What a neat book! I really enjoyed reading "The Doors of Perception." I think the study/experiment on the effects of Mescaline was worthwhile and enlightening. I am looking forward to reading "Heaven and Hell."
I found it interesting that so many people experienced the same or similar results. For instance, it is unique that the ability to remember and to think straight does not falter. Also, visual impressions are greatly intensified where colors are brighter and more vibrant and ordinary objects take are seen with great detail. "Mescaline raises all colors to a higher power and makes the percipient aware of innumerable fine shades of difference, to which, at ordinary times, he is completely blind" (Pg. 27).
I read somewhere that people suffering from Bipolar disorder, often see things similar when they are in the Manic phase. In relation, I read that when in the Depressed phase, it is not uncommon for the individual to move around furniture and change their decor because their home begins to look messy, boring, and pitiful in their eyes. Another common effect of Mescaline is the interest in time in mostly non existent.
I also agree with the authors' view of alcohol and cigarettes and the addiction which arises from frequent use. People have an urge to escape from self hood and frequently turn to the above forms of relaxation. The author feels to fulfill this urge, society needs a new drug which will "relieve and console our suffering species without doing more harm in the long run than it does in the short" (Pg. 65). Basically, opting for a drug which will have a more positive effect, offering long term improvement. AN enlightening drug which will help to make consciousness more interesting.
I am also interested in reading more regarding the relationship between various religions and the use of hallucinogenic drugs. I really enjoyed this book!
Friday, September 28, 2007
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Childhood- Blog 4
I never thought that childhood would be considered as an altered state of consciousness, but now since I've read on it, I can see it. As a child, you had your real life friends , but the best friends you can ever had were the imaginary one and some of us also had imaginary beverages like tea, coffee and biscuits. My mother told me that my name imaginary friend name was Little Pony. She told me the reason why i named her Little Pony because i wanted the My Little Pony doll. She also told me that I would to talk to my friend in my room and in the bathroom, but when my family and I would go places, Pony couldn't go and I always asked my mother and grandmother and they said because she needed a nap. Well, i got older and i guess my imaginary friend went away. What I am saying is that children have a an innocent mind set to talk to their imaginary friends and drink invisible tea the cute tea sets because they don't know yet that the altered state is abnormal to talk to themselves. Honestly, i can be a big kid when one of my younger cousins, nieces or nephews ask me come to a tea party, comb the barbies hair or play wrestling figures with them.
Art is magic
In the opening pages of our reading Pablo Picasso is paraphrased as saying art is magic. I can say that statement sort of blew me away. Four weeks ago I would have looked at that statement and felt and though something entirely different then the way I see it now.
This class now skews Picasso’s statement to me, because art really can’t be truly explained better than magic at this point in human understanding. Science can currently track brain waves and give some explanation to its function, but can only make observation about higher-brain function like creativity.
So really, not much has change since Picasso made his statement. Altered States states on Page 93, “The mystery of creativity is this gap between the medium and the message.” If we combine the idea of creativity and art, what more can we say at this point other then it is magic.
In my mind it isn’t hard for me to believe children utilitize creativity better than adults. Childhood is a time in which innovation is on overdrive. Everything is new. I remember the excitement I used to have just going to the grocery store in particular. There was just so much to see, I wanted to go there so bad my mom used the privilege as leverage against me.
The book states, “children travel easily between what might be an what is, slipping from reality to fantasy without difficulty, self consciousness, or embarrassment.”
So a combination of constant innovation along with a relax attitude toward shifting reality makes sense to me as the optimal conditions for creativity.
As far as children’s relationships with talking animals, I think I didn’t get the memo on that one. I have voices for all three of my dogs and use them daily. The domesticated animal runs things in our house and there isn’t a kid in sight.
This class now skews Picasso’s statement to me, because art really can’t be truly explained better than magic at this point in human understanding. Science can currently track brain waves and give some explanation to its function, but can only make observation about higher-brain function like creativity.
So really, not much has change since Picasso made his statement. Altered States states on Page 93, “The mystery of creativity is this gap between the medium and the message.” If we combine the idea of creativity and art, what more can we say at this point other then it is magic.
