Turn On the Light

Turn On the Light: How to Find Your Mystery Box

2013-05-19T18:13:00.001-07:00

Turn On the Light: How to Find Your Mystery Box: While finishing my degree at Northern Arizona University I was required to take a class in folk arts to receive my degree in the humanities....

How to Find Your Mystery Box

2013-05-19T18:06:00.001-07:00

While finishing my degree at Northern Arizona University I was required to take a class in folk arts to receive my degree in the humanities. One of the assignments of that class was to define each student's "family traditions" that had been either created in the family of origin or passed along through the generations. Since I come from a family of innovators and inventors I could fall back on the fact that my mother's uncle was one of the first men to fly around the world or that my Opa (Grandpa in Swedish) helped invent the cash register while employed at NCR. Needless to say I felt a bit inadequate starting that paper.

Thinking back I realized my immediate family had created a tradition of our own. It took place every Sunday at five o'clock. Let me back up a minute. We were a family that ate all other nights together at the dinner table except for that one special night. It didn't matter if it was Christmas - the tradition was not broken. We ate pizza and sat in the living room watching Star Trek on the television.

Today I went to the theater and sat down for a Sunday family tradition with J.J. Abrams. In case you aren't [art of the Enterprise crew you can take a look at the trailer.

You could say that my family has a strange tradition. So what, you are missing the point. The point is that this is not a review of a movie that was visually stunning with magical effects, lighting, and costumes. The dialogue pays homage to the original television series pushing the envelope of hokey ridiculousness to Trekkies the world over. If you are not a nerd like me you probably don't get the references which is all good to the average movie goer. If you don't know what I am talking about then you may not be one of those addicted to unreal, finding stability in the destabilization of true movie magic and indirectly our society and universe. I do have a degree in BS.

Yeah, J.J. Abrams did it again. He made magic that we can all enjoy. I recently saw an interview with the filmmaker. Asked where his inspiration to do what he did came from he told a story of growing up in New York City. His family history is one of curiosity, sharing the gift of family connections. Making things. Deconstructing things. Why is the mystery of some magic more profound than others? We are connected to what infinite possibilities that our family shares with each of us. Out of our families there are small moments that connect us to where we are from.

I agree with Mr. Abrams. Embrace the technology that enfolds your art be that raising your children, writing, music, film, cooking, or some other form creativity. Remember the mystery box of where your life is from. Imagine the impossible. Then the impossible becomes the possible. Be the mystery box.

Thank you Star Trek Into the Darkness for reminding me of my family tradition of watching Star Trek on the floor of the living room (that had creme colored carpet by the way imagine my mother's neurosis), and being a family, and tribbles.

A Wrecking Ball Named Is Bruce Springsteen

2012-03-30T23:46:00.001-07:00

As keynote speaker at the 2012 SXSW festival the iconic artist shared wisdom to all of us. Dreamers have always sought out a leader and interestingly it is the artists and musicians that pave the way out of chaos. Bruce Springsteen is one of those poets challenging us all with his music to think about what is really going on in our country, culture, and how passive acceptance of the unacceptable has perpetuated the chaos.

I hear the groans from people grumbling how easy it is for the 1% to be champion for the 99%. They felt self indulgent, not the Bruce I have grown to love throughout my life. A songwriter who embraces the truth and turns it into art. That is the Mr. Springsteen I know. This humble artist from New Jersey has remained the voice of America though I have not liked some of the last few albums. With Wrecking Ball he has found that focus, said so well in the interview below,

I was at Hastings to recycle some movies that were no longer being watched last week. My daughter picked up some music, and I gravitated towards Mr. Springsteen's new release Wrecking Ball. The CD has been living in my car player not yet getting to my iPod. My sister and I spoke on the phone last week and she thought this might be the best record since Born in the USA released in 1984. The more I listen to this latest work I am convinced this is his best musicianship since The River in 1979 (though the song of the same name was not released until 1981's Nebraska).

Wander through the soul of Bruce Springsteen through his music, and if you are anything like me you will relish the depth of this intellectual, artist, and activist who deeply loves democracy and his country - the United States of America. Songs like "We Take Care of Our Own" is a call to arms in the classic Springsteen style of songs like "Born in the USA" - mixed with lyrics that suggest we as a country have forgotten how to be "right" ethically and morally. Forgotten what it means to fight for truth and justice for all. Images in the video for this song show the people of America - the hard core individuals that make our country strong - that 99%. Ironically American culture has placed importance on that all mighty dollar rather than the integrity that has made this country great questioning "where is the spirit that'll reign rain over me" challenging priorities in a country where the average citizen may slip below the poverty line just as easily as someone with a MBA. I always remember my first KNOCK THE BLUES OUT OF HUNGER and there was a family living in their car, in the park. They wanted to listen to the music but did not have the one canned food item as entrance fee. I gave them a hug and said, "you are why we are here so please come on in and enjoy the music and cool mountain air," We take care of our own.

