wiser than human beings, so spending time with nature immediately returns me to a state of harmony with myself.

- Do you feel like you are in control of the state of inner harmony?

You know, I learned how to handle it.

Observation

It starts with observing yourself, your own thoughts and emotions. In the past, I used to run away from my feelings, I was scared to identify or name my emotions. Although, I would like to add that fear is not shameful in itself, quite the opposite - it is very important for our personal development and inner growth. Once I started pinning down what I was actually feeling and experiencing, I was able to introspect the cause of those sensations as well, and when you understand the root cause, the problem becomes easier to solve.

Control

I learned how to control my thoughts, how to avoid negative or repetitive thinking. As a child, I loved watching insects. In fact, I sat in ants’ nests and watched. Now, when I look at the world from this perspective, all problems seem so small to me. I understand I have no reason to be negative and I want to be helpful and inspiring both for myself and for others.

When you look at the world through the eyes of the observer, the world behaves in accordance with your own expectations. For this reason, some forms of isolation and observation are essential, it is a kind of meditation, and it can be achieved in any way. I do not sit in the form of a lotus, but I reach this state while painting, being in nature, listening to music. At that moment, I feel harmonious with the universe, I am in the right place, I just enjoy myself and my surroundings.

Inner freedom

I would also like to talk a bit about inner freedom. We human beings are dependent on many external factors in terms of responsibilities, may it be a job, taxes, boss, relatives, or children, but there is also a sense of inner freedom that is independent of all these. For me a sense of inner freedom means, first of all, understanding that you have the right to be happy, and then - working on creating inner space in which you will be in harmony with yourself. Often, pursuing your own happiness is associated with selfishness, but I believe that when you value your right to be happy and when you respect yourself, first and foremost, only then you can respect the freedom and individualism of others and truly love them.

Interaction with the outer world

One of the factors in achieving and maintaining inner freedom is keeping your balance with the outside world. I strictly control my social media time, I use it mainly to search for and receive the information that I am interested in and that may prove to be useful to me. I try to look at things and events from a couple of different angles, to be more of an observer rather than a direct participant - it helps me to maintain balance and not lose myself in the physical world or external events. It may be a difficult path, but I think it is the right one for self-improvement. I'm inspired when I'm in harmony with myself, that’s why I always take care of my inner space.

- What is the purpose of existence when there is death?

Everything has a beginning and an end, it is inevitable and I don't resist the inevitable. Instinctively, yes, of course, if someone is chasing and trying to kill me, I will definitely run away, but consciously, I do not feel fear. I have always been interested in physics and astrophysics. In my imagination I would have attempts to get away from the earth and look at the world from the furthest perspective, I have a similar association with death. It can be everything or nothing at all, on the contrary, it's fascinating. When you are a giver, you share the product of your mind and emotions, you spend time with your children and you stay in their memory, you have a feeling that your part will always remain alive.

- What gives you power to act, what is your goal?

I cannot name any specific goal. I have recently discovered that action sometimes requires inaction, so I do not force myself to do things. I realized that life is the most enjoyable in here and now and you need to drop the resistance to experience it. Once I understood that the world does not owe me anything, I just started trusting it, that’s what I mean by non-resistance. This feeling came to me naturally and I felt there's no reason to be depressed for a long period of time. I realized that the less I resist something, the better I feel. This energy becomes a source of action and inspiration for me.

My message to other humans is delivered through my artworks. That's why I feel the need to visualize the problems that I've solved, the concepts or values that I've discovered through my personal experiences. It is also important that I convey this message to others in the most correct and understandable way possible. When I achieve that, it gives me great satisfaction and happiness, so I can say that’s exactly what I consider to be my mission.

Mini lessons learned from Ia

1. Give yourself time and the right to be alone

2. Take a walk in nature, listen to music

3. Observe your inner space

4. Name your emotions

5. Try to control your thoughts

6. Take a look at the world from bird's view (if you are brave enough, fly as far as a spaceship) or stay on earth and observe the ants' nest

7. Filter information, receive only what you find useful

8. Relax, drop the resistance (do not fight the world)

9. Acknowledge your right to be happy

10. Tidy up your house and let go of what you no longer need