In my mind it isn’t hard for me to believe children utilitize creativity better than adults. Childhood is a time in which innovation is on overdrive. Everything is new. I remember the excitement I used to have just going to the grocery store in particular. There was just so much to see, I wanted to go there so bad my mom used the privilege as leverage against me.
The book states, “children travel easily between what might be an what is, slipping from reality to fantasy without difficulty, self consciousness, or embarrassment.”
So a combination of constant innovation along with a relax attitude toward shifting reality makes sense to me as the optimal conditions for creativity.
As far as children’s relationships with talking animals, I think I didn’t get the memo on that one. I have voices for all three of my dogs and use them daily. The domesticated animal runs things in our house and there isn’t a kid in sight.
Life as Art
Why not life as art? There is a sense, I think, even today, that art is some creative work done by an artist. However, I find myself, somewhat often, admiring things that we use and are around everyday. I think I get this from my father, he's an engineer and through him I learned to look at what goes into everything that we see and use. There are designs and machining, or molding, and countless other processes.
When you look at a couch, not as a singular piece of furniture, but as a creation requiring the abilities of the designer and his ideas, to the carpenter who frames the base of the structure, and finally the upholsterer who sews, and stitches, and pads the frame to create the piece of furniture that we find in our home. You see, when looking at it from that standpoint, everything is art and we are able to be consumed by all of the things that we come in contact with. There is an artist, who many, many years ago, brought with him a standard urinal as part of his exhibition and actually shocked many people with it. This is a perfect example of life as art, it's not what something is, but rather how we perceive it, and because of that art is both everything and nothing at once.
When you look at a couch, not as a singular piece of furniture, but as a creation requiring the abilities of the designer and his ideas, to the carpenter who frames the base of the structure, and finally the upholsterer who sews, and stitches, and pads the frame to create the piece of furniture that we find in our home. You see, when looking at it from that standpoint, everything is art and we are able to be consumed by all of the things that we come in contact with. There is an artist, who many, many years ago, brought with him a standard urinal as part of his exhibition and actually shocked many people with it. This is a perfect example of life as art, it's not what something is, but rather how we perceive it, and because of that art is both everything and nothing at once.
Thoughts on Chpt 7
I have always felt that the most interesting and in many ways most creative works of art tend to come from the periods of history that are usually considered as being the most repressive. For example the paintings and sculptures of the German artists working after the first World War and leading up to the second. The works of visual artists, such as Wassily Kandinsky or Kate Kollwitz, were denigrated under the Nazi regime and displayed to the public as the epitome of degeneracy, but these works have in many ways (or at least for me) come to embody the staggering emotive power of "the creative". I feel that it is during times of intense turmoil and suffering that people have the greatest capacity to break the molds of the conventional and achieve new levels of creativity.
Thoughts on Chapter 7
I found the idea of childhood as an altered state of mind to be extremely fascinating as well. The power of a child's imagination astounds me. When I watch my nephew playing dinosaurs I am just in awe, because in his mind they really do exist. He doesn't need to know that they have been extinct for millions of years and he doesn't need to know why either. It makes me feel envious of children. They have these few fleeting years of innocence, until suddenly the world becomes much more complicated and complex. Who wouldn't want to have just a few more moments like that? I agree with the fact that imagination and fantasy have an enormous influence on a child's life. I did find the fact that some of the world's greatest children's book authors, such as Beatrix Potter and Edith Nesbit were believed to not be fond of children at all. It made me curious as to how someone who isn't particularly fond of something can be driven to create for it, maybe they were just trying to recreate those special, innocent feelings they experienced as children. On the other hand Lewis Carroll's fascination with little girls, though Hughes stated it probably wasn't sexual in nature, was still a little disturbing.
Alexander the Lucky
That should be his title. After reading this section on the book I happened to be flipping through the channels and there was something on the History Channel abotu Alexander the Great. Alexander came from Macedonia in northern Greece. After his father revolutionized warfare for the Greeks and subsequently conquered all of Greece his father had died leaving Alexander in the perfect spot. He went to war with the Persians and ending up conquering them and all existing known lands of the world at that time. So effectively you can say that Alexander was the only man to conquer the known world. Yet Alexander happened to be in love with his best friend, presumably his mother or sister, and his three wives. He also happened to be a psychopathic genocidal maniac. This latter part is less talked about in the annals of history because of the winning side getting to tell the story of what happened. So in this aspect we won't truly know is whether or not Alexander was like that. So a person can also gather that history is very subjective too as to who was victorious.
