Art completes what nature cannot bring to finish ~ Aristotle
I knew I had to use an Aristotle quote, or else I would’ve failed the entire classical community. 😉
Art. Poetry. Storytelling. Music. Creativity. Color. All of these concepts have been swirling around in my head for a couple days. I’ve been trying to figure out what exactly it means to be an ‘artsy’ person. How much of the ‘artsy’ stuff do you have to love to be considered an ‘artsy’ person? Do you just really have to disdain math? *coughcough* And how good do you have to be at said ‘artsy’ stuff before people will consider you an ‘artsy’ person? Is storytelling art, or just an art? And of course, last, but not least, am I an artsy person?
All of these thoughts eventually came to fruition (aka, ended up on the blog) after I finished watching something on the news. Apparently there’s a whole division of the FBI devoted to Art Crime. Their job is to hunt and arrest people who steal, well, art. According to FOX, over $6,000,000,000 worth of art is stolen EVERY YEAR!
Something I cannot understand is why a canvas with various paint strewn across it can cost so much more than the cost of the canvas and the bottles of paint. And what is the big fuss about Picasso? His stuff was kinda creepy…
I guess I can’t answer the above questions until I answer one question. What is art? I’m not sure about Aristotle’s answer. When people see the word ‘art’, they think paintings. They think DaVinci. They think Van Gogh. They think Michangelo. But is painting and sculpture all that art is? Doesn’t art encompass a lot of different things? If it does, what is the common denominator between them?
A wise man once told me that poetry is ‘a glimpse’ or a ‘snapshot’ of a thought or idea. So I guess I can work with that definition for now. If you think about it, that’s exactly what poetry is. A glimpse of something that’s on the poet’s heart. With poetry, you get a 30 second peek into another realm. For 30 seconds, you’re whisked away to this world, thinking about this new idea that you never would’ve thought before. And you can see the glimpse trickle away as you near the end of the page. Words have an intoxicating strength. Reading poetry can change you in ways that hours of debating, and sometimes screaming, could never do. And because of it’s brevity, it’s sweetness is slow to fade as compared to a longer glimpse, or story. 😉
I like to think that poetry is a type of art. So then, art could have something to do with a glimpse. So… if poetry is a glimpse, then what is music?
I like to think that music is a glimpse too. It might be a slightly longer glimpse, depending on how fast you read poetry, but it is a glimpse. For 3 minutes instead of 30 seconds, another story is told to you. And the amazing beautiful paradox of it all is that music is universal. No matter what country you’re from, what color your skin is, or what language you speak, music can still speak to you. And what’s even more amazing about that is not only can it speak to you, it speaks to you in a way that is unique only to you. No one can listen to music and appreciate it the exact same way you do.
So then, if poetry is a glimpse, and music is a glimpse, could that mean they’re both the same thing? I don’t think so, but I believe they’re part of the same thing. The same family. For me, some pieces of music, piano especially, are like poetry to the part of the heart that doesn’t speak with words. “Music is well said to be the speech of angels.” -Thomas Carlyle.
To me, music is poetry with notes. 😀
Now, I know there is some really bad music out there. And there’s also some rather scary poetry out there too. But regardless of how mediocre we might think it is, it’s still an expression of something, right? You don’t condemn the entirety of the canine race just because a single dog bit your hand, right? So that means, we shouldn’t yell and scream and throw hissy fits when someone doesn’t agree with our taste in music. Even if they like screamo…. *shudders*
You might be thinking, “Well, if you love poetry and music so much, then why do you not like painting?” And my answer is this: I’m not an artist. I cannot paint or draw to save my life. Thus I don’t appreciate it as much as music, seeing as I am a musician. Or am aspiring to be a musician eventually. 😉
I think another reason I don’t appreciate it as much is because painting can be too abstract. I know artists pour their heart and soul into painting. And the unfortunate truth is, no matter how long you stare at a painting, no matter how long you take in all the color and vibrancy,(or lack thereof) you’ll only see but a drop of the artist’s soul. You can’t grasp what the exact thoughts of the artist are. What exactly the artist is trying to tell you. The human brain doesn’t work that way. We can’t comprehend thoughts and concepts and ideas without words formed in a linear sequence. Even now, you can’t understand what I’m trying to say in this post without words. You think if I posted some pretty picture, you’ll understand everything this 13oo word post is trying to convey? With poetry, you can see the poet’s soul. You might not be able to see every single drop of emotion that went into the poem, but you can see a lot of it. I do realize that this concept is not the same with music. But in a way, it is. Just a little. You can hear very stacatto notes in the minor key, and you can feel in your soul that you should be afraid. And you can hear soothing arpeggios crawling up a piano and know you should relax. I don’t know about you, but I would have to stare at a pastel blue for hours on end before I felt that same kind of relaxation. But that’s just me.
