Aaron Paquette Journal

There Was The Word

24" x 36"

Mixed Media on Canvas

2005

I sometimes like to read different religious texts. From the Quran to "The Way of the Buddha", I find so much poetry and beauty that it is hard to for me to imagine how anyone can find reason to hate their fellow man and use any of these texts as the basis for it.

This painting was inspired by a few different thoughts and interpretations I had encountered concerning the Creation of the world. One that really ignited my imagination was John Chapter 1 from the New Testament:

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not."


And from the Popul Vuh:

"This is the account of how all was in suspense, all calm, in silence; all motionless, still, and the expanse of the sky was empty...Then came the word...Then the earth was created by them. So it was, in truth, that they created the earth. Earth! they said, and instantly it was made.

Like the mist, like a cloud, and like a cloud of dust was the creation."

I find these passages very powerful. As an artist, it reminds me that everything I create is first a thought.

When we put our ideas into action we forge into the world something that never existed before. What we think is quite literally what we create.

In this way, it has become plain to me (both through observation and experience) that our thoughts dictate our reality.

Wow.