Last week, I attended a Boston Symphony Orchestra performance of Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem. While I was immediately struck by the high quality and incredible beauty of the performance, I was also deeply drawn to the qualities inherent within the composition itself that makes it such a stunning tour de force.
Creating and performing great art requires that you consider all possibilities—be open to all outcomes. Openness to all outcomes involves an internal process that allows the artist to weigh options, visualize, rethink things, combine things in new ways, consider the bigger picture, and playfully formulate a plan or design.
I drove out of Boston yesterday to catch the last traces of the brilliant display of red, purple, orange, and yellow in the last stages of the New England “leaf peeping” season.
Artists perpetually change the way we all look at things. They use their imaginations to transform our knowledge and understanding of the world. Once we experience expanded limits of our personal knowledge, whether we agree or challenge the learning, life from that point on will never be the same.
Everything was beautiful. The performance was exhilarating. At the final chord, the conductor motioned for everyone to end what was to be a resounding and reverberating conclusion to the “Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel’s Messiah, but wait—something was wrong.
Recently, as I watched the water find its path around and through a beautifully sculptured fountain, the balance of water flowing over various waterfalls and then moving in well-designed pathways set up a rhythm that was captivating.
As I walked to work each day last week, my route past the buildings, fountains, sculptures, trees, flowers, ground covers, and planters in the city attracted my attention in a new and unusual way.
A couple of months ago, I was sitting in the audience enjoying an outstanding performance of the musical Thoroughly Modern Millie. The actors were singing and dancing when suddenly one of the women lost her skirt—it fell off completely!
Everyone wants freedom—freedom to create their lives, to do their work, and to build their relationships. Artists have an unusually keen sense of what it takes to express themselves without restrictions through their art form.
Yesterday I took an easygoing walk in the Back Bay area of Boston. The relaxed pace was well worth it. I was able to take the time to notice the spectacular contrasts of Boston architectural styles that stand right next to each other.