Just so we are straight I am a long time Bruce Springsteen fan. The problem with this statement is that I am a fan of any musician with a voice in popular culture that has meaning ad conviction. Listening to Wrecking Ball is a lesson in the oppression that has been the horrifying fabric of America. Brilliant and pointed lyrics are layered within "shanty Irish being the poor or disreputable people of Irish descent (this term used in the United States rather than in Ireland. "Death to My Hometown" is a direct assault on the American way of life. Challenging citizens to battle the "Death to My Hometown" flavoring the song with subliminal connections to a culture long identified with fight, passion, and perseverance - the Irish.

"Shackled and Drawn" mixes a gospel structure with the Irish shanty sound, pointing out that the American people may feel as if they woke one day imprisoned, but the irony may be that this process Springsteen sings about was voluntarily entered in to with the American politic. Is it that we can feed our politician but we cannot feed ourselves? We probably all know someone affected by the state of economics in the United States. I personally have family and friends (myself included) who are scrambling, breaking out of the chains that consumerism bound, giving away freedom. America is populated by immigrants and slaves. Our society has voluntarily become slaves again because of apathy in regard to an informed citizenry.

"Land of Hope and Dreams" is strong in gospel roots. An anthem of the common man, the impure, hopeless, but most of all the dreamers who made America strong. Faith and hope are hardest to come by when life is at its bleakest. Brilliantly turning this song into a gospel hymn, as a listener I was drawn in to the positive possibilities of change.

I could go on and on about the voice of popular culture. Historically these individuals are born out of the art that they create. It connects. Somehow these people are gifted with the ability to carve into the soul. They tell the stories that we all think but often are unable to give voice to those ideas. Wrecking Ball is one of those records, telling the tale of a revolution waiting to happen. From gospel to Irish folk to just plain rock and roll, each track connects. Each track gives voice to the social issues breeding in the shadows of democracy, Thank you Bruce Springsteen for shining a light in the dark, though this time we aren't dancing .

The Musical Musings of a Wandering Man

2012-03-15T21:57:00.002-07:00

Occasionally an artist comes along that finds a way to express individual vision in a way that connects. I know there is no formula to this, no magic add this and take away that to blend a sound that travels straight to the soul. Hauntingly beautiful, Charles Ellsworth and the Dirty Thirty is one of those records. This modern day troubadour of blues Americana creates with storytelling reminiscent of the country greats like Johnny Cash and Townes Van Zandt. Sit down and stay a while. . . .

To those of you familiar with the indie scene of the last decade you may remember a hometown band from Pinetop, Arizona with a name that kind of stuck out in the emo-blackness. Alaska and Me released I Will Die in the West after recording with Arizona producer Bob Hoag. This little band of high school friends made a big statement about what they wanted to hear in the indie music scene and that screamed originality flavored by the ideals of western culture. Life, death, love, and the pain that a soul feels when these things are lost pushed these guys into the top twenty on the Smartpunk charts. A huge accomplishment when music was redefining itself on a moment to moment basis, Alaska and Me lingered like the scent of a campfire on a starlit summer mountain night.

More often than not moments like that flicker like a shooting star burned too bright too fast. The demise of Alaska and Me became the birth of Charles Ellsworth as a solo artist. Along with a piece of university paper the man found a clear voice as a filmmaker, songwriter, and musician. Life is a journey and it is no mistake that Wandering Man Productions is an unknown force to be reckoned with rising above the glut of good artists attempting to find a clear voice in the indie music herds. I do want to be clear on some things before I go on with this. I am biased. I worked with Alaska and Me and that relationship is a large part of why I am a writer, work with musicians in various capacities, and am always excited when I hear an artist that seems genre less, defining their path, and opening up the view for all of us with their artistry. That describes Charles Ellsworth. I am including his documentary short film about The Dirty Thirty by Charles the filmmaker that explains who the other musicians that were part of the creative team in this project. I too am proud to be working with Charles again, and I look forward to meeting the rest of the family.

