Healing Power of Art (1 Viewer)

[Linda]

Krena, I thought of you as I watched this program on PBS, Craft in America - Teachers. You all might check your local channels for this program.

(In the US we have Public Broadcasting Stations that are funded by the government and private donations. Some of the programming is spectacular and thoughtful. Quite a bit comes from the BBC (thanks to you all in the UK and Canada).)

This program focused on sharing the love of art with students of all ages and how important it is for children and teens to have this outlet. I took away quite a few profound ideas from the people involved with this program.

When a person is active in an art project, they find a connection to their core being.

Within every medium, there is a hidden language.

Through art you discover inner resources you did not know you had.

Teaching happens all of the time. It is a way of connecting to the world, being in the world, and affecting the world.

 

[Krena]

How considerate of you to think of me.
Thank you, Linda!
I have been watching this television series, but I missed this one so I will go find it (On Demand or on the PBS Internet site).

I really appreciate your summary of ideas as well.
They seem rather deep, even for PBS, and they seem true to me.

However, I have not really thought about connecting to my core being while in the midst of creating.
I do go into a kind of concentrated trance with intense focus.
I dig deep for the aesthetic design that communicates the form and function with a kind of truth that resonates with me.
I know when it is not right.
If it is not right, I feel it in my body and do it over again: rewriting, redoing an image, reworking a piece of jewelry.
I feel true to myself as well.
I feel impatient when doing other things, like I am wasting time, though all of us must deal with junk of life like laundry, cleaning, paying the bills, making food.

A hidden language in every medium: now this really intrigues me, because I never thought of this either.
Now I want to find it.
There is technique, there is style, there is design: what is the language?
I have been interested always what exactly is communicated in my photographs, particularly abstractions.
When I have asked viewers, I am always surprised what they think I have said.

Finding resources I thought I didn't have....
Well, when I shoot photographs, I feel I add time to my life every time I press the shutter button.
It energizes me deeply.

Teaching happens all the time: oh yes.
I do know this.
I learn every minute.
My desire is to make things better than how I found them, always.
It is hard to know that indeed happens, especially with art.

Krena, I thought of you as I watched this program on PBS, Craft in America - Teachers. You all might check your local channels for this program.

I took away quite a few profound ideas from the people involved with this program.

When a person is active in an art project, they find a connection to their core being.

Within every medium, there is a hidden language.

Through art you discover inner resources you did not know you had.

Teaching happens all of the time. It is a way of connecting to the world, being in the world, and affecting the world.

 

[Stargazer]

A hidden language in every medium: now this really intrigues me, because I never thought of this either.
Now I want to find it.
There is technique, there is style, there is design: what is the language?
I have been interested always what exactly is communicated in my photographs, particularly abstractions.
When I have asked viewers, I am always surprised what they think I have said.

I think the most important "language" of art isn't something anyone can put into words. It's the energy that one receives as they observe or interact with an art piece...the feelings that flow through the heart. Interestingly enough, as Krena mentioned, I think the artist and the admirer can have two completely different interpretations or experiences from a piece!

 

[Krena]

Stargazer, I agree. Long ago, I had a project where I asked people for the message in several of my photographs that were not abstract. Even then, no one actually got what I had in mind. I learned to embrace that apparent interpretation confusion. I realized that it didn't matter, and if I wanted to express something, I had to use words for more precision.

You are right. Art communicates through the heart. I have a close friend who designs museum exhibits. I have told him that I don't like to read the art historian or curator comments unless moved to learn about something in particular as I want to just get what the artist intended in the work, as non-verbal as that may be. It is heart speak.

 

[Linda]

There was another part of the program about the Navajo and their sad history of being removed from their families and placed in training schools. I won't go into that part now because it is whole other conversation.

One of the main points I took away was what happens when creating and appreciating art is removed from peoples' lives. It is similar to people forgetting about the natural world.

For ourselves and for our children, we need to consider the importance of having art as a part of our lives and the ramifications of removing it from our schools.