Hello, there!
And how are you all surviving the Olympic Mayhem?! I imagine many of you are very excited, totally caught up in an unprecedented rush of Patriotism bordering on Religious Fervour. I have nothing against the Olympics, personally. I enjoy watching the various games, and I admire the dedication and athletic prowess of the participants. But it makes me a little sad that this is – seemingly – the only way we can pull people together to celebrate Life and Community. If only people could get this excited about something other than sports! Imagine if writers, poets, and artists of every genre – visual and performing alike – could inspire a nation the way a sporting event has! Imagine if we lived in a society that celebrated vision, imagination, and artistic prowess the way we celebrate physical conditioning! I’m not trying to undermine the importance of the physical; just thinking how nice it would be if we placed as much importance on the mental and spiritual. Perhaps, if we did, we would have a much healthier society – a much more balanced, centred society, made up of people who valued something other than the physical and material aspects of Life. I’m not saying we should dumps sports and athletic events – they have their place - I’m saying that we should expand our personal worlds to the point where we can celebrate, with equal fervour, the accomplishments of our great thinkers, writers, musicians, artists . . . (Woodstock, back in the ’60′s, is as close as we ever came to that. And that wasn’t ours; it was the U.S.A.’s.)
Once upon a time, writers, artists, musicians and performing artists held a high place in society. They were much revered for their visions, much honoured for their talents. Great ideas, great visions – and the ability to transmit them in inspired form – were every bit as valued as the physical prowess of the warriors and athletes. We need to get back to those days. Anyone into starting a movement? A 21st Century Renaissance? Give me a call. I’m pretty good at stirring the pot, especially if I have some like-minded people behind me . . .
Jane: jane@eclecticamagazine.ca
Tags: art, artists, magazine, Movement, musicians, Olympics, performing arts, Renaissance, visual arts, writers
February 11, 2010 at 11:34 pm |
Hi Jane, Im into it and am similarly trying to work towards this same kind of vision in Steveston….talk to you soon
~e