Does this make me biased? You tell me. You can go to YouTube and listen to the entire release from Charles Ellsworth. “Mama Can’t Sleep” as the first track on this self titled CD is like a train leaving the station, filled with anticipation and adventure. The harmonies lilt along, hopeful as most of us are stepping out into life on our own. “Mike Calls it ‘Savior Complex’” lilts an echo of childhood, that dream of hitting the road running toward the possibilities of love. Finding that “girl next door” is a grounding force in the face of the storms of life. That beautifully balanced harmony in this release is often provided by backing vocalist Kiki Jan Siegler. Angelic and youthful, she is the perfect balance to the deep resonant tones present in Ellsworth’s vocal style. Charles Ellsworth brings a haunting beauty to his lyrics, recalling in my mind the struggles in life and the triumphant victory each moment affords. “Coffee, Drugs, and Cigarettes” is the fork in the road. It begins cutting the path for us all to follow into the darkness. “History repeats all we know, and we don’t know nothing at all” is a premonition of what is real, present, and the state of our country at this moment. Nothing to hide, but never leave. Should we only be treated right if we never leave? This echo of the state of affairs in the American political and economic meltdown suggests that integrity is lost, sold, or forgotten. "All My Tin Soldiers" is nothing less than a honest appraisal of self. How we grow, change, and evolve is a shared pain. Love is the grounding force keeping fear at bay.

This ten track CD is homage to the storytelling of icons such as Johnny Cash, Tom Waits, and Townes Van Zandt. Ellsworth lists as his influences these legends along with blues greats like Robert Johnson and Lead Belly. This record blends voices of the past with a real time experience with life's truths and lies. The voice of this record is a road trip from youth to adulthood, with pain, hope, love, and loss. What matters to this listener is not that I prefer one genre over another. What matters is a fresh take on an individual’s story, arranged and set to music. “Education of a Wandering Man” takes the listener to a land of knowing, moment to moment, that we are all on the path whether we know it or not. Relationships, love, hope, and strength bring the message home - that if we heed the warnings and listen for the message we all could be just fine.

www.CharlesEllsworth.com

Presale Special

A Guide for the Wireless Generation

2012-03-09T21:14:00.001-08:00

Somehow I ended up in the promotions business. Not really sure how I ended here from there but no matter. In the big scheme of things an individual or a country or a planet finds hindsight to have perfect vision of the future.

That is, unless you are dead.

Bringing me from there to here, the only obvious failure is to embrace apathy for rear of pissing someone off or making a mistake. Oscar Wilde states "experience is simply the name we give our mistakes" forging a positive path in an individual psyche. On this note I would like to share a collection of writings that I have compiled over the last five or more years. One was originally published in the National Gallery of Writing. Others I simply have a fond space for in my writing. Now here is the fear and failure thing. Any art asks for criticism, be it positive or negative matters only to the faint of heart. In future months I will be acting as editor on two other books, and this was the one helping to "get my feet wet" in the world of virtual publishing. All books will be offered in print copy eventually, some sooner than later.

Take a moment and tell me what you think. To keep living humanity MUST keep thinking, and only by going back to how we got from there to here as a species will we all find life.

Let's all share the experience.

How to Think: A Guide for the Wireless Generation

In All Things We Are Connected

2012-02-16T00:52:00.000-08:00

An interesting thing to read - my submission to the National Gallery of Writing. I was given the opportunity to submit to this and was humbled to receive notice that my piece was selected for placement in the NCTE . . . here is the link:

In All Things We Are Connected

The NCTE stands for the National Council for the Teachers of English. Ironically I did not find myself wanting to teach, only to write. This was my second published work after the collaborative work on the first music video that I did for the band Senses Fail and their song "The Priest and the Matador" through NetStudio TV.

Strange how the world brings an individual to what they desire as a child if one just stays open to the possibilities and the fact that we are all connected.

The Hallmark Holiday Part 1

2012-02-13T21:30:00.000-08:00

I am often a cynic when random belief systems are integrated into popular culture. When reflecting on one of the well known "chocolate holidays" I make an effort to find a basis of belief which feels real to me in modern times. Researching the origin of St. Valentine leads this author back to valens which can be defined as worthy, strong, or powerful according to most references. Looking to Roman and Greek origins, the birth of St. Valentine, a common theme of martyrdom is its basis of life when moving toward the modern era. This is intriguing to me as the current incarnation of the holiday is often fed by unrealistic expectations, broken hearts, and crushed dreams.Don't get me completely wrong ~ many find their true love and their heart's desire on this day that seems to vomit out red in a commercial deluge of hopes wrapped in dashing dreams. Are men waiting for Barbie to drive up in the pink Corvette as much as us women look to Prince Charming to ride up on his white stallion?

