On authenticity

notes for David Lynch

Diane, January 31st , 2025 . I´m re entering the world of David Lynch .

“There’s an ocean of pure, vibrant consciousness inside each one of us, and it’s right at the source of mind, right at the source of thought, and it’s also at the source of all matter”

I cannot think about many people that have been so authenticaly themselves that inspired millions of people to do the same through their artistic creation: Embrace all the bright , all the dark, all the dreams and all the nightmares; embrace one´s own self. I have many artists and directors that I love, but David Lynch holds a special place , the one that I keep for all the weirdness and beautifull-ness of life and art , the one that doesn´t demand explanations and rationalization, but is letting loose just to feel .

I cannot remember where I read this, but we meet people right at the level of our conciousnes and understanding. There is something utterly freeing when you can interact with someone comfortable in who they are. There is something that puts us incredibly at ease when we meet with authentic people or we see them through their work. In Kazakh culture, friendship or love between humans bloom from being seen."I like you" in Kazakh,”Men seni zhaksy koremin" means "I see you as good ".

What does it mean being authentic? Does it mean staying true to yourself, ,always speaking your mind? Does it mean being the same person in every situation, or can it shift depending on the context? Is authenticity something we discover, or is it something we create over time? I believe, authenticity and creativity are really close and come from the same place : from the process of really understanding ourselves, to embracing and sharing this experience as a human condition, with vibrant conciousness . And when one expands his/her consciousness, creativity flows. As we dive into it , we might unlock our potential and release our creativity in the most imaginative manner.

David Lynch’s movies and series explore themes of the surreal and the subconscious, often delving into the duality of human nature, hidden darkness beneath idyllic surfaces, and the complexities of identity and desire. His works frequently wavers between reality and dreams, creating unsettling yet captivating meditations on beauty,fear, trauma, and the unknown.“Watching his movies (or show in the case of twin peaks and others) is hardly ever a “comfortable” viewing experience, especially on the first watch. You never know what to expect out of any scene, only that it’s probably not going to make a lot of sense. To fully enjoy a Lynch movie, you have to put everything you know about film to the side for a few hours and just let it come at you. Analyzing everything too deeply as it pops onto the screen will only confuse you more, and this is exactly what Lynch wants out of the viewer. ”1 He wants you to turn off your brain and come up with your own meaning .

Re watching twin peaks after his death is certainly a different experience. Premiering in 1990, the show broke new ground with its surreal storytelling and haunting image and brilliant background music . The pilot and the rest of the first season ,co written with Mark Frost ,is the essence of the show : Twin peaks is a place that has this warm fuzzy feeling , perhaps because of all the wood , the knitwear and the magnificent tall trees- what are they called now? -perhaps is a cozy diner that has damn good coffee and pie. Twin peaks is an idylic small mountain town with a dark undiscovered omnipresent side .Quirky yet simple people live there and all life is valued and seen; The murder of Laura Palmer unfolds a series of events between the real and surreal world and we are discovering everything with awe through the eyes of special agent Cooper. Some scenes are so masterfully crafted that it makes your skin crawl while also being hauntingly beautiful . He never wanted to reveal the killer, because as he said the questions are the ones that drive us, not the answers. The opening theme makes it look a lot like one of the soap operas of the time, but few minutes of the show prove you that this is far from your everyday soapie. The word dream appears countless times, from special fbi agent cooper connecting his dreamscapes to the crime he is trying to solve to the characters asking very often, is this all a dream? What I read from twin peaks overall is an eternall co existence of bad and good, experienced only through unhinged dreaming and conveyed in the most authentic way , as from the personal experiences and imagination of the director.

David Lynch’s death left a significant void in the creative world, but his influence continues to shape contemporary filmmakers and artists. His ability to evoke emotions through visual storytelling and his talent for capturing the complexity of human experience through surrealist imagery is unmatched. The uncontrollable wave of admiration that i saw from other people and media, means only one thing; Being authentic and creative are two things that go hand in hand , and they can create this massive, massive quantity of spark in each and one of us. David was the proof of that.

David has left a handful of quotes and guidelines about life, one more witty and weird and funny than the other . I couldn´t choose what to close with ; but I ended up with this one

ENJOY THE DOING.

SO MANY PEOPLE DO STUFF. BUT THEY DON'T REALLY ENJOY THE DOING OF IT...

THAT'S YOUR LIFE GOING BY

IT'S IMPORTANT TO ENJOY THE DOING OF SOMETHING. JEEZ LOUISE. ENJOY...