9/20/11 Lecture
The thing that stood out for me most at this weeks lecture: The Statement by Gregg:
(Something like): Artists don’t always have the answers, what they are good at is
“Asking the right questions.”
That made me realize that I was always looking for answers in art, and wasting my time and energy.
The questions being asked are easier to speculate on, but there is some artwork like Marina’s that are controversial and not as easy to understand the questions unless she shares them.

I liked the Razor’s Edge theme about asking the question: are we going to follow to our own personal drum beat, or to the one we think we should have….
I began to ask that question of myself that night, and I can not conclusively say that I do, or that I don’t. I know that I was more free to follow my instincts when single, but as a married man, I now follow 2 peoples drumbeats that are overlapping and sometimes not too aligned at all. I know that I am not giving my God given resources like I would instinctlively give, and I am not going the places that I used to go frequently (i.e. dancing, poetry readings etc.). I have become another person since being married, so my wife says, and although I assume it is a complement, she disagrees. I know I am more flexible and less rigid in my thinking and attitudes, but I don’t think she can see that part. She has seen me become more lazy at certain home chores, which I claim is her rubbing off on me, but I regress….

I do think that art does something to me that feels like I need to explore and take a journey on my own.
While in Palm desert on vacation, I spent time alone going to many different art galleries, an outdoor wildlife type nature center / zoo, and I took a lot of photos with my camera phone that were…well, me letting my artistic self be creative and observant with the camera. I had fun. I got filled up. I needed that. I was inspired by all the creativity at those art galleries. I saw things I had never seen, and I want to go and get more of that. I do actually get that weekly now with our text. I love learning about the artists and why their artwork (better word could be artplay) is considered good art.

I wrote a poem today (too long to include here, and too personal anyways), so I know something is taking place in me..returning…changing…moving toward something more. I like Bill Murray’s character want more out of life than just ordinary and superficial…I don’t do well with superficial and small talk anyways, unless I am passionate, and the conversation goes deeper. I was always down on myself for being “Too” intense, but I am more relaxed with that as I read about artists and leaders who’s intensity served them and society well as a result. Whatever the journey has now become, it would be nice to stumble on a better sense of humor along the way.

Finally, I do believe that our society is the better for having citizens who march to their own drum, ie Georgia O’Keefe. They have inspired us and woken us up to social and political and moral causes that we need to address as imperfect and flawed human beings. Sometimes I need to be awakened, and sometimes, I want to inspire and wake up others too. Thanks to this class, I am learning how to do that better.