Art is My Comfort Blankey
Art mediates "between the inner world and the external physical, social world." (Hughes, 107) This theory/concept is one I would invest in. It makes sense. Art is a way of bringing your internal world out, a way of releasing your inner-self into the external world. I honestly can't think of a better way to describe it. Many paintings, sculptures, and other pieces of art come straight from the artists imagination. Some artists can bring fantastic and mythical ideas, scenes, and characters into the world at the drop of a hat. They have these fantastic ideas with them constantly, and art allows them to bring those thoughts into the ouside world. Other artists will take an ordinary object or scene and alter it in a way that suits their personal interpretation of it. Every piece, regardless of realism, carries the artist's personal beleifs or thoughts. Even a painting of something tangible and unaltered carries the artist's inner-self into the outside world. Think about the reasoning behind it. Why would the artist chose to paint that particular object? The answer to this question brings out the artist's internal world.
Mind of a Child
“Truly wonderful, the mind of a child is.” - Jedi Master, Yoda.
That is a statement I totally agree with. When I was young (and even today), I never wanted to grow up. I remember constantly having fun, playing with friends, using my imagination and being creative, and reading classic novels with supernatural beings, adventures, romance, amazing heroes, and terrifying villains. Children represent what is best in humans. A child is innocent and imaginative, creating imaginative worlds where they can escape to. This can be seen in Michael Ende’s novel The Neverending Story (one of my favorite books), where a unhappy boy literally dives into a wonderous fantasy world through the pages of a mysterious book.
To create such stories to capture the attention of children and the child in adults, the authors need to be tap into their subconscious and think as a child thinks. I praise authors, such as J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, J.K. Rowling, Lloyd Alexander, etc., for their creative and imaginative stories that allow us to forget our troubles and feel young at heart again.
(I think, even as adults, we try to escape the pressures and restrictions of the world around us. Unfortunately, some of the ways to “escape” is either drown their sorrows in alcohol or drugs, which is sad.)
That is a statement I totally agree with. When I was young (and even today), I never wanted to grow up. I remember constantly having fun, playing with friends, using my imagination and being creative, and reading classic novels with supernatural beings, adventures, romance, amazing heroes, and terrifying villains. Children represent what is best in humans. A child is innocent and imaginative, creating imaginative worlds where they can escape to. This can be seen in Michael Ende’s novel The Neverending Story (one of my favorite books), where a unhappy boy literally dives into a wonderous fantasy world through the pages of a mysterious book.
To create such stories to capture the attention of children and the child in adults, the authors need to be tap into their subconscious and think as a child thinks. I praise authors, such as J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, J.K. Rowling, Lloyd Alexander, etc., for their creative and imaginative stories that allow us to forget our troubles and feel young at heart again.
(I think, even as adults, we try to escape the pressures and restrictions of the world around us. Unfortunately, some of the ways to “escape” is either drown their sorrows in alcohol or drugs, which is sad.)
Being a plain Jane
On page 94, Hughes bluntly states that in ancient Greece, the Italian Renaissance, and the Middle Ages, "great art was anonymous." James Hughes, I have a bone to pick with you.
Do you assume that all great art from those times was anonymous? Does that mean that art had to be anonymous to be considered great? Is all anonymous art great?
There's a graphic novel called "The Plain Janes" by Cecil Castellucci. It is set in a modern day high school with four misfit girls: Jane, Jayne, Polly Jane, and Jane. They are the artsy/sporty/smart/shy outcasts and we love them for it! Together, they called themselves P.L.A.I.N. (People Loving Art in Neighborhoods) and go about sharing their creative love with their suburban town. Their first mission is a secret project that they do at night, at the future site of a strip mall. They assemble rocks into three different pyramids, mocking the form and shape and location of the Great Pyramids in Giza, Egypt. They hand two signs. The first says, "Art Saves, Think Big, Think P.L.AI.N. (People Loving Art in Neighborhoods)." The other sign says "The pyramids lasted for thousands of years. Do you think this strip mall will?" Over the next few days and weeks, their capers include putting 10 L of dish soap in the town square fountain, covering the sidewalk in front of the animal shelter with stuffed animals and a sign that says "Adopt a pet!", and covering the town in wrapping paper (a lot like Christo did during the mid-20th century).
