December is a month of contrasts. While it’s a time filled with the hustle and bustle of holiday activities, it also brings us the stillness and colder, darker, shorter days of the winter season.
Whether you live in an area with spectacular transformations or one with more modest changes brought about in the fall, this changing season tends to trigger all sorts of memories and a wide range of feelings.
I thought I’d share some thoughts about musical pattern, proportion, and structure in light of the hot topic of alleged music plagiarism that seems to be prevalent nowadays, most recently the case filed against Led Zeppelin and the opening bars of the hit “Stairway to Heaven.”
As we head into summer, it’s the perfect time to pause and consider the opportunities of Arts Awareness thinking.
It’s spring! Have you noticed the feeling of anticipation and movement in the air? This is the time of year when you might get the urge to declutter your living and work spaces. For many, it’s a time of hope for new beginnings.
As you walk through the many museums in Arizona, you learn that the history and cultures of Native American people of the area are inseparable from their expression as artists. From various symbols to geometric designs, there are similarities that inspire you to want to learn more.
It’s inspiring, especially at this time of year, to see and experience the creative efforts of people who exhibit at arts and crafts fairs across the country. I recently strolled through Fountain Festival of Arts and Crafts in Fountain Hills, Arizona.
The program notes for a recent concert called to mind the influence of other people on our personal views. We’re all influenced by others in some way. When we experience the values of others, their beliefs and attitudes mingle with our own; and over time a new vision is created even if we’re not fully aware of it.
Highly creative artists do their work in a world of unpredictability. They don’t force a clear picture of the end result. While they may set restrictions and principles, they don’t create such strong boundaries that limit flow or their ability to move in new, more inspired directions. They trust themselves and the artistic process.
Artists are open to the world around them. That openness allows them to see, hear, and feel things that may go unnoticed by others. It allows the creative space for observations and ideas to develop with artistic outcomes that are often surprising and unique.