In today's world does love mean the self effacing martyrdom of the past or some as yet undefined plasticity? Is that plasticity evident in the inability that most individuals exhibit when attempting to "be themselves" as part of the ritual of dating? In this respect I keep coming back to the term martyr as representative of valens. How many men and women today have sacrificed personal belief systems so they do not end up alone?

Now a person can celebrate "Singles Awareness Day" combating the stereotypical happily ever after expectation of modern society. I say that we celebrate the Romanticism of chivalry, honor, and valor. Love is a feeling, a hope realized in reality. Love is a decision, not a fleeting desire to capture a prize or take a hostage. Only in the tangible can the imagined be formed into substance. A gentle breeze, the scent of roses on a midsummer night's air, the velvety smooth tactile embrace of hope in each other's arms.

Sonnet No. 18

"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?"

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate:

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

And summer's lease hath all too short a date:

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,

And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;

And every fair from fair sometime declines,

By chance, or nature's changing course, untrimm'd;

But thy eternal summer shall not fade,

Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;

Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,

When in eternal lines to time thou growest;

So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,

So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.


  William Shakespeare




I challenge you to find a way to act in a loving way, every day.  Express the passion you feel in life through positive actions that can change us all. It is time for a RENAISSANCE OF HUMANISM on the world stage, taking the ideals of valens out of the history book, giving them life.

Some of the greatest art, music, literature, science, and philosophy was born out of humanism as an ideal.  On this day of martyrs I choose to embrace the possibilities of an open mind and hopeful hart as my gift .

 Humanism relies on flexible thinking and being open to all of the possibilities in life and less concerned with the closed minded thinking of the past.  Yes it is a jump from Pixar to Shakespeare, but is it REALLY? Both celebrate the beauty that is born of a possibility, an idea, and forms finding a voice.  Let's get flexible and concern ourselves with each other rather than another Hallmark chocolate  holiday.

Is Surrealism Street Art?

2012-02-07T00:33:00.000-08:00

What makes one an artist? Today culture is returning to a renaissance of creativity, a blast of ideas illuminating the chaos. From moments on the never ending stream of too much information how do we as the human racing find an outlet that brings peace? One of the most intriguing concepts in culture today is the idea that anything can bring form to feeling. I am a writer. This is the medium that I find most comfortable expressing myself. I sculpt ideas with words, painting a vision of what lives in my soul.

Art makes an impression and great art makes the audience think outside of the normative belief systems in society. According to Antonin Artaud, "Surrealism is above all a state of mind, it does not advocate formulas. The most important point is to put oneself in the right frame of mind. No Surrealist is in the world, or thinks of himself in the present, or believes in the effectiveness of the mind as spur, the mind as guillotine, the mind as judge, the mind as doctor, and he resolutely hopes to be apart from the mind. The Surrealist has judged the mind. He has no feelings which are a part of himself, he does not recognize any thought as his own. His thought does not fashion for him a world to which he reasonably assents. He despairs of attaining his own mind." Martin Esslin states, “The hallmark of this attitude is its sense that the certitudes and unshakable basic assumptions of former ages have been swept away, that they have been tested and found wanting, that they have been discredited as cheap and somewhat childish illusions." (Theatre of the Absurd).

When thinking of modern artists who capture the ideals of the surrealists I immediately go to the street artists such as Banksy. These painters were considered criminal painting in the cover of darkness evading authority. Going to any lengths to let loose the passions, one of the most beautiful pieces of graffiti I have seen was while walking the streets of Sydney, Australia a few years ago. I was amazed to see the side of a building painted with an image of Martin Luther King, Jr. Street art is the expression of defiance on a canvas for the world to see. A surreal concept - taking a building and covering it with art. Unexpected, transformed, and often surreal.

Phoenix artist Joseph Sentrock Perez recently told me, "Art is a very spiritual experience for me, I often seek God to give me inspiration. Art in any sense is an act of being God like. Creating something out of the norm is more than just a physical act. I don’t understand the concept of not making art anymore. So much of my life is sacrificed to creating art, and expressing through art." I had first seen his artwork in person at a CD release show for Dearspeak which featured musicians telling the story of their art. Also there was Joseph, and I was fascinated by the images that I saw, brought to tears by an image with no idea of the painting's name or the artist's meaning. I simply found my own connection.

Joseph's affinity for large canvas size began with a mural project in third grade, sparking the desire to create, turning on the light in a young artist who says, "Since then I always sought ways to express myself and my art." A true artist finds the drive to create much like someone who is possessed to let loose the beings living inside. Pursuing art school now, the foundation of Joseph's creative vision has been formed while working with and learning from his fellow artists in the occasional workshop setting, When asked what place street art has in our culture today Joseph states, "Street art is very interesting and refreshing to me. Its such a love/hate relationship with society. Art done in the streets is so organic. It pushes our idea of what art is and how society should be. One hand is vandalism on the other its expression, to me when i see street art it reminds me that, the city is alive and wanting to be noticed."