Now, I do NOT mean to convey that I don’t like paintings. I do. I wish I understood them better. I wish I could draw and paint as well as some of my friends. And I live an hour away from the art capital of the world, for gosh sake! What I do mean to say is that even though a painting can be incredibly amazing, I don’t understand why you have to pay a bloody fortune for something that doesn’t speak to your soul as well as other things can. Other things you don’t have to pay so much money for. 😉
That brings me to storytelling. If music and poetry are art, and art is a glimpse, then if storytelling is NOT a glimpse, does that mean it’s not art? For me, it depends on the story. A novel, for example, to me, is not a glimpse. A glimpse is like what I said earlier: it’s like a snapshot. Coming from a writer, I know that a novel is not a snapshot. It’s a whole complex world with different factors that mold and change it. You have to get into the story and stay there for awhile to understand it. That’s not the case with poetry or music. But you can have short stories that give you small peek into another world. Does that mean that short stories are art and not novels?
If you feel differently about painting, if you feel that paintings DO speak to the soul as well as music and poetry does, or if you think novels and storytelling ARE an art, then please speak up!! Help me revive a dying blog. 😉
Sigh. Now that I have such a long rant out of my system, I can go to sleep now.
Ttfn.
😀
P.S…. PLEASE COMMENT!!
“Every good painter paints what he is.” ~Jackson Pollock
Someday, I wish to be able to paint a story with words as well as Norah Jones sings this song. 😉
Ttfn.
😀
*daydreams of black and red dresses*
This post is coming into existence for no other reason than for the fact that I love this song. 😉 After much thinking and pondering(by much, I mean about… 15 seconds) I decided that even though this song has a great Tango flair, it doesn’t have the right beat. But it would make an AMAZING rumba. So there. 🙂
Enjoy!
Ttfn.
😀
“Love is just a word until someone comes along and gives it meaning.”
Love is such a common word, isn’t it? It’s probably the most popular word in the English language. And in my opinion, it’s also the most misunderstood.
If you think about it, people say the word ‘love’ to apply to SO many different things. “I love triple chocolate fudge cake.” Or “I really love Rachel’s hair.” Or “I love Darian to death.” Or “I would love for the Chicago Cubs to win the World Series for once.”
So then what does love mean? According to the ultimate sovereign authority that is *coughcough* Dictionary.com, love is… a lot of different things. You have “a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.” Or you have “a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend.” Or you have “strong predilection, enthusiasm, or liking for anything.” Or you even have “sexual passion or desire.” I personally don’t think that last definition is really love, but it was on Dictionary.com’s list.
So, according to the culture, love is a variety of things. For the Christian, I would have to say love equates to one word; God. It even says so in Scripture:
“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.” 1 John 4:16.
Figuring out everything this answer entails however, is another question entirely. God is love. And God is infinite. So if we’re to put the two together, we’re back where we started. So…
For the purpose of this post, I would say that love is ‘desiring the good of another’. If you truly love someone, you want what’s best for them, and you’ll do whatever you can to make sure of that. Either through both action and inaction.
So… my question is this. It says in Song of Solomon 8:4
“Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you:
Do not arouse or awaken love
until it so desires.”
…I think this kind differs from the definition I just described. This is describing romantic love. That all consuming, obstacle defying, flying-over-the-moon magical kind of love… right?
And if it is, for the life of me, I can’t figure out how in the world you’re supposed to do that!! People tell me all the time ‘You can’t control your emotions. Only your actions.’ Okay. I agree with that. But you look around in the culture, and even your circle of friends, and this all consuming craziness still goes on around you. And people don’t necessarily control their actions that well, either. So how on earth can you not ‘awaken’ love? Is it possible to control when you fall in love or not? Or with who? I see my friends starting to dabble in this kind of stuff, and it worries me…
Haha, I say ‘dabble’ like it’s voodoo or something… 😉
Anyway, that’s all I wanted to say.
Ttfn.
