So many of us as human beings yearn to do God's work in the world. Each of us is born with unique gifts to give to the world if only we can recognize them, develop them and build our lives around their expression. Creativity is really sourcing from the divine and grounding what we receive through our hearts, bodies and minds in some medium that can hold and emanate an essence in physical form.

I have always appreciated true artists, people who are not only creative, but also spiritual channels or messengers of the divine. True artists are most often deeply spiritual people who devote their lives to bringing divine energy into the world for the growth, healing and benefit of humankind. They work in one or many media — sound, the written word, physical materials, images, movement, to name a few — and when one partakes of their creative fruits, one is deeply touched and moved.

I feel very privileged to know two true artists, who I would like to share with you. One, Heyoka Merrifield, is a sculptor and jeweler working with sacred art. The other, Hiko Hagopian, is a musician and composer creating music of the soul. While Heyoka and Hiko work in different media, live indifferent parts of the country and are at different stages in their lives and artistic careers, both are deeply devoted to the spiritual process of sourcing from the divine. To be with each artist, is to experience a very deep, gentle and fertile soul who embodies the spirit that is brought into form through their art. I am grateful Heyoka and Hiko are bringing their gifts into the world. Through viewing Heyoka's visual creations and listening to Hiko's musical creations, we can each deepen our connection to our own divine source.

Heyoka Merrifield is an extraordinarily gifted artist and a very deep, articulate and thoughtful human being. I was introduced to his work by Kathy Straus, another exceptional human being who has the gift of finding wonderful resources and then sharing them with others who could benefit from them. Kathy first encountered Heyoka's work at the Ornament Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico. His hand-crafted jewelry, altars and sculptures were not only beautiful but also imbued with a far-reaching sense of spirit. The pieces sparkled with a sense of the sacred, leaving me speechless and in awe.

When Kathy shared Heyoka's book. Sacred Art, Sacred Earth, which both features a wide collection of Heyoka's pieces and tells the story of his journey and evolution as a sacred artist, the power and beauty of each piece and the depth and breadth of the collection made a strong impression.

Heyoka will be 60 this September, but to look at him, you would never know it. He is a gentle, timeless being who speaks poetically, his words flavored with warmth and humor. He lives in Montana with, in his words, "a couple of kitties." Heyoka's background includes Cherokee blood on his mother's side. While he has spent many years living on Indian reservations, he feels a connection not only with Native American traditions, but also with all the world's sacred traditions.

"When I got my degree in college as an art major, I was required to take a lot of art history. Art history is the history of sacred art. That's what teaches us about different cultures and our ancestors. The sacred art pieces from Egypt and other cultures resonated with me in a way that contemporary art didn't. When I was on my own I started making art in these ancient traditions. For example, I made Egyptian and Celtic symbols. And I started seeing the mythic themes in all these cultures had common threads. I also saw that we were born into a mythically deprived culture."

Doing God's Work

"I think everybody has something they come into the wheel of life with. From my earliest memory this is what I came into the world for. Art is what I got praise for in school. I tried different paths in school, like being pre-med and some other misadventures. I ended up back in art.

"Once I made that decision at 19 or 20, everything else fell into place. As far as sacred art, that came later. I was disillusioned with the world as a young artist. At one point I gave up art and lived in the country as a farmer. I was living on an Indian reservation in northwest Washington state. It was very remote. I lived without electricity and many miles from neighbors. And about that same time, I was experiencing many metaphysical paths and books and shamanism.

"I didn't really set out to create sacred art. It is something the universe gave to me. When I started making art pieces for my own use and pleasure, the shamanistic work I had been doing put a whole new energy and force behind these pieces. Although I as making sacred art at this time, it was only down the road that I could articulate it. I was making pieces I thought could help me on my spiritual path.

"In our culture, we have myths from the religions we were brought up with. We also have this science myth that says religions are untrue. The particular myth I was raised with was the Christian myth. My father was a Baptist minister so I got it big time and it really wasn't functioning well in my life. In my study of art history, which was basically the history of the world, I saw the mythic themes of the bibles were from other cultures and predated the Bible.

"Some of the prayers in the Egyptian texts were the same as the prayers in the Old Testament. The story of Moses goes back to Mesopotamia. It doesn't falsify the Bible. I just had to look at the broader picture. Most of our myths can function in a really beautiful way that can help people live balanced lives. If they are looked at as fact and narrow-mindedly with our traditional myth being the only truth, they become limiting and dysfunctional.

