Thought for The Day - You See it as an Entertainment

The Turn 9 x 12 Pastels

Of a feather 18 x 24 Pastels

I'm Listening 24 x 36 Oil painting

You watch a dancer, you hear a singer, a musician strumming a guitar and all is well. But they move acrobatically, turn a phrase or sing a note in a unique or funny way, play notes on the guitar from the neck and you clap in response. And somewhere along this path, the message gets distorted. Both audience and "messenger" alike are caught up in the miraculous and the amazing and like a child clamoring for more fun, the original intent can be lost.

We don't pay money for a message or to be told something true but unflattering about ourselves. And yet an artist's true purpose is to hold the mirror up to the world and say "see, this is who you truly are." At times, it is done by talking about themselves, their desires and wants and their loss. Sometimes it is a true message about the state of the world, the human condition. And sometimes, it's a message about the BIG picture of life and how it twists and turns. But words, body movement, the notes of a song are all messages.

You see pretty colors, I see a divine rendering, declaring the changes in the state of conscious. You see "abstract" or "scribbles." I see how we "flock" to those who are like us, but we never really find our mirror image. You see a blue orb surrounded by other blue lines; I see the mouth of someone speaking and respond "I'm listening..."

You "might want" entertainment, but when artists listen to the voice of God you get...

Thought for The Day - Give Me a Beat!

Music

Composition

Arrangement

Vocals

Horns

Drums

Piano

Stringed Instruments

The sheer joy of it all! As I sat listening this morning, it occurred to me that music is where people come together! Even as I write, I consider the many aspects needed to make music a public presentation. The studio, sound engineers, those who tune the instruments, set up microphones, the managers, distribution channels both electronic and hard copies...simply amazing!

Seeing street performers in the Chicago downtown area, performing solo - or as I saw yesterday performing together - they keep time in their head, recalling the notes of the song being played and looking for a handout. Pouring their heart out through a saxophone, a guitar, perhaps singing along...

I'm not a musician and I wouldn't put 'me' on stage to sing to an audience! From my perspective, to entertain, to render a song as I would a canvas, that takes people with a certain amount of talent and a twist on guts! We all have talent, but not the same expression of it. We all have tenacity, stamina and a will to thrive and care for one another. But that expression also varies. When it comes to performing, some of us are best served working in the background, making sure the sound and presentation are smooth and serve the audience. When it comes to performing and serving the people, there are those who it well and with their very soul! And when I listen to music, while a certain musician or singer may be the "star," it simply amazes me at the sheer number of people who are involved in that overall expression. A band, an orchestra, a duet, trio, quartet or quintet; simply amazing when musicians come together!

I have a guitar I bought years ago...one day!

Thought for The Day - The Winding Road

Follow your path where ever it leads. Don't follow anyone else's path or try to model your life too closely after anyone else. You can desire similar successes, but your life, your journey is yours.

The other day, I talked about "Originality" and tried to present my life's journey as an artist, how I evolved from a kid drawing a portrait of his dad, modeled after a court reporter's rendering to truly doing my own thing. My writing has always been it's own animal. There are author's whose style I love and some parts I emulate, but my voice is my own, in speaking and in writing and it's a lot easier to be me, than anyone else.

You never know where your talents, skills and interests will take you. You may have in mind to go "here," but find you end up "over there." The path winds around, down and up and it is often unclear which way you're going. But keep this in mind: the vision of your life is your's alone. Other singers, musicians, dancers and corporate executives may have walked a similar path but when you find yourself in dark places, while you may want to read the biologies of similar people, you will ultimately have to find your way out of those places alone. It will be your steps, your effort that keeps you moving down that path and to the places you want to be.

One last thought: it's never too late to begin on the journey you had in mind while laying in bed, looking at the ceiling as a child. No matter where you are in life, no matter how far that "childhood wish" is in relation to your current life, you can always start down that path. And truly, only God knows "the way you go." Trust your heart and trust His hand.