Why Artists Need Community
“Why Artists Need Community” Plus Special Announcement! I still remember the moment I realized I didn’t have to do it all on my own. For many years, I had questioned […]
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Superficial Purpose & Shallow Expressivity
Superficial Purpose & Shallow Expressivity “…our patient has no grasp of the whole, he sees only isolated parts and gets nowhere. In developing his plan, he relies purely on his
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Discovering the Place Where Your Art, Well-Being, & the World’s Hunger Meet
Discovering the Place Where Your Art, Well-Being, & the World’s Hunger Meet “Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how’.” “• Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search
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The Purpose of Art is to Experience a Larger Interconnectedness
The Purpose of Art is to Experience a Larger Interconnectedness “Nothing ever exists entirely alone; everything is in relation to everything else.” “• Bukkyo Dendo, The Teachings of Buddha The
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A Story of Artistic Purpose
A Story of Artistic Purpose “A human being is a spatially and temporally limited piece of the whole, what we call the “Universe.” He experiences himself and his feelings as
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“Why Does My Music Sound So Robotic?”
After playing her piece for me in a lesson one day, Sara, who was twelve at the time, asked, “Why does my music sound so robotic?” What a great question! What self-awareness! I was so pleased she had asked this because even though she had gotten all the notes right that day, her playing had sounded rather robotic. I was glad to know we were both on the same page about feeling emotionally unsatisfied with her performance. The stage was now set for discovering what to do about it.
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“Guitar Face”: Authentic Expression or Creative Blockage?
Let’s imagine that you’re up on stage, playing a demanding and dynamic piece of music. You play all the right notes, you have perfect technique, you have a brilliant sound, you look like you’re trying to exorcize a demon from your instrument, and yet after the performance you feel unfulfilled and unmoved. You tried your hardest, but you just didn’t connect with real inspiration or genuine feeling. Why not?
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How to Create Art That Doesn’t Matter
Art matters… right? This question can bring up mixed feelings for many artists. On the one hand, every artist and art lover carries an unshakeable, if unspoken, knowledge that art does matter, that it has inestimable value, and that the creation of art carries out a life-giving purpose in our world.
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Navigating the Chaos: The Arts in a World That’s Lost Its Mind
To many, it can seem like our world has lost its mind. Our current and past ways of making sense of the world are proving ineffective to meet the increasing pace and complexity of life. Many of us used to make sense of the world and our place within it through the lens of religion, national or ethnic identity, political ideology, or the promise of technological progress. However, more and more of us are waking up to the realization that these lenses are no longer adequate to save us from ecological destruction, social and financial inequality, or the rise of authoritarianism. In fact, these very lenses often seem to be the source of the problems we now face and which they purport to address! Where else are we to turn for answers?
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Re-Imagining Art & Money Roundtable #3
Why do money and selling sometimes feel icky? In part, it’s because we’re wired to give and receive freely. When you give your gifts freely and they are freely received, it feels great because it affirms the place inside you that was meant for giving and receiving freely.
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