It is only through these silent acts that this group of girls find their voices, find out how to survive high school, find out who they really are. Is this level of achievement because of the anonymity of their acts?
Mr. Hughes, on page 91 you say, "It would seem evident that, to be complete, a creative act needs to be brought into the public domain." Even though the Plain Janes's acts are public, their identities are not. Each of these four artists are different. And it works because art is about the individual. Not society.
Do you assume that all great art from those times was anonymous? Does that mean that art had to be anonymous to be considered great? Is all anonymous art great?
There's a graphic novel called "The Plain Janes" by Cecil Castellucci. It is set in a modern day high school with four misfit girls: Jane, Jayne, Polly Jane, and Jane. They are the artsy/sporty/smart/shy outcasts and we love them for it! Together, they called themselves P.L.A.I.N. (People Loving Art in Neighborhoods) and go about sharing their creative love with their suburban town. Their first mission is a secret project that they do at night, at the future site of a strip mall. They assemble rocks into three different pyramids, mocking the form and shape and location of the Great Pyramids in Giza, Egypt. They hand two signs. The first says, "Art Saves, Think Big, Think P.L.AI.N. (People Loving Art in Neighborhoods)." The other sign says "The pyramids lasted for thousands of years. Do you think this strip mall will?" Over the next few days and weeks, their capers include putting 10 L of dish soap in the town square fountain, covering the sidewalk in front of the animal shelter with stuffed animals and a sign that says "Adopt a pet!", and covering the town in wrapping paper (a lot like Christo did during the mid-20th century).
It is only through these silent acts that this group of girls find their voices, find out how to survive high school, find out who they really are. Is this level of achievement because of the anonymity of their acts?
Mr. Hughes, on page 91 you say, "It would seem evident that, to be complete, a creative act needs to be brought into the public domain." Even though the Plain Janes's acts are public, their identities are not. Each of these four artists are different. And it works because art is about the individual. Not society.
Peter Pan
I like to think of myself as a female Peter Pan, because I don't ever plan on growing up, therefore I really enjoyed chapter 8 and am looking forward to discussing childhood and creativity. First, I feel the need to pull out these two quotes: "Childhood is open to altered states of consciousness because it is a period when the boundry between imagination and reality is in the process of being defined." and the second quote "consciousness is modified from babyhood to adolescence by the continual overlaying of preverbal perception with consenual name forms agreed by the prevailing and society." I pulled out these specific quotes because of the idea that child can "see" ghost when their younger and can no longer "see" them they grow up. Since children are more open to the possibilities because they are not tied down by "knowing" that they don't exist, it is more likely that they can see spirits. This theory was put into a movie about 6 months ago (it's a scary movie though- "The Messengers"), but I have also had personal experience with that matter.
Besides that, I completely subscribe to the thought that childhood and creativity go hand and hand. I used to watch my brothers and sisters play for hours with a balled up pair of socks (when they were little). I always wondered what was going on in their mind when I would hear they laugh (this was the time before they could talk).
All in all, I think it was a very interesting chapter. And as a sidenote, my mother (very into childrens stories) was going to name my oldest brother Christopher Robin, until my father vetoed it. He was named Christopher Michael instead. Also, my youngest sister is named Hannah Leigh because of Puff the Magic dragon ("And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called honah lee") which is where her name comes from.
Besides that, I completely subscribe to the thought that childhood and creativity go hand and hand. I used to watch my brothers and sisters play for hours with a balled up pair of socks (when they were little). I always wondered what was going on in their mind when I would hear they laugh (this was the time before they could talk).
All in all, I think it was a very interesting chapter. And as a sidenote, my mother (very into childrens stories) was going to name my oldest brother Christopher Robin, until my father vetoed it. He was named Christopher Michael instead. Also, my youngest sister is named Hannah Leigh because of Puff the Magic dragon ("And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called honah lee") which is where her name comes from.
