Esse Livingston and Her Dolls: A mid-life journey of creativity, ritual, and play

Artists have long invoked the Muses through prayer, active imagination, dreams, memory, and reverie, windows through which unconscious material becomes conscious in the creative process. This dissertation explores both the imaginal and the theoretical domains that constitute a production dissertation. This dissertation consists of two parts: Esse Livingston and Her Dolls, a novel; and "A Midlife Journey of Creativity, Ritual, and Play," a theoretical examination of themes implicit in the novel. The protagonist, Esse Livingston, wakes from a dream that predicts the date of her death, a revelation that begins her spiritual journey. The theoretical section that follows provides an in-depth discussion of the following themes: creativity, ritual, play, and story.;Jung's ideas are predominant in this discussion of the creative process and most specifically of creativity itself, the first theme addressed in the theoretical section. Of particular interest is his discussion of psychological and visionary art, his mistrust of the anima figure who values his mandalas as art, and his dislike of fragmented modern art.;Ritual is the second theme addressed. The novel unconsciously follows the steps inherent in "rites of passage" outlined by anthropologist Arnold Van Gennep within the archetype of "the hero's journey" by mythologist Joseph Campbell. The underlying ritual of the novel, Esse's journey into death and her return, embodies a mimetic action of the hero's and the heroine's inevitable journey toward wholeness. Midlife seems an appropriate time for such a journey because, as Jung notes, it is a time of spiritual and psychological growth, possibly the last chance to reconnect with unconscious goals. Play, then, is treated as the most imaginal process engaged by the hero and heroine to establish this crucial reconnection, particularly as play occurs in the liminal space between real and pretend. Such is the importance of the archetypal role of dolls in the lives of children and adults.;The final theme is explored in the last chapter of the theoretical section of the dissertation: telling one's story, the necessary gift which completes the journey and is bestowed on the community when the hero or heroine returns.