HANDS OF ALCHEMY - an interview with Jerry Wennstrom author of “The Inspired Heart: An Artist’s Journey of Transformation. Interview by Christine S.

In the late 1970's, Jerry Wennstrom an upcoming artist in the New York art world destroyed his large body of artwork gave away all of his possessions and began a life of unconditional trust, allowing the universe to provide all that was needed.

The next fifteen years were spent in a journey of transformation. In his book, The Inspired Heart, and the Parabola/Sentient Publications video “In the Hands of Alchemy” Wennstrom tells the empowering story of his journey and exploration into the source of his creativity.

Christine: The ability to trust the larger mystery is an amazing gift. Do you think this is a gift that everyone can realize?

Jerry: Yes I do. Personal access to the mystery is the birthright of anyone willing to trust and remain open to life's full adventure. However, many of us are too busy focusing on other things. The first step to accessing the mystery is valuing it enough to begin to develop a dialogue. You know the biblical statement, "Ask and you shall receive?" Well how many of us are asking and more importantly, listening? Most of us are too busy playing god by constantly hustling our material reality to bother. We don't make very good gods however. Most of us, generally, get what we want in the end. Yet when we look back later in life, we feel unfulfilled, without a deeper sense of purpose, wondering what it has all been about. To try and salvage some scrap of meaning in the fear-based creation we may have settled into, we then seek justification through our children - hoping they will live our unlived life and fearing that possibility at the same time! This legacy gets passed along for generations if someone doesn't courageously step forward and break the pattern. Breaking family and social patterning is a scary and lonely business. Others may inspire us, but we must set off alone to establish a one-on-one relationship with the mystery. The fruit of this relationship is what defines our true and creative individuality in the world.

C: What has your journey taught you about real inner peace?

J: Peace of mind comes to us as a gift of grace when we have done our best to do all that we can do, and discover that our efforts have their limitations. At this juncture we must surrender into the unknowing we are inevitably faced with. It is a complete surrender to the metaphorical death experience, which brings about peace of mind and comes to us as an element of grace. The Christian concept of "Eternal Life" embodies this principal. One must experience the defeat of one's will and effort to receive this grace. In the cyclical nature of our lives, once the template has been struck, grace (peace of mind) comes to us over and over again (eternal) at the point of death. So "death" becomes a gift and a point of renewal, rather than the dreaded experience it is for most of us.

C: How important is it to become self-aware?

J: What lies behind the search for self-awareness is the quest for God and perhaps the fear of death. Either way the initial impulse keeps us moving forward even with an occasional step back. It is important for us, especially as we grow older, not to loose sight of the possibility of receiving the final gift of true "self-awareness." What we once called "enlightenment" was once reserved for the mystics. Now, however, it is a requirement of our time and more available than ever before. I would even go so far as to say, we must each take full responsibility for our enlightenment at this time because there is no escaping the power of its current demand on us. It is a collective requirement! If there is anything that is going to save us and save all that we love about our world, it will be our surrender at this very special place in the cycle where we are collectively experiencing a larger, metaphoric death.

C: Your story teaches that there is a gift in surrender and when you can let go of the fear of the unknown. How does one learn to fearlessly surrender?

J: Initially, most of us are thrown into the deeper waters of a larger mystery "kicking and screaming!" The universe is in perfect order and we all create the conditions that will teach us the things we need to learn. Most of us do not pursue the kind of deeper understanding that helps us see the value of letting go and we may even come to see it as a defeat and something to be resisted (and it is a defeat of the ego.) As a result, many of us unconsciously create the conditions where our lives come undone and we are forced to let go. This undoing comes when everything that we strategically and intelligently mapped-out as our identity becomes too small a container to hold the larger creation coming through. For many of us this can be a place of enormous suffering if we cannot let go and surrender to the power of this creation. The suffering we may create can ultimately be transformed into something resembling the original dream we held for ourselves, if we can stay with the difficulty, grief and work that we are thrown into.

However, this is not the only option to the process of letting go. We can be a conscious, willing participant in a way that might be described as the "Hero's Journey." We will still have to go through the death of our ego-identity, which remains difficult, but our involvement in the process becomes more tended and deliberate. In this scenario we courageously take the risks we are compelled to take, let go where we have to and remain open to the emerging new consciousness attempting to empower our lives. In this case, we live out the experience more like a warrior than a victim. Deep listening and a courageous, appropriate response to the moment's calling can eliminate self-created, useless suffering for anyone.

C: How can we be more fully in the present moment with the challenging experiences we are faced with?

J: By being fiercely attentive to a moment’s challenge, by experimenting, taking risks and discovering for ourselves the power that comes to us through right action. What we discover is that we are all in the best seat in the house and to meet each challenges with this kind of attention will give us all that we need to live our lives beautifully and efficiently. If we are busy elsewhere, with the past or the future, we miss the creative potential that is most potently available right here and now. When we come to see that there is no viable alternative, we make the Now our priority and avoid the unnecessary tension and chaos created by a delayed and dissipated response to life.

C: It must have been very difficult to trust and listen to the inner calling of one’s own deeper wisdom. How does one learn how to do that?

J: Reverence is the key. When we see that we live in a conscious, mysterious and celebratory universe, and approach life with the innocent unknowing required of such a universe; we begin to hear the whispers, respond creatively and eventually join the celebration. It is no more difficult than that. Celebration is celebration at the grand party everyone has a place, is cared and provided for. Most of us, however, live in fear of non-existence. We must listen, see and trust that our place is held under any circumstances and not be distracted by petty fears and doubts.

Jerry Wennstrom is an artist, author of "The Inspired Heart: An Artist's Journey of Transformation" (book and audiobook) and subject of Parabola and Sentient Publications documentary videos, "In the Hands of Alchemy” and "Studio Dialogue." He lectures and offers film presentations internationally and writes monthly articles for Inferential Focus, a New York City think tank and consulting firm. Many of his articles are featured in Mythic Journeys Magazine. And Jerry’s art is featured in the film Mythic Journeys. There is feature film based on Jerry’s life currently in production by Danish filmmaker Hans Fabian Wullenweber. The tower that he built on his Whidbey Island, Washington property and his life's story is featured in the book, Holy Personal by Laura Chester.  For more information see his web site at- www.handsofalchemy.com.