Blog 4
I found Chapter 8 to be extremely interesting. I never thought of childhood as an "altered state of consciousness." I guess when you think about it, it's very true. Imagination and fantasy play a big role in childhood. I remember when I was a child I had imaginary friends. I also loved playing with barbies and loved to make up people and places with my barbies. I miss my childhood and have never felt the same since I was a child. It's almost like when you're an adult you are actually in the real world. When you're a child it's basically all fun and games, almost like a dreamworld.
I too found it very interesting about Lewis Carroll. It's amazing that he was able to write so many stories! Something else very interesting was how so many children's authors were believed to not be very fond of children. I remeber my mom used to buy be Beatrix Potter books! I never would've guessed it! I do love how the this book talks about childrens empathy with animals. I have always loved animals since I was a child. How I wish I could go back to my innocence as a child for just one day!
I too found it very interesting about Lewis Carroll. It's amazing that he was able to write so many stories! Something else very interesting was how so many children's authors were believed to not be very fond of children. I remeber my mom used to buy be Beatrix Potter books! I never would've guessed it! I do love how the this book talks about childrens empathy with animals. I have always loved animals since I was a child. How I wish I could go back to my innocence as a child for just one day!
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
The Creative Product
The creative product's value will depend on the judgment of the audience. This is true but not accurate in my opinion, in most cases I find that audience tend to have a selective process when judging anything. It's not that if they don't see what they want to see, then it has no value. It's more like there is this preconceived notion, a kind of unconscious check list or mental template that automatically kicks in whenever the question"what is this?" pops into our head. For example; art, It's like there must be a common opinion in order for something to be considered art.
Art beautifies the world by pleasing the eye or gratifying the mind.
Art beautifies the world by pleasing the eye or gratifying the mind.
Laughter
Whether someone told a joke, made a clumsy move, or you are just watching a comody, they can make people laugh. As mentioned in chapter eight in Hughes's book, "laughter is liberating in the sense of tension-relieving. Throughout history, people have used laughter as a chance to break away from reality, it can help a person cheer up, if only for a little while no matter what their mood is. The artist creatively tries to add humor to what may be a scene from a person's normal life and makes it irrational, whether through words or action. Just doing something funny enough to make an audience laugh can put both the entertainer and the viewers in an altered state. When a person laughs, they are putting more focus on that and less on something like anger or pain. In other words, we all need some humor in our lives, because laughter helps heal.
Art - Post 4
Reading these chapters made me really think about art, and although I would never call myself an artist, I do enjoy art and trying to figure it all out. While reading this though, it really came to my attention that we may never know exactly what the artist was trying to convey, or thinking or feeling, even if we asked them. Hughes says art “means one thing to the maker and another to the spectator” (90), and I agree with this statement dealing with more than just art, but rather everyday life. Everything we do is more important to us than anyone else, or is at least understood to the greatest level by us and no amount of explaining can ever really allow someone to think just like you. It’s interesting to ponder, considering we have best friends and spouses who may know us better than anyone in the world, but still do not know us like we “know us”. I wonder if this is a reason for creating art for some artists – to try and express what’s inside them and hope their creativity flows into understanding from the public. I think Hughes makes sense when saying that creativity can’t be complete until it’s brought into the public – how else would anyone know you were creative? Well, unless that’s not one’s aim – for others to realize their art – but rather for themselves to express it. I think sometimes we might not even know the complexity or repercussions of what we want to show to the world, but art gives us a way to make our feelings last, to look back and remember what we felt – whether we sculpt, paint, draw, etc. – the medium isn’t the point – it’s what’s expressed at that one moment that may never be recreated but is lasting, that’s important.
Child's Play
Looking back on these chapters, I think chapter 8 was one of the most interesting and fun chapters thus far. I think children can be the most imaginative and creative human beings. Looking back on my childhood now, I remember constantly having fun, playing with friends, using my imagination and being creative, whether it was by playing doll house with my younger sister, painting a picture, or playing 'Annie' with some neighborhood girls. I really liked how they talked about Winnie-the-Pooh and Alice in Wonderland.