"You can see myths as stories about our own energy systems in our bodies or you can see myths as realities. Like a god did this or a goddess did that. If you look in and see that heroes, gods and goddesses are parts of the self that are sometimes in conflict and need to find balance, you can internalize these archetypal symbols. And when you start seeing religions, myths, whatever you want to call it that way, your whole perspective of the world changes. Your perspective becomes more of a shamanistic view of the world. You have a direct relationship with the powers. You don't have to go through a book or an authority. You may choose to have a particular archetype of the goddess that you can image, but you don't see her as a reality. You see her as a symbol of the radiance that comes through to you. And that radiance is a symbol of your own feminine energy. That is what I've tapped into and that is where my art comes from."

Heyoka's art reflects his direct relationship with the archetypal powers — the powers that are seen in all the different cultures and all the different myths. Heyoka draws from the goddess power "that has to be out there in every myth." He notes, "Even in very patriarchal myths like Christianity, there is goddess power. They will try to push that out because the goddess myths were their competition when they were coming into power. The Virgin Mary took on all the archetypal goddesses of different cultures."

Living Life as a Creative Channel

Heyoka has done much work to be grounded in his own life, in order to be present to bring forward sacred energy through his art. That's where we start. We need to do what we can to get our own lives functional, where you're living from your own center and your own heart.

"An art object can hold in three dimensions the energy of archetypal powers. Sacred books take symbols that are words and create intellectual concepts for our mind. The beauty of sacred art is that it creates symbols more in touch with archetypal energies. When an art object truly connects with these powers, the radiance, the spiritual energy comes right through the object itself. That radiance is what set me on my path—the radiance of those ancient, pieces in the museums. They had such an amazing power compared to the contemporary jewelry I was making at the time. What I can give to the world, hopefully, is to make that direct connection with the divine, archetypal power, put it into 3D and then put it out in the world so someone can feel that radiance through my artwork in the way art was originally created in ancient times."

In addition to all his visual art, Heyoka has written a book entitled Eyes of Wisdom, telling the story of White Buffalo Woman. "In choosing a primary myth in my life, I chose the myth of this land, the Native American, in particular, the Northwest of Turtle Island where I have been living most of my life and the primary goddess of this area, White Buffalo Woman. I wanted to pass that story on to as many people as I could. And l also wanted to pass on different teachings that my teachers had given me.

"My primary teacher has been nature. The majority of my life I have chosen to live in a very natural environment. The animals, the trees, the seasons, the elemental powers become your teachers when you live that near to them. Somehow we get cut off from this wonderful teacher when we are brought up in cities or suburbia like I was. We have to find a way to get into the natural environment to feel our place on Mother Earth."

Heyoka has just finished an exhibit at the Aaron Faber Gallery in New York City. The Ornament Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico regularly carries his work, as does the Native Earth Gallery in Missoula, Montana.

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This past holiday season I received a precious gift. I have had the privilege of writing for Spirit of Change for over a decade and every now and then my writing draws someone wonderful to me.

In response to my article "I Really Don't Want to Talk About It, Just Hold Me," (Nov/Dec, 1999, Spirit of Change), I received an e-mail from a very brave, talented and heartfull man. His name is Hiko Hagopian. A native of Canada, he was raised in Athens, Greece. He is 37 years old and a composer/performer who lives in Cumberland, Rl. When Hiko read the article, he felt a sense of resonance and thought I should hear his music. As soon as I met Hiko, I knew I was going to be touched. His eyes sparkled with joy and a great love of life. The warmth emanating from his smile made it clear I had just met someone special and gifted.

Inspired as a child, in his own words, by his "mother's shimmering soprano voice," Hiko's love for classical music was born. By age 16 he was competing in solo flute competitions on both city and state levels. As a teenager, he became a member of the Chicago Flute society, the Chicago Symphonic Wind Ensemble, and the North Park Symphony Orchestra. Hiko's work evolved over time from orchestra work as an oboist to writing original music in a style that could place him as the next Yanni or John Tesh.

"I had a big attraction to the piano at a very young age," says Hiko. "I remember always pretending I was sitting and playing a piano, even at age 3. I realized I could write music in high school, around age 16 or 17. I remember sitting at a piano at a studio in school, playing it and realizing I was actually creating some kind of melody. The birth of my compositions occurred when my aunt Sophie was very ill with liver disease. I wanted to write something for her. That was the beginning of it all. The very first piece I wrote was a song called 'Sophie's Tears'."

Every artist has a sound, a unique fingerprint permeates their compositions at any time and over as their music evolves and changes. When you artist you can sense and recognize who is playing without being told by virtue of this fingerprint or sound.

"My spiritual growth has allowed me to open myself to change my style of music, while still staying within my sound," Hiko reflects. My music has helped me to be a more 'in-tune' person, a more caring person and above all a more loving person."

Hiko's love permeates all of his pieces. If there were a quality that was his signature, it would be love. In this sense, Hiko's music is a language of universal love. Great artists are often channels for God's work in the world in whatever medium they are called to work with. Hiko is no exception. Music is the medium of expression for his spirit and soul. Sitting at the keyboard and playing is a personal meditation that becomes a universal meditation.

