Writing

This was my first career aspiration. I wanted to be a journalist. But that was only so I could interview my idol; Elton John. Instead, I went into radio and interviewed Jerry Rubin, what can I tell ya? My commitment to writing was not strong. Although I've journalled (why is that not a word?) actively since age 14, and am obviously getting into this blogging stuff, I've dissed the artform all my life. Maybe it's from too much school, the Bar exam must've done me in. Maybe it is all that stuff I HAD to write, that'll take it out of anyone. It could be my ADD/impatience too. As anyone who knows me knows, I am queen of the concise email... so stop complaining! You now have reams of blog to wade through.

The Female Brain

my fav red
Originally uploaded by alfarman.

Dance

Although I don't consider this quite as high an artform as the previous three I discussed, that's only because there are only so many things you can do with the human body. Music, film and art have such fluid, extensive, flexible mediums, there's no way you can express as much message through dance. Yet, I'd rather watch dance more than anything but a great concert, and I enjoy dancing more than painting or filmmaking....but, not more than singing. Fortunately, when I sing, I dance, so I've never had to make that trade off, though the breathing gets a little tricky.
I love Bob Fosse, Twyla Tharp, Ballanchine... incredible choreographers. Artists of the highest order. Britney Spears and Madonna are fantastic dancers, I guess I'd call them artists. Dance is so inspiring. You are watching someone give it their all, their heart, spirit & body too. And you've got to admire what the dancers themselves do, it requires unbelievable discipline and strength. Most actors & singers started with dance and couldn't cut it, it's for the young. So, even if you're a white boy, get out there and let your body move to the music, dancing is way cool.

Art

My parents were right. I do love beautiful things. Fortunately, I don't have a huge need to own them. My joy is gazing upon them. looking at the light, the colors. When I'm looking at something that was created by hand by someone, even better. I think about how they made it, why I didn't have that idea first etc... When I'm looking at real art, it's deeper. You think about what the artist was trying to say. Most art that you see in galleries these days says, "please buy me, I will look nice in your home, you'll be supporting an artist." I've got plenty of art like that. I have absloutely no issue with it other than that I have more respect for the artist that does try to comment through her art; creates beautiful objects and paintings to say something really original or bring people to feelings and understanding.
There is such a direct, primal connection that art brings. When I stand in front of Starry Starry Night at MOMA I am looking at the actual canvas Vincent painted. Looking at that mesmerizing painting, knowing his life and death and what he tried so hard to express, the frustration he felt, the frustration we feel that he was never able to see the real value of his contribution in his life, helps us all understand that we create to create and hope it will serve as inspiration to someone, communicate to someone.... at some time. It's a leap of faith. Creating something is always a leap from the known to the new.
People who don't take the time to appreciate art and beauty in general, ...you wonder what they do appreciate, what they do notice and care about in life. If you're fed and have basic security in life, open your goddamn eyes and look around cause it is a beautiful world and you've got an 80 yr. pass to enjoy it. This is not a dress rehearsal! This is your actual life. So, do the zen thing. And yes, I actually do smell the roses.... in my garden, whenever I can. I'm a great appreciator, of beauty, of life of art. It's a great gift.
In my own painting, it's gone through phases; revolutionary stuff when I was young, tame interior watercolors in my mommy years, and now I'm going toward a bigger, more ambitious phase, expressive, more emotional.

