[jamesn.]

Also much has been written about the period in Paris when Joseph Campbell was there and completely changed his ideas about art and myth and the trajectory of his life course. So I’m going to recommend something that covers many of these various individuals who made up this incredible artistic community in a particular item which in my humble opinion is a “must view”: “Paris The Luminous Years – The Making of the Modern“; which is a DVD put together by: Perry Miller Adato; which covers (all) the various disciplines during that 30 year period which changed the art world forever. It is a “follow your bliss” cornucopia for those who are looking to understand what Joseph experienced during those years there that influenced him so profoundly.

One example covered in the film that is that of Sylvia Beach and her bookstore Shakespeare and Co. where she takes on publishing James Joyce’s: Ulysses and who also later helped Joseph understand how interpret Joyce’s writing which became such a large focus of some in some his own work. There is much covered like the writer’s relationship between Ernest Hemingway and Gertrude Stein who helped mentor him in his early efforts to get published. The story of Pablo Picasso whose work Joseph loved and the relationships with other painters and the poet: Guillaume Apollinaire whose late night gatherings with other artists called: “the friends” helped to inspire each other’s work; Serge Diaghilev and the Ballet Russe and the music of Igor Stravinsky and other new composers which had such a huge influence on much of classical dance and music.

This constant beehive of activity went on and on until the Wall Street crash of 1929 when Joseph had already returned home and wanted to change the focus of his dissertation which was rejected; so he left school and as he put it: retired to the woods and read for 5 years. He then went on to teach at Sarah Lawrence where he met Jean and pursued his writing career from then on. So this film will help to give some background on how the art scene that influenced Joseph so much was created by individuals who left everything behind to pursue their bliss. (This is why I’m recommending this film so strongly.)

But my point with all this background is to emphasize this understanding of how money is not the central focus that Joseph was communicating. And that by following one’s inner instincts of what is calling to them a path or track is created that points in the direction the heart wants to go. And by listening to this inner calling it will take you in the direction of where these various examples are directing. This was Joseph’s central theme he constantly stressed that by following your bliss  if you are listening and not thinking about money; this was the call of your heart’s yearning to be fulfilled. You are the one who gets to decide what your destination journey is going to be; not the call of finance of paying the bills or the accumulation of personal wealth; but what the human heart is asking for. Are these decisions difficult? For many people I would think so since any decisions that are made with this in mind may actually be part of the journey or quest process. But the end goal is finding and doing what the heart is asking for; and you may not be sure what it’s asking; so there may be tests along the way to help you figure this out. I think Joseph would call this aspect: “the path that is no path”. So this implies you are making your path up as you go along.