😀
Ha! Just when you thought I was gonna do a post without a video…. BOOM! There it is. 😉 If it makes you feel any better, it is actually relevant to this post. I think this would’ve been a really great crossover song… Go Brandy! 😉
Okay, seriously
Ttfn.
😀
You’re it! =P
It seems to me that it’s time for more blog-tag! 😉 I searched for weeks on end… okay maybe only an hour, to find some nosy questions to ask myself. Why am I asking myself nosy questions? Because once you see them, you’re gonna have to post them on your blog and ask yourself said questions. And I find these questions very enlightening. 😉
Now that you understand how this game of blog-tag works, here are the questions. 😀
1. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought?
Hmmm… *tilts head* I should probably take a shower.
2. How much cash do you have in your wallet right now?
About $250. Which will soon be depleted when I reimburse my parents for my plane ticket. 😉
3. What’s a word that rhymes with DOOR?
Core? I’m so easily distracted to the core that I’m working on blog tag when I should be practicing TKD and getting ready to fly out tomorrow…? 😉
4. Who is the 4th person on your missed call list on your cell phone?
*checks cell* I don’t know actually. O.o It says “[No Name]” =P
5. What is your favorite ring tone on your phone?
House M.D (Adapted from Teardrop by Massive Attack)
6. What are you wearing right now?
A Tshirt and capris. Yes, I know. I’m so incredibly fashion conscious… Not.
7. Which is your favorite time of the day, are you a morning person or a night person?
I’m a night owl to the core! Oh wait… there’s that word ‘core’ again…
8. Name the brand of the shoes you’re currently own.
CONVERSE!! 😀 😀 😀
9. Which is the most funniest prank played on you or played by you?
I got a friend of mine to call her crush and say ‘I Love You’ with peanut butter in her mouth. That was loads of fun. }:)
10. Which is the one television character that you simply adore?
Shawn Spencer from Psych. 😀
11. What does your watch look like?
I wouldn’t know. I don’t have a watch. Want to know what my cell phone looks like?
12. What were you doing at midnight last night?
Trying to go to sleep. Didn’t quite succeed. 😉
13. What did your last text message you received on your cell say?
An SMS tweet update from itunesluvr. And yes, I’m a Twitter…er. Or maybe Twit Face. (There. You happy, Max?) 😉
14. What’s a word that you say a lot?
Awesome. Or maybe ‘Kewl’ 😉
15. Which is your favorite genre of movies ?
Action Suspense.
16. Last furry thing you touched?
Snickers, my adorable dog with superpowers. 😉
17. Favorite age you have been so far?
7 was pretty good. 12 wasn’t so bad either…
18. What was the last thing you said to someone?
“I don’t know why my iPod isn’t syncing!” -to my mom. 🙂
19.The last song you listened to?
*glances down at iPod in lap* You Raise Me Up, by Josh Groban. 😀
20. Has reading a book ever changed your life? Which one and why, if yes?
Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge. And Wild at Heart by John Eldredge. They redefined how I saw myself, the people around me, and how I view God and His design. I heartily recommend you read both of them. 😀 😀 😀
21. Are you jealous of anyone?
Hmmm… maybe… sorta…. I don’t like being jealous of people. Bad things happen.
22. Is anyone jealous of you?
I highly doubt it. And if so, I hope they stop being jealous. There’s no reason to be. Isa just a normal person. Who likes talking like Jar-Jar. 😉
23. Name three things that you have on you at all times.
My promise ring, my cellphone, and my iPod. 😀
24. What’s your favorite town/city?
I’m not sure. I’ll let you know when I get there. 😉
25. What song always makes you happy when you listen to it?
Hushabye Mountain from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. It was one of my favorite movies as a kid (Dick Van Dyke reminds me a little of my dad for some reason) and I remember listening to that song when I would hang out with my childhood best friend. 🙂
26. What is on your mousepad?
The Christian Writer’s Guild.
27. What was the last thing you ate?
TRIPLE CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE!! Can you tell? 😉
28. Did you get enough sleep last night?
Ha! Probably not. The curse of the night owl…
29.What is your current desktop picture?
SKILLET! 😀
And last, but not least….
30. Have you been burnt by love?
*fidgets* Umm… yeah. Sigh.
Well there you have it. Blog tag. “Multiply and fill the blogging earth and subdue it!” 😉
Ttfn.
😀
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