Has the Surrealist ideal found new mentors to keep the passions alive without Rene Magritte of Frieda Kahlo? My perception sees the man with a can of spray paint on large canvas that may or may not include the sides of dilapidated buildings. Adding texture and color to a decaying culture, refusing to break the rules of artistic convention. Artistic expression is the blood of human culture. Freedom to express is the driving force for change. Why wait until history decides ithe importance of art? I hope you decide for yourself.

You can read more about Joseph Sentrock Perez by checking out this piece in the Phoenix New Times or look him up on Facebook to purchase his paintings.

Beauty and Truth

2012-02-03T23:07:00.000-08:00

What does the death of someone really mean as we walk through life? The death of an idea or an ideal brings about great change in our perception of life. The Descendants is another Academy Award nominated film about life and death, but it is predominantly about rebuilding the lives impacted by the decisions we make. The story is set in the beauty of Hawaii and its tropical paradise. Affected is the last pristine island of Kauai. Fighting development to stay true to the ideals of King Kamehameha and the land inherited by a family trust, George Clooney seems out of character as the grieving father of a daughter lost to anger, a dying unfaithful wife, and his youngest daughter who wanders lost. The power of this family dynamic are the vines that keep growth possible. Sometimes it is growth apart, together, or the growth of an idea that anything is possible if one knows the truth.

The irony of this dysfunctional family is the ability to be true to the land which holds the memories of generations. I wondered as this film played how many people would sacrifice millions of dollars today to preserve the connection to a land, a piece of heaven on earth. As I watched an actor find depths of truth in a character whose world had been literally ripped out from under him, the moral of this story is the importance that our history or stories if you will play an integral part in identifying who we are as individuals, families, and societies. My parents met in Hawaii in the 1950's and married on the day the islands became a state, My mother came to a point in her life that she refused to go back, and complained that the commercialism has fouled one of the most beautiful places on earth. She had never been to Kauai while she lived there as a nurse after the war. It was owned and cared for by the natives of the land.

My last boyfriend moved to Hawaii to find a way of life that he could not find in the mainland. My first love lived on Kauai for many years before I met him in Newport Beach, California. This is a place you could live off of the land, caring for yourself and nature and the island, the mother of all well being. For a film to take such a stand gives strength to the idea that we are tied to the land with memories, lessons, and visions in our mind of what it all really is. I have never been to Hawaii or any of the islands. Yet. I have lost two men to the lure of the tropics, a destination for those who want to play but more that want to live in the beauty that is the paradise of Hawaii.

Somehow the bottom line for The Descendants is a simple concept that many people have forgotten the farther their lives take them from the land. There is poverty, crime, and family difficulties no matter where you live. There is homelessness and addiction. No matter where we live, we are connected as a species to the land that has cared for us in spite of our best efforts to screw up the scenery.

My parents married on the big island so in some weird way I am bound to be a descendant of a land I have yet to see or know. My great uncle flew around the world in 1924 as part of the Great Air Race of 1924 and after his aeronautical days were through he settled in Hawaii because of the beauty of a simple people who loved the land and ocean as part of their being. It is my privilege to be part of history, the continuity of beauty unknown in much of the world, without the chocking effects of hotels and resorts.Sometimes the best way to change is to be at peace with the world, needing nothing to change and leave the untouched just that - untouched.

I have boomerangs on my wall that were brought back from lands that only an airplane could reach. A Maori prayer rug hangs on my wall facing my bed. I am connected to the land. The Descendants strongest theme throughout was a value for the land above what wealth might bring. It was refreshing to watch a movie that set greed and wealth aside and valued the tangible, wild, irreplaceable place that was part of continuous family history.

Does Time Heal?

2012-02-02T22:37:00.000-08:00

One of my passions takes place around the awards season. I always try to view all of the movies that have been nominated for the major awards either through the Golden Globes or the Academy of Motion Picture Sciences aka the Academy Awards. One of the films in this prestigious category was one that I had really no interest in viewing - Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close which garnered veteran actor Max Von Sydow a nod. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close on IMDB gives background to a film which I hope is one of the last that tells a tale of September 11, 2001.

I was to be at a nephew's wedding in New York that day and because of illness was forced to cancel my flight. Initially my husband was to take my young daughter and go without me, but after coming home from the hospital he realized I was unable to care for myself. This is how we became one of the many who did not fly on that day having been booked on United 93. I didn't realize the connection until I was watching the scramble to find missing planes, horrified as many were to see in real time the destruction of the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and the courageous flight of United 93.

