The Pilgrimage of Sight: Jon Ortner and the Sacred Art of Seeing
Manage episode 479114369 series 3608036
What pulls someone towards art? It's rarely a straight line. It begins with a flicker, a strange obsession, a moment that seizes you and doesn't let go.
Photographer John Ortner's creative journey began with a casual suggestion from a hippie on a houseboat in Kashmir: "There's this cave not too far from here where holy men go." Without preparation, Ortner and friends trekked into the Himalaya, surrounded by thousands of sadhus—wandering mystics who've spent lifetimes seeking truth. Their question to him was profound: "Do you know why you're here?" When he admitted his ignorance, they told him he'd come for "Darshan"—holy sight
For anyone feeling the pull of creativity, Ortner's story reminds us that the most potent work emerges not from chasing recognition but from following beauty with an open heart. What's calling you to see with new eyes today?
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Chapters
1. The Pilgrimage of Sight: Jon Ortner and the Sacred Art of Seeing (00:00:00)
2. What Pulls Someone Towards Art? (00:00:51)
3. The Cave in Kashmir (00:02:08)
4. Trekking Through Himalayan Gorges (00:04:56)
5. The Last Buddhist Kingdom (00:07:32)
6. Discovering America's Desert Wilderness (00:09:55)
7. Photographing the Sacred Cremations (00:10:19)
8. Harold Simpson and Monument Valley (00:15:20)
9. Episode Closing (00:21:14)
14 episodes