"What do you want a poet for?
to save the City of course."
-- Aristophanes, Dionysus in The Frogs
"A sampling of the intentions that they ascribe to their work reveals a wide range of actions: to record, name, remind, inform, scare, caution, critique, speculate, envision, support, share, comfort, validate, vilify, purify, heal, celebrate, sing, honor, enrage, refuse, incite, shock, embarrass, embolden, subvert, activate, bridge, transform." REIMAGING AMERICA: The Arts of Social Change, Mark O'Brien & Craig Little, Editors (1990)
Really, why do we do this art stuff? Why are we driven to take this stuff inside and make it visible or audible or tangible and then go through all we go through to try to make sure other people see or hear or touch it?
And then what about the stuff we make and put in a closet? With no intentions of ever showing to anyone?
And then you hear about folks who leave things to be seen/found by others...in the woods, carved on stones, tucked away in some city corner...unsigned, unadvertised, unnamed. Why do they do that?
What would the planet be like if we all went around and kept all this stuff inside, didn't express it, didn't paint, carve, sing, make instruments to make music?
I can't even bear to imagine what it would be like.
This is a short workshop/salon because what I'd really like to do is...for you to choose one or more of the "intentions" on that list from O'Brien & Little, above, and share something about why it applies to your work, whatever your creative work is.
In case you are shy, I'll start, and maybe it will give you courage to speak up too:
The intentions on that list which I feel consciously are mine, in my writing, are: to
name - emotions, experiences
speculate - what ifs, looking at the chain of events, reactions, connections...
envision - a world in which everyone dug down deep and lived from their hearts
heal - things that happened, things that didn't and seems they should have, fears (mine and yours), old wounds that still get in the way get in the way get in the way, hatred and war
celebrate - all the amazing, complex, beautiful, crazy people, dogs, cats, places, events I have ever known and will know and fun ways to create new composite characters out of them
honor - Rick's memory, my father's example, my muse, truth, courage to speak refuse - to be silenced, to be hurtful, to lose HOPE
embolden - myself, other women, all creative people, men in their particular needs
bridge - communication between the sexes
transform - my little corner of the world.
Ok, whew! Now it's your turn!!!!
WANT TO HOST A WORKSHOP? DON'T KNOW HOW? NOT SURE YOU COULD BUT YOU WANNA? SEND ME AN EMAIL AND LET'S TALK ABOUT IT: stirlingshadow@yahoo.co.uk
Recommended Music:
Paula Cole's THIS FIRE
Charmed's BEAUTIFULLY TWISTED
DO WHAT YOU LOVE AND LOVE WHAT YOU DO
SpiritBear
Michelle
www.greenphoenixproductions.com
(Image: Van Gogh's SOWER 1888)
