Heartbreak is a blessing for artists. It throws people into the abyss, makes them face their fear of loneliness, and enables them to start from scratch.
It begins with energy.
Energy is never created nor destroyed – it transfers between emotions of different magnitudes, affecting our thoughts and behaviors. Broken hearts bring overwhelming negative energy.
You may feel yourself gasping for air that isn’t there while feeling a stabbing sensation in your heart. Your mind spins as you drown in sorrow, recycling negative thoughts until you feel numb.
Transmutation is what allows us to make use of this immense pain and escape the brutal cycle of intense emotions.
I learned about this concept of mental transmutation from The Kybalion – an insightful occult book about hermetic philosophy.
We can choose to just be idle, listen to some nostalgic albums, and look through old pictures repeatedly OR birth something remarkable from this suffering. We aren’t given too many profound periods of heartbreak in this single life. Be present when this sadness occurs and process the situation you’re in.
Between relationships ending and family passing, there is plenty of solitude where the mind uses much mellower energy and emotions to communicate.
While the pieces created during these normal times could still turn out great, many artists birth their rawest work by transforming extreme emotions into rich creative energy.
Immense pain intoxicates the artist and opens up the flow state’s channels. This is when specific words, memories, and unexplainable emotions escape the void more effortlessly.
We become introspective and actually want to do something with our findings.
Let it go.
Once ejected from the artist’s shadow realm, this information is ready to be expressed or assembled into a more digestible format. This is the perfect opportunity to write a song or paint on a canvas.
If you’re in this stage, do not filter what comes out of your mind. Think about the information in bits and navigate your thoughts carefully. Loosen up and let your intuition guide you.
Now you are ready to pick up your tools and heal.
Creating should not feel forced when your soul is in anguish. It should feel like a response to the suffering – a cry out for help. Creation allows the artist to communicate with themselves and hash out their feelings in a circular rhythm. Go at it with your own flow.
Here, creation might feel like talking to God. It could also feel like illustrating your subconscious mind.
We often need a place or medium to express what can’t be described – the suffering must reshape itself into a new object. And this process also allows you to reframe your mind and expand new corners of your consciousness.
I call this transformation transmutation.
Pain as a catalyst.
Heartbreak isn’t something we can plan for or should look forward to.
One day you’re happy. Another day you feel ripped apart.
And when this piercing sensation kicks in out of nowhere, we must be ready to feel the full intensity of the experience. Respect these natural occurrences and realize that the pain is temporary. You have the power to go far with this experience and put this fresh ball of energy to use.
Honor your past relationships by creating mental souvenirs. Use artistry as a means of capturing the essence of the transition period between moods. (more on this at the end)
When you’re feeling good, respect the positive energy flowing through you. Be present and grateful for the calmness. This appreciation should also be given to the gloomiest days. Respect the negative energy oozing out of your wounds and learn to make use of it. You have the ability to manipulate your thoughts by directing your energy into other outlets.
Make use of the excess energy.
I make this process sound easy, but it rarely ever is.
Unlock yourself.
Fuel your imagination or fuel the mechanism that shares your emotions with the world. Write your first song. Or write how you feel. The world needs people like you to share their human attributes. The human condition is designed to be shared. Let it be known that you are alive and that this next work will release all the anger, pain, and frustrations you feel.
Let your voice be the entropy of this potent energy.
In you, stars will collide and miracles will unravel. A Big Bang of sorts will occur when you feel the depths of this darkness transmute to the opposing light.
Create ideas and express the words that orbit your misery. Or at least wait. Give yourself time to be quiet with your thoughts. Be a good listener to yourself. See if your intuition reconsiders entering the flow state. Consider whether you’d need to express yourself transparently before the energy loses its potency.
There is no perfect formula or timing for these behaviors.
I couldn’t draw you a generalizable graph of this mystical energy rising and falling over time.
Though, I can tell you to trust your instincts and to allow yourself to be free in expression.
We all experience loss to some extent.
It’s the ability to be vulnerable and share this vulnerability that makes other humans resonate with you and your creation.
Be yourself, but don’t be afraid. Don’t hide your gift. Don’t hide your being. And don’t run away from your pain.
Be responsible for this delicate creature that you are. Don’t abandon yourself.
Run into the storm and let it all rain on you. Start singing in the rain.
And through this natural cleanse, your voice may just attract the right person to come help you restore faith. That person could be a better version of yourself or a new lover who appreciates your authenticity.
Put yourself out there. Put your feelings out there. And let your creations spread and touch the nerves of others like you. These are people who have had their hearts shattered and have said hard goodbyes to family members, pets, and friends too.
My experience.
I created some of my best music after experiencing heartbreak.
In Lost Another, you can hear me cry out for help and speak to my friend (in the intro and outro) as if I’m in a therapy session. This song was freestyled and came out organically one Saturday morning.
Feel free to read the lyrics here and listen below:
I had no microphone to record the vocals and no desire to write lyrics. I sang into my laptop the words that immediately came forward.
In retrospect, I just had to create this piece. The process could only be described as magic – a transmutation of sorrow. I tapped into a greater source of energy and a channel that enabled the clearest communication of my feelings.
I believe everyone has the ability to tap into this energy. It is a beautiful scary thing.
All will change.
Creating art with a broken heart also allows you to track your progress as a person and artist. Months and years will pass. All will change but your creation will be a timestamp of the person you were.
A person with fewer experiences, fresher scars, and no clue about how things would turn out.
When I hear Lost Another, I celebrate myself because I have lived many lives since the track was created. I have felt acceptance, growth, and the wielding of great energy in me. As an artist, I feel that my newer tracks have cleaner vocal chains, song structure, etc. but I truly value the raw emotions I displayed years prior.
My expression in that song can not be replicated because I was broken inside.
So embrace the cracks and let delicate pieces of yourself come out. Celebrate this period of creation and keep yourself company.
If you enjoyed this journal, definitely check out my other personal writing here. Also, subscribe to my newsletter below for exclusive writing, unreleased music demos, and whatever else comes to mind that I’d love to share privately. All the best
Social media is a perpetual mental illness.