Film

The amount of time and effort that goes into a good film is huge, usually necessary, and it almost always shows up visually. A lot of technology goes into that stuff. So, go to the movies, pay for DVD's or VOD. Think twice about buying the popcorn the theatre owners live off (they make no profit off tickets) if it's one of these multiplexes that focuses on the teen boy flicks, because that practice makes it very hard for other types of films to get made.
Music is different. There's nothing wrong with good production values but, there's a legitimacy limit that's much lower. Look at the White Stripes. Music is about heart. You can improve it with production, to a point. But where I'm happy to pay the production cost of film, it's too jacked up in music, and most of it goes to fluff.
Film is a complete re-enactment of life. The utimate metaphor. The ultimate medium. Auteur film directors are the ultimate artists. And you've even got to respect the sell-outs as long as there's some redeeming value in the film, because they employ people productively, efficiently and creatively. When I used to direct plays, the power is unbelievable. You literally spend your day telling people what to do and where to go. They love it, expect it, want it, all to fulfill your artistic vision of the performance. You put in music, lights... create the experience. One day, you're reading words on a page, and a few months later it's all there with living, breathing people. It's amazing. But that's chicken feed to a major film director who's working with CG, models, effects, sets, locations, actors, costumes, sound, editors, financing, marketing etc., and ends up with something that will be viewed for hundreds of years.
So, I have great respect for those in the film industry (except Jack Valenti) but particularly the directors because they need to have the ability to hold fast to their creative vision in the face of every hassle you could ever imagine and also be top managers, that's a lot of skill sets that need to operate in one person.
Now, I do want my films piped in, with full control. And don't forget the DVD features, because there's no way I'm giving up the commentaries now. You can't go back. But, this Netflix in the mail is getting old.

Next Steps

Having answered the original dozen questions, I must now mow greener pastures. Having dealt so harshly with the boringness of others, I do feel a bit compelled to at least focus on another artform. Film is my second favorite. Why music first? It is so intense. I guess Marshall McLuhan would call it hot, like the phone. All your focus is auditory. I have been pulled in by films, they're big. I've sat third row center in more musicals... and loved that feeling. But there is nothing in the world that can compare to being a few feet from one of the world's great guitarists, or performers (especially when you're floating on a sea of people or overlooking the Rockies or tripping your brains out or something). I don't know, maybe it's just me, but get me around men playing electric guitars and it's all over. Music is immediate. It's right there and you can just hop inside it and let it move your body. It's visceral, organic. Now that I have more of an appreciation for the vocals and what it takes to make it all come together in a band, it's even better. And, of course, actually being the one up there, chanelling the music, hearing your own voice, watching people dance in front of you, hearing your band crank it out.... it's incredible. What a rush!

Answer to Question 12

I've tried writing songs. It is hard to write a beautiful song, (even one) for most of us. Some just hear it. They are attuned to a higher plane. The phenomenon that makes them cut out early is the same basic thing. That attenuation to the spiritual plane makes this one seem all the worse for the comparison. They come, they give their gift, and then they get out of Dodge. There are better places.
If there's a rock & roll heaven, you know they got a hell of a band.

Answer to Question 11

Hey, better to be the leader in a small but psychotic market, than have no presence at all.

Answer to Question 10: How to Help Kids Retain Their Imagination

This issue goes way back for me, long before I had kids. Some people fit right into structured school environments. I was too animated and imaginative and had to struggle to focus on boring teachers. When I got to college and was able to take interesting courses like Psychology, Sociology and Communications, I thought, wow, if HS had taught me anything interesting or applicable to my life... I would have mentally attended. Unfortunately, after a few years (ok, months), even college got boring. Some of the professors wanted to hear my thoughts on their curriculum, and only their curriculum. That was unfortunate (for my GPA), because I always preferrred to write about how their stuff related to something else I was studying on the side. Some professors appreciated my active mind and became friends, others explained that they were in charge, my dear, F for you.

I spent many hours explaining to my parents why it was more important to actually LEARN than have a high number next to my name. I did understand that, by doing so, I would severely limit my money making options in life. You'll change, they said, when you get older, you'll care more about security and creature comforts, you like beautiful things. I didn't care then, I don't care now, at least not enough to make that the fulcrum of my decisions. I eventually did get some very high paying jobs, and gave them up. The inner world had long been more present and important to me. Once you know it, you know that the material world can never offer what it does: the knowledge, understanding & peace. I love the material world. It is beautiful. But, you don't need that much money to enjoy it

Being so different makes you look at society and question. Let's face it. Our educational system is not designed to create artists. Art, as any child can tell you, is intrinsically fun. We don't need to motivate people to do it, we need to motivate people to forget about their imagination and love of creativity so they will happily sit in their offices and do grunt work when they're older. Otherwise we would not have this wonderfully productive society which allows a few incredible wealth and has all the rest of us thinkin we could get that too, if we follow the rules. And some do, we're constantly presented with the lifestyles of the rich and lucky to remind us to follow the rules, we could then live like that.