After less than stellar reviews I was not really interested in viewing the film. Then the nominations were announced. I still cannot look at the images of people leaping to their death from the towers, but somehow watching a young boy and his mother walk through the vacuum left behind by tragedy as helped that little piece inside me heal a little bit more. I lost no one, but in my life I know people who were in the towers and survived, died, and escaped fate because of circumstances guiding toward the light. In many ways I feel unsure about recommending this film as I really want to move into life after the terrorist attacks, living without fear. I do not think this is the best film of the year. I do think this is a film that may be healing the scar a little bit more.

I will never throw away the copy of Time Magazine that has images of faceless people flying to their death out of the burning buildings. I will never get rid of my NYFD t-shirt that I bought in honor and support of the fallen heroes. Sometimes out of great tragedy comes incredible courage to heal, the faith to move forward out of incredible destruction of life, love, and family.

I will never forget where I could have been. I will never forget where I was. I will always remember to be grateful for where I am. I will fly into New York City again someday. . . . and find that little piece of me that will always live in that field in Pennsylvania as I am pretty sure that I would not have been someone who sat there and did nothing.

My life is a gift. I hope you find the key that unlocks the joy of your life whether that key makes sense or not. I pray that I live by facing my fear. I hope that you find a reason to do the same. . . .

The Art of Silence

2012-01-17T14:19:00.000-08:00

What do you hear right now? This moment may be painted with the noise of daily life; the patter of a child's feet across the kitchen floor, the barking of a dog, the of song birds that welcome a new day breathe the harmony or discord of life. The noise of modernity is also punctuated by the chatter of a keypad that types thoughts to be let loose into the virtual world, the ear buds of an iPod drilling personal sounds into a detached listener, or the notifications of text messages or "updates" to a life lived through virtual interactions.

The 1936 film Modern Times written and directed by Charles Chaplin shows the effect technology has on the factory worker clad in striped overalls, Chaplin's representation of the average citizen trying to fit into a world driven by mechanization. The eye of the film maker sees what society could not yet fathom; technology is an advanced state of chaos meant to ease life for those who dare step into the future.

The 2011 film The Artist directed byMichael Hazanavicius is not a true "silent picture" in the classic representation of the genre. What I find ironic is the enormous crescendo each film makes in different spaces in time. The Artist tells the tale of an actor from an era of silent films who looses his voice as a representation of a time gone by. Has that time gone by, or is it now that is losing identity to the virtual world? How is humanity represented ~ by the technology it is using or the past that it longs to feel again in its simplicity.I long for simpler times technology relied on thoughts spoken words written, and the beauty of art that conveys a message. Did I agree or disagree, and was my opinion worthy of a voice.

Watching the Golden Globe Award Ceremony I am reminded that there are dreamers in the modern world. Filmmakers like Michael Hazanavicius make noise without words, and scream within the silence of technology. A dog barks, saves a life, and love triumphs against all odds. Are we returning to Modern Times where happiness walks into the sunset? Love triumphs in art, and The Artist proves that in order to be heard sometimes the silence of classic cinematography, costumes, set design, lighting, and expressive acting leads Peppy Miller from the jail of love into the light of hope with her leading man. Life is a contrast of black and white, and it is the challenge of the audience to color their world.

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

2012-01-13T01:05:00.000-08:00

I find it intriguing the embrace of the simple life that is being used to define the complexities of modern times. In my childhood a telephone that can be used to see the person on the other end of the line was a bit of science fiction to be ridiculed. My grandfather told stories of traveling from the east to settle in Wyoming, riding in a covered wagon. Innocence lost with the passing of mystery, has humanity exchanged childlike wonder for an apathetic perception tainted by some sense of righteous egomania?

Over the next few weeks I will be taking some time to comment on popular culture or what representation of the populace is being reflected in culture today. Let the discussion begin!

2012-01-05T00:42:00.000-08:00

An interesting question was posed to me a little while ago. What song was at the top of the charts when I was born. Being a child of the sixties it seemed that I was blessed with an array of sounds and feelings that changed a country preconceived ideas about culture. Musicians such as The Beatles, The Who, and The Rolling Stones helped pave the way for the original "indie" artists like Bob Dylan, blues rocker Janice Joplin, Jimi Hendricks just to start. Harmonies set to fly by artists such as Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young changed musical history on much the same level as the early blues musicians Slaves began to sing and generations later civil rights had the new "slaves" singing about peace and free love.