"I usually just sit at my keyboards and start to play," Hiko explains. "I don't know how it happens, but when it's the right time, music just starts flowing out of my hands.

"Music is a messenger. It comes to us in a way that awakens many deep feelings that sometimes we don't realize we have until we have been touched by the music. Music brings a higher sense in one's life arid can put you in touch with what you feel most deeply in your heart, what you really want or need and haven't let yourself dream of. It seems that I touch people in the same way the music touches me."

As Hiko opens himself up he becomes a conduit to receive what is there to come through from a higher level or source. "I feel very peaceful and grounded through my music—that I have a true reason for being in this world. I feel I am here to create beautiful music.

"Music can make a profound difference in one's life. It is a language everyone understands, no matter where you are from, what race you are, whether you are a man or woman, adult or child. Music communicates with each one of us. It has the capacity to reach own deeply and touch the soul."

"I like to see people happy and I'm always ready to introduce my music to people whether they are having a crisis in their lives or their lives are good. I want my music to make a positive difference in people's lives. Music can help other people get in touch with their own source, to open up their hearts and minds, to be inspired to believe that we as humans can get to where we need to be."

Hiko's music has direct applications in healing. Hiko tells this story: "My friend Elizabeth is a cancer survivor. When she first heard my music, she was moved and approached me. She asked if I would consider using my music for helping other cancer patients heal. She was instrumental in putting together two concerts this past summer where I helped choreograph four dances to four of my compositions. The first concert was at Women and Infant's Hospital in Rhode Island for Cancer Survivor Day. The second concert was performed for the Breast Care Clinic of Rhode Island.

Elizabeth describes Hiko's music as follows: "Hiko's music exudes a soft and delicate serenity. His compositions are filled with endless, boundless, flowing beauty. A sense of peacefulness engulfs the listener. It envelops one in a sea of tranquility, especially while undergoing cancer treatments. Hiko's music allows the body, mind and soul to transcend time and space in the healing process."

Hiko has found meaning in helping people heal. "I would like to get more involved with healing clinics on whatever level, in helping people heal from whatever ails them, whatever they are in pain or hurting from." Perhaps it is no accident that as I write this article, Hiko is at home in Chicago helping hospice his sister-in-law who is fighting cancer and battling for her life. In so many ways, Hiko and his music are one.

Hiko does a workshop in Rhode Island Public School System with his colleague Kim E. Greenberg who is a dancer and choreographer called "Intimate Expressions." Hiko and Kim work with kids in grades K through 12 with the purpose if communicating delicately one's deepest nature through music and movement."

"We speak about what inspires us to do what we do. My message to these young people is whatever love or desire you have, you should never ignore. Sharing yourself and your talent with other people is a way of communicating on a spiritual level. I want to show these children that I have a love and desire for what I do and that dreams do come true. I am doing exactly what I always dreamed of doing. If you persevere and you believe God has given you a talent, no matter what that talent might be, doing and acting upon it will make your dreams come true." This is a very important message to give to young people in their formative years.

We can heal our world one soul at a time. As any person finds inner peace and healing. We can slowly build the foundation for peace and healing throughout the world. Music can be a messenger of peace, a facilitator for healing, inner and outer. Hiko reflects, "I am hoping that my music will give people hope, will make people feel, and will help them reflect on what they need to do as human beings to make our world a better place to live in."

I have no question that as Hiko's music becomes more familiar in the world at large, a lot of peace and healing will take place.

ABOUT HlKO'S MUSIC:

Hiko, International pianist/composer is currently promoting his solo CD "First Embrace" and will be releasing his second CD "The Secret Of My Heart" in April 2001. Hiko has recently signed a 3 year agreement with A-Pro a Korean based record label that is releasing his solo CD this April and will be starting his tour of the Orient in support of the album in the fall of this year. 

Please visit Hiko's web site at: www.hikomusic.com for further information. Hiko resides in Baltimore, Maryland.

For Hiko's updated information...
Click Here To Read Hiko's Special Profile

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Linda Marks, MSM, has practiced heart-centered, psychospiritual body-centered psychotherapy for sixteen years.  She is founder of the Institute for Emotional-Kinesthetic Psychotherapy in Newton, and author of LIVING WITH VISION: RECLAIMING THE POWER OF THE HEART (Knowledge Systems, 1988).  She has taught and spoken nationally and internationally, and has been a leader in the emerging field of somatic psychology.  She lives in Newton, MA with her four year old son, Alexander.  Linda's new book EMBODYING THE SOUL: DANCING INTO LIFE is due for release in the spring of 2001.  You can contact her at (617)965-7846 or LSMHEART@aol.com