Had a fun two hour conversation this evening with a physicist on the ability of art to make people happy and whether or not I should drop everything and run off to some remote part of the world to become a jungle or cave dweller for a while. I think the conclusion I came to was not…yet. <wink>
Tag: art
Addiction – The Neuroscience of Art
I haven’t been engaging as much as I would like in music lately, and my brain feels empty and unfulfilled. I know my mood tends to be better and more even keel when I sing consistently. Here’s why: http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=176870. This study explains that music triggers the same mechanisms as highly addictive drugs like cocaine in the brain. My remedy is to seek out a support group of similar artists who can’t function without music. 🙂 Time to find a band to play with….
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Creative Conversations
A chat with a friend today spurred the idea for a song that could become really beautiful if I focus on the correct notes and moments. The subject of our conversation was a rather heavy one regarding human psychology, and left me questioning the future of my own nature. Because of a perpetual need in me to explore everything through art, an idea for a song emerged and with it, a sense of optimism for all things human.
Spring: My favourite season’s long standing betrayal
I love spring and summer. And yet, for several years in a row these two seasons have brought me waves of difficulties and grief, but also art and depth. It’s time to stop doing the easy thing, and do something drastically different to at least give my brain a break from the grind that large aspects of my life have become. If there were no constraints in life, I know exactly what I would want to do with myself. Unfortunately, I’m bound by a lot of limitations on what I can do based on where I want to live. The choice before me is the same one I faced at this time last year: choose to leave the country, or learn to fit the requirements of the average corporate job. Feels like a choice between the devil and the deep sea.
Closing The Gap
At 53% on Kickstarter, with less than 5 days left. In a few hours, it’ll be four days:Â http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/622384021/music-video-night-time-story. We need to raise $940 in four days. Hmmmmm.
The Power Of Empathy and Art
Had a wonderful start to the morning. I’ve been splitting up buying groceries over several days since I sprained my back a few weeks ago. I wanted to pick up a few things this morning at the grocery store and I decided to double check whether they deliver (I was under the impression that they didn’t). I asked the woman at the check out counter about it. We’d had a couple of conversations in the past, one particularly memorable one about music. In response she asked if it was for me or for someone else. I said it was for me, and mentioned that I’d sprained my back and had trouble walking home carrying stuff. She told me they do deliver through a service, and they charge 10% of the total groceries bill. She also immediately insisted on giving me her email address saying if she’s working when I shop for groceries next time, she would be more than happy to help me out. I am deeply grateful for people like her in the world. There’s hope for humanity yet.
Curtain
I just finished structuring a new song and I’m done writing about half of it. There’s a lot of sadness and love behind it, and I hope it makes people who listen to it tear up a little someday. I’m working out the chords right now, and as I was noting the chords above the words I was overcome by a feeling of tenderness, almost like those chords were little children that I love and want to nurture.
A good friend of mine recently told me that if I continue to deny expressing myself through art and refuse to focus on it, I’m going to end up embittered and feeling stifled for the rest of my life. It’s a really frightening thought, but artists typically have to fight a lot of constraints, even if they’re really gifted. I have a few rather glaring constraints to fight against, and to risk a tremendous leap that could result in complete and utter failure that leaves you permanently stranded is not an easy choice. So, what are my options?