I have been observing the world culture lately as most of us have. One of the proven lessons that I learned while studying humanities in order to earn my (wait for it) B.S. Degree from Northern Arizona University is that social change is always prefaced by periods of incredible literature, art, and music. These can be broken down further to include movements such as surrealism or literature from poets like John Keats. Mary Shelly created a monster and published a novel in an era when women were slaves to the social constraints of propriety having no rights of their own. Women were slaves in a "civilized" bondage. Somehow I have digressed, as music is the focus today and the power of art on human culture.

The Caves at Lascaux in France were mentioned the other day. If you have not checked out the artwork left on the cave walls in France I suggest you do. I am humbled by the beauty of art in all forms. Human beings have always found an outlet in art. Periods of great change create the to experiment with new mediums and forms; new meaning is felt by those artists and musicians looking for a new voice all their own. With this thought in mind, what is on the horizon in the world today? Culture is driven by instant gratification either by the ability to be "aware" of all the mundane to sublime and incredible circumstances in individual lives. I saw first steps of an eleven month old baby on Facebook today brought to the world by the magic of Youtube. My first thought was would that child be able to read, or is that boy going to need to go back and crawl someday. Society seems in a hurry, to do what I am not sure, be there faster, and know more than their competitors. But is life really become a competition to get to the end first? The wireless generation is no longer attached to cords plugged in to a wall, or headphones plugged into a turntable. The moments blur together in an endless dance of the next best great thing. I want to slow down and wait for a modern day Monet or Michelangelo. What is the hurry in life anyway?

Here we are, back in the midst of change. Political shifts in power are being driven by a crumbling economy. There is no middle class in America today. I am excited to see the renaissance that will come of the inevitable destruction of our institutions and what beauty springs up out of the chaos.

ART AND ME by Lisa Whealy

It is a difficult thought, pondering the world and my life without art. Humanity would be silenced by the deafening sound of nothing; music of song, voice, and instrument would share the abyss with a lack of poetry’s limerick or literature’s voice. Colors which fill a painting would be absent in the blank that shared no glory or form, a palette of nothingness. Photographs would live eternal in the memories of yesterday, holding court with all the past moments in my life. In my world, art is a significant foundation of who I am as a person. Architecture crafted by Michelangelo or Falling Water that is art, my life is simply a reflection in the process of becoming alive.

As a child I was fascinated with music; play was melodic notes soaring from clarinet, piano, and oboe in pursuit of my own melody. Beyond swinging Goodman’s sound, blues colored a world of social contrast. Vision imported from international protest gave rise to crescendos of change affecting political art. Beatles, Bullocks and a Bullet in a Bible, every good boy deserves fun. Empty space filling silence with beauty artistically, balance and key craft revolutionary song. Vibration heard within a soul, this is the soundtrack of my life.

Art is life, passion, love, lust, colors undefined, seasons brimming with rain, and burning with sun. Art is something which defies definition, yet empowers all who experience the shades of its brilliance; whether liked or disliked, good art creates reaction. Masterpieces can be accidental, laborious, or a challenge among friends as was Mary Shelly’s monster. Ears that do not hear can create symphonies lasting through the ages resonating brilliance. For me to question what place art shares in my heart is to deny the very clay that has molded me into the woman I am.

How Do You Tell Your Story?

2012-01-03T23:52:00.001-08:00

Well so far the world has not ended in 2012, contrary to suspicions and fears. Nasa states that the theories proposed by Mayans are not true. Does it really take an authoritative institution to tell humanity what they can experience for ourselves? Fear is an odd state of being. It lives in the dark parts of our culture, growing on suspicion and ignorance into a force of incredible deception. Like lichens on the cave wall, the exposure to truth becomes the weapon that kills the mystery.

In today's culture is it possible to live without the gripping vice of fear? I know for me it can be a daily exercise in looking at the truth. According to the Mayans humanity has until December 21st of this year to figure out what is real fear or imagined suspicions. The Cave Paintings at Lascaux LascauxCave Painting View Cave Paintings allow individuals to walk in the world of the ancient civilizations. Dating back thousands of years, I note that the primary goal of early man was survival. Seeking shelter, food, and protection from rivals created a simple life. With this simple life the expression of being was the telling of stories through the medium of art. In my observation, does man create or wallow in fear of the unknown, paralyzed to do anything? What medium shares your stories or has our culture forgotten how to thrive the with the transmission of individual truth?

