Vance Wood

To me art is the unincumbered flow of the creative process. It may have some subliminal influences in it from deep held beliefs that will color that flow and determine the final outcome. The difference is in the purpose for doing it. If you desire to make a bonsai reflecting the BaHai faith then your bonsai is going to look contrived and unnatural, the same could be said of other purposeful attempts to contrive a bonsai around a particular predetermined premise. Somewhere in that process something will probably not work well enough to be thought of as natural which is the goal of all good bonsai; to reflect the natural and accidental beauty of nature.

I do believe however if your beliefs are deeply held they will find a way to express themselves in the art you do. There is another point here to consider and this is not pointed at anyone for any reason it is simply my understanding of human nature. Some find bonsai such a relaxing and positive thing in their lives that they feel somehow guilty that maybe God might not approve of this new found love. Some of these people may think they will gain God's approval by doing Godly bonsai. Just a thought and not a condemnation.

__________________
The only finished bonsai is a dead one; me 1992 MABA Des Moines Iowa