Heya folks,
Welcome back to another edition of Sharing Notes!
Be a good person who makes art
We need more wholesome, loving artists. Austin Kleon says, "Worry less about being a great artist. Worry more about being a good human being who makes art." Maya Angelou speaks about her two responsibilities, the first is her responsibility to grow in her craft, "The other is to be as good a human being as I possibly can be so that once I have achieved control of the language, I don't force my weaknesses on a public who might then pick them up and abuse themselves." Wellness and goodness doesn't preclude great art.
Walking is creative exercise
These days, my condition doesn't allow me to do strenuous exercise like running or rock climbing, which used to be my habit, so I've been enjoying more walks. When I get back in touch with my body, my idle mind often invents new musical ideas. St. Augustine said, "It is solved by walking." Søren Kierkegaard said, "I walked myself into my best thoughts." Miranda July said, "There are only so many good ideas you can have sitting in a chair." Walking is inspiring!
Art that resists genocide
Recently, a video of a Palestinian man went viral, showing him dancing the Dabke while fire and smoke rise behind him. Saeed Suliman says Dabke dancing is an "important weapon in the cultural resistance of Palestinians." Preserving arts traditions resists genocide, especially cultural genocide—the erasure and destruction of arts, literature, and structures. (It's worth noting that currently the genocide convention does not recognize cultural genocide.)
Peace,
Arend