I am powerless over many circumstances in my life. My humanity holds me captive in many ways, and like many others I focus on food and shelter in order to find peace. So where are my cave paintings, the outlet that helps me stay centered in my memetic state of being? Lately I am disgusted by the disconnection of our culture from the roots of its being. Much of society is walking along through life with eyes on smart phones, ear buds in, disconnected from interactive reality. It is a wireless generation lost and separate. Technology has swallowed humanity in countless ways, making conversation a series of digital interactions through social media.

Wandering the cave paintings of Lascaux is a double edged sword as the Internet allows visitors from around the world to marvel at the ancient expression of life, preserving the fragile ecosystems in the dark. It also makes me long for a cup of coffee with friends at a cafe along the Seine, no smart devices other than the creativity of souls coming together to stop and talk, face to face. I would hate to see our culture smother like lichens on the cave walls of our minds.

Friderich Nietzsche stated that an artist has no home in Europe except Paris. I also know that as a culture it is time to get back into the cave, start painting life so the stories that are told do not need anything more than our minds and souls to transmit an image of our life.

2012-01-03T23:23:00.000-08:00

A New Perspective?

2012-01-02T23:40:00.001-08:00

How people feel about life is always a matter of expectation and perspective. Are my expectations realistic or unrealistic, and do I need to find a new perspective on an old idea? A Streetcar Named Desire written by Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Tennessee Williams is driven by the desires present in 1940’s post-war America. Reality and insanity is brought about by the trauma of truth in all of the three main characters. Williams’ social statement about the power of memetic influence on culture and perception is still relevant today.

The power of a patriarchal structure and a protagonist that contains elements of both genders is significant as it gives voice to a cross section of American culture; all characters immigrate into the setting of the play from various socioeconomic and cultural
backgrounds. Strong use of metaphor and symbolism fuel the language of Williams’ play, and social relevance equates a sense of reality to relevant issues driving the characters and their actions. The desire for equality, reality, and the ability to be “real” in all aspects of life regardless of gender or sexuality drives the streetcar in Tennessee Williams’ play, and these desires still drive individuals, culture and society today.

I see a need for a perspective that is aware of the challenges presented in our world today. Truth can be very traumatic, especially when a person is unwilling to shed light on unrealistic expectations. Fear has become a safety net, the ever present catch all to keep individual paralysis the norm.How does fight or flight play into fear in the modern world? In my observations Fear has become the task master creating the illusion of control.

So what is next? I have spent the past twenty two years making a conscious choice to I turn on the light and illuminate fear and dishonesty. Mark Twain stated "the fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time." Back to the question are you afraid to die or just afraid to live? Looking at life with a new set of glasses, filtering the unrealistic expectations of others makes personal happiness and peace as an achievable inside job.
Tennessee Williams built a microcosm of dysfunction for the audience to see. Truth can be ugly. Truth can be elusive, slipping under cover of what keeps us unchanging.

Straight? What's 'straight'? A line can be straight, or a street. But the heart of a human being?

A Streetcar Named Desire

FEAR’S PARADE

FEAR focused, failed to feel.

Reality ruptured.

Lost in hate, LOVE let go.

Frustrated Faith faltered in fright;

hopeless Heavens heard no light.

Poisoned Thoughts bled page by page;

“Marked by the beast!” screamed the sage.

From heart and soul, pulpit and stage,

FEAR led the parade.

Lisa Whealy

Kiss the Ass of the 2012 Baby!

2012-01-01T20:36:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the new year real or imagined individuals. After going on a recent rant regarding how individuals have ceased being, well, individuals I thought I might as well start there. In 2012 I am setting my goals high, that is to say that there will be an overwhelming tide of human beings that want to make the world a better place for all of us to live. Take this in any context you see fit, we can get into that discussion as we get to know each other.

Sad to say I think many people have lost their way, and many of those individuals will have NO IDEA that only through creating a life of personal integrity will this concept transcend from the individual into the family, neighborhood, community, and well you get my drift. Feel free to argue or agree. I challenge you to think and to help me do the same.

The Dalai Lama stated that today, more than ever before, life must be characterized by a sense of Universal responsibility, not only nation to nation and human to human, but also human to other forms of life The key word that I see is UNIVERSAL which by definition deletes a hierarchy based on anything other than genetics. We are all human, each beginning life as a baby in need of others to help us thrive.

For some odd reason with the rise of democracy world wide I have noticed a rise in personal apathy. Institutionalization of thought process has permeated our culture in America. Economics are in an incestuous relationship with Politics and Education, making baby MBA's. Our country is crawling on its knees. Read about this all the time you say, that is if the glut of information has not tuned you out? My responsibility as a member of the human race is to embrace life, express my personal truth, and hope that others out there in the universe feel the same as me. Time to quit crawling and rise together.

Welcome to 2012!