Category Archives: creativity

Steward your story.

Posted on
24

I’m working on telling a significant part of my story. And, in writing out certain moments and dialogs, I’ve found myself wishing I’d lived them differently. Wishing for more wit. For more color. For more bravery.

In reflecting and writing about this period of my life, I’m keenly aware of how I’m choosing to live out the rest of it—the todays and tomorrows of my story. I’m starting to live my “now” with a bit more wit and color and bravery. I can’t rewrite the past, but I can have a serious say in how today and tomorrow will be written.

I don’t know if you’ve ever taken a hard look at pivotal moments of your life, but it’s a great exercise is self awareness. I’d recommend it to anyone.

Because, at the end of those tough chapters, when the plot has reached its resolution, you will see that your “ever after” really is more happy than you thought.

If you were asked to write about a pivotal, life-changing season of your life, which one would you choose?

The Black and Whites

Posted on
15

     

Clarity.

I think that is my word for Now. Because I don’t want fuzz and haze and blur. I want clarity. I want all the blur to be made sharp. And all the grays to be polarized. And all that’s form and shape and surface to be tangible, not abstract.

Clarity.

So all the little images I quietly make these days are finding themselves pulled–not so gently nudged–towards contrast. They are pushed towards their essence, brought down to the distinct and clear focus of sharp black and white.

And they help me see better. I’m not distracted by color and shade. I’m given the full scope of the image, even though it’s stripped of so many elements. I don’t miss them. When I pull these elements away, I can see more clearly.

   

Clarity.

This is what I do to tell the world that it’s not all clear for me right now. And it doesn’t all make sense and I’m not sure what to do with it and I don’t have all the answers so please don’t ask and I’d rather you help me than me help you because there’s nothing there but gray and questions.

This is what I do… My soul needs it, so my hands find it in whatever my eyes see.

It may not be pretty. And it may not be colorful. And it may not be vibrant. But it is clear. It is clear and you can see it and I can see it and it is undeniably and inarguably there.

Clarity.

   

What would you do with six significant months?

Posted on
26

I have a question. And there’s much more behind it than I can explain right now. But this little conversation will help me process some things.

So, here’s the scenario: You’ve been given six months to do whatever the heck you want, within the realm of a few stipulations of course. This time is to be meaningful, purposed, productive, and active. It’s not a vacation. You can’t move. You can’t check out of relationships and family. But you can spend a good bit of your time in whatever meaningful format you choose.

So, what would you do?

Do you know what they’re saying to you?

Posted on
19

Every single thing you see on-screen came out of somebody’s creativity. It doesn’t exist. Nature didn’t deliver it to us. Everything had to be dreamed.
Jeffrey Katzenberg

“Every movie has a message. Do you think they’d pour millions of dollars into two hours of entertainment if there weren’t multiple purposes for it…?”

She said something like that. My art teacher, who once had dinner with Bob Dylan when he was Bob Zimmerman. She also said I was a fairly talented artist and needed to further explore that area of my life. And then I enrolled in college as a Sociology major.

I wish I believed her about that art stuff.

I did believe her about movies, though. And about Bob. And I’ve never forgotten those Movie lectures, and watching a few clips in our class, and digging for deeper meanings.

This changed my viewing experience. I’d go so far as to say it actually enriched it.

Which is one of the reasons why I have no problems with movies that might have harsh or offensive content (horror movies, in all their excess and unnecessary-ness, excluded). And now every time I watch a movie I look for the message.

Happy Feet, Wall-E, I Am Legend, Castaway, Date Night, Avatar, Gran Torino

All of these movies have profound layers of meaning. Yes, profound. Some of their messages I agree with, and some… well… not really.

That doesn’t matter. What matters is that I’m aware.

It’s interesting how, at a moment when our defenses are down and our feet are up, we’re being handed a message. Somebody is trying to say something to us, and sometimes it is flat-out propaganda.

Have you noticed the hidden messages in movies? When is the last time you watched something and caught the message behind it?