Sentipensante: putting ourselves back together through art
You know those concepts that completely change the way you see the world? For me, that game-changer was sentipensante. I first encountered this term in grad school about a decade ago, and it's been guiding my journey ever since - first as a teacher, and now as an artist.
What in the world is sentipensante?
Sentipensante (sen-tee-pen-sahn-tay) is a Spanish term that literally translates to "feeling-thinking." I encountered it in the work of Eduardo Galeano, who learned it from fishermen on the Colombian coast. But it's so much more than just a cool-sounding word.
Beyond binary thinking
Here's the thing: Western philosophy has a bit of an obsession with chopping everything into neat little boxes. Emotion vs. reason. Heart vs. mind. Feminine vs. masculine. It's like we're all walking Tupperware parties, trying to compartmentalize every aspect of our existence.
But life isn't a binary, and neither are we. Dualistic thinking is an over-simplification of the human experience.
Sentipensante is the antidote to this philosophical weak tea. It's a way of understanding and expressing ourselves that embraces both our emotional and rational sides. It's not about choosing between heart and mind - it's about recognizing that they're two sides of the same coin, working together to create the full picture of who we are.
Putting the pieces back together
So why does this matter? Well, have you ever felt like you're constantly at war with yourself? Like your heart wants one thing but your head says another? That's the result of this binary thinking. It's exhausting, and frankly, it's a lie.
Sentipensante is about putting ourselves back together. It's recognizing that our emotions inform our thoughts, and our thoughts shape our emotions. It's understanding that the most profound truths often come from a place where feeling and thinking intertwine.
Sentipensante and Spiritual Archaeology
In my art practice, which I call Spiritual Archaeology, sentipensante is the glue that holds everything together. It's what allows me to dig deep into my experiences and emotions, analyze them, and then express them in a way that feels authentic and whole.
When I teach, Spiritual Archaeology is an invitation to dig deep into your experiences, memories, and emotions to create art. It's part excavation, part therapy session, and part paint-splattered dance party. And sentipensante? It's like the multi-use venue where we can have our messy, therapeutic dance party.
Here's how it works in my studio:
Feeling: I start by tuning into my emotions. Joy, grief, curiosity, or that weird feeling you get when you remember something embarrassing you did in middle school - it's all fair game.
Thinking: Then, I put on my metaphorical thinking cap (sometimes it's an actual headwrap) and start analyzing those feelings. Why am I feeling this way? What memories or experiences are tied to these emotions?
Feeling-Thinking: Here's where the magic happens. Instead of keeping these processes separate, I let them dance together on the canvas. It's messy, it's chaotic, and like most artists, I have to be careful not to mix up my beverage and my paint water. But that's where the real treasures of Spiritual Archaeology are found.
Why bother with all this feeling-thinking business?
Look, I get it. It might seem easier to just slap some paint on a canvas and call it a day But where's the fun in that? By embracing sentipensante in my artistic process, I've discovered a few things:
It makes the art more authentic. When your heart and mind are working together, you can't help but create something genuine.
It's therapeutic. Who needs a stress ball when you have a paintbrush and permission to feel all the feelings?
It connects us. Art created through sentipensante has a way of resonating with others on a deeper level. It's like we're all part of this big, messy, beautiful human experience together.
Embracing sentipensante in your own life
So, how can you bring a little sentipensante into your own life? It doesn't require a fishing boat or an art studio (though both are nice to have). Start by paying attention to those moments when your heart and head are working in harmony. Maybe it's when you're lost in a creative project, or when you're having a deep conversation with a friend. Those moments of flow, where thinking and feeling become one? That's sentipensante in action.
In my Spiritual Archaeology, every brushstroke is an opportunity to bring feeling and thinking together, to unearth hidden truths and put the pieces of myself back together. And let me tell you, it's messy, it's challenging, but it's also incredibly freeing.
So here's my challenge to you: the next time you're creating something - whether it's a piece of art, a solution to a problem, or even just planning your day - try approaching it with both your heart and your mind. Let your feelings inform your thoughts, and your thoughts deepen your feelings. You might be surprised at what you discover.
After all, in a world that's constantly trying to put us in boxes, the most revolutionary thing we can do is to embrace our whole selves. And who knows? You might just create something beautiful in the process.