What saddens me the most about this constant process of roboticizing children is that, for so many, the spiritual, creative cut-off comes before they have the power to fight it. And the parents rarely fight it for them because they often don't understand what their children are losing, because they lost it themselves, long ago. I fought to retain it, it was worth the fight for me, and I've done everything I could to retain it for my kids. Besides creating the right environment at home, I went into their school and fought for, and got, more "enrichment" programs. My son created incredible art when younger, by 12, (hell, by 10) his schedule is so full of activities ( some of which, like acting, are creative) he barely has time to make his films.

We all sell out to some degree, but keep your soul, keep your imagination as long as you can. When it goes, you don't get a notice, so look for the signs. What do you feel in your silence? Can you even handle stillness, or do you feel the continuing need to buy more stuff, get more power & popularity? What motivates you? What thrills you? What turns you on? Sometimes we get on the treadmill and can't get off, it becomes habitual and we forget what it feels like to be really happy.

We Pause

for a suspension of musical and other assorted rantings while I try to absorb the reality that millions of people just voted for this guy....including four dead in OHIO.

Election Day... Go VOTE!

We interrupt our regular programming for this special announcement... it's 5:40 am and I'm going on the assumption this crackpot is history. The markets are reacting favorably, oil is plummetting and biotech is climbing. I do have faith in the intelligence of the American people and that this four year nightmare will soon abate. This is, by far, the worst President this country has had, at least since Hoover, and I've never been so concerned about the result of a Presidential election in my life.

Answer to Question 9: How to Move Your Mojo

Remember all those Beatles songs like A Day in the Life, the Magritte guy, that reserved British banker corporate wonk type? In the 60's (which I kinda missed, unfortunately) wasn't that the guy everyone made fun of, didn't want to be? He sold out his creative and sexual urges for the boringly safe road. This was the generation that was not supposed to get fooled again, keep trading bosses, but you're always serving the same master. Security. I read a quote of Pete Townsend's once saying "the best thing you can have in life is consistency", I was floored. Wasn't this the guy who wrote Tommy, so inwardly attuned... who smashed his fuckin guitars onstage?? So, god only knows what money does to folks.
Let's face it we all sell out to some degree... even Curt Cobain, though it killed him. We're human & we love ego stroking and outer power. Just be aware of what you trade away though. That's the hard part. People forget what they gave up, the connection, the creativity, the passion, the spontaneity and discovery. Building that creative muscle, or connection, back up takes time and focus, like anything else. Sometimes I do envy those happy to plod along, they seem so content. But, once you've tasted the joy of creative expression, you'll want more.
So, how do people who focused on achievement all their lives get connected back to their cores and then be able to put that back out in some beautiful way? It's hard. Unless you're lucky enough to be able to work in a creative profession, but, even then I'd imagine there's always some trade off between politicking and working your way up and doing that through true creativity. How many people can you name who achieved big financial success primarily through creativity? Very few. It's almost always some trade off, many, throughout our lives. It's sad how many of us have had to trade off our creative time to "make a living".
I guess at a certain point, you're happy just to have a few viable creative hobbies.

Answer to Question 8: What is the value of artistic expression to society & the individual?

We are spiritual beings in physical bodies. We are the connectors between the spiritual and physical realms. Our purpose in life is to bridge the worlds. The primary way we have of doing that is artistic expression.

Groups of connected, creative, fulfilled humans make Utopian societies. Gone is the sense of threat and competitveness we've come to take for granted. Yes, we live in a world where supply is limited and demand is unlimited, so there may always be some sense of competition. But that is lessened when each individual is truly fulfilled. And true fulfillment, while in some ways more easily accomplished in a materially rich environment, is the product of internal, not external, focus.