It was discussed in the very beginning of the Chapter 8 of creative apperception, the "linking of the subjective and objective, coloring the world with hues of the imagination.." He says, "It is creative apperception more than anything else, that makes the individual feel that life is worth living." And then further along, it mentions that when individuals keep their inner world and thoughts hidden, their individuality will eventually disappear, and life will become meaningless. Individuality in itself is very much an element and aspect of creativity. Many of us have said that we are not creative, however, just choosing what pieces of clothing to wear on a particular day shows that we possess creativity. To go back to chapter 7, I really liked the quote by Andy Warhol: "People call me a mirror. And if a mirror looks into mirror, what does it see?"
It was discussed in the very beginning of the Chapter 8 of creative apperception, the "linking of the subjective and objective, coloring the world with hues of the imagination.." He says, "It is creative apperception more than anything else, that makes the individual feel that life is worth living." And then further along, it mentions that when individuals keep their inner world and thoughts hidden, their individuality will eventually disappear, and life will become meaningless. Individuality in itself is very much an element and aspect of creativity. Many of us have said that we are not creative, however, just choosing what pieces of clothing to wear on a particular day shows that we possess creativity. To go back to chapter 7, I really liked the quote by Andy Warhol: "People call me a mirror. And if a mirror looks into mirror, what does it see?"
Creative Laughter
I know someone out there tends to think the same as me and tells everyone “I’m not creative.” I think those of us who do make that statement including me; need to give some credit to ourselves. Aren’t we all being creative when we simply write a paper for school and attend math classes and solve ridiculous math equations? According to our book the creative product include ideas as well as objects: a novel solution to a mathematical problem, the discovery of a new process in science, the writing of a poem, the formation of a new philosophical or religious system, an innovation in law, a fresh way of thinking about social problems, and a change in manners. (89) I think all of us that are considered to be in the group that “are not creative” has written a poem or more throughout our life. According to our book, writing a poem does make us “Creative.”
I was intrigued by the photo on page 90 by Picasso. I completely agree that creative personality faces two ways, inward and outward. Inward meaning what it means to the maker and outward is how the audience interprets it. I have looked at many paintings and have often thought to myself, “What is this or what were they thinking?”
I like the claim made by Oscar Wilde. Wilde claimed, “He had put all his genius into his life, and only his talent into his works.” Genius originally meant a house hold God, or spirit of a place, conferring psychic atmosphere or mood. Its modern meaning of genius is “exceptional intellectual or a creative individual.” (98) I know I’m not a genius but according to the book, I am very creative, which in fact, is very surprising.
I enjoyed reading the authors purpose of laughter, and agree that laughter is liberating in the sense of tension relieving. I can think of many occasions when something bad has happened and I found some sort of humor which tended to ease the situation. I try to live with a great deal of humor in my life. It’s better to laugh than to cry,
I was intrigued by the photo on page 90 by Picasso. I completely agree that creative personality faces two ways, inward and outward. Inward meaning what it means to the maker and outward is how the audience interprets it. I have looked at many paintings and have often thought to myself, “What is this or what were they thinking?”
I like the claim made by Oscar Wilde. Wilde claimed, “He had put all his genius into his life, and only his talent into his works.” Genius originally meant a house hold God, or spirit of a place, conferring psychic atmosphere or mood. Its modern meaning of genius is “exceptional intellectual or a creative individual.” (98) I know I’m not a genius but according to the book, I am very creative, which in fact, is very surprising.
I enjoyed reading the authors purpose of laughter, and agree that laughter is liberating in the sense of tension relieving. I can think of many occasions when something bad has happened and I found some sort of humor which tended to ease the situation. I try to live with a great deal of humor in my life. It’s better to laugh than to cry,
A Child's Spirit
I’m 20 years old and am already wishing I was a kid again. (Most of my friends think I’m just a big kid anyways.) Who wouldn’t want to go back to the only time in our lives where we have no responsibility, are at our imaginative best, and when everything is new and there to be learned? Children represent what is best in humans. A child is innocent, imaginative, and content with there place in the world. A child’s content has to do with his ability to create a different world, an imaginative world, a place where they can escape to and enjoy, without pressure or restrictions.
They can open a wardrobe and step into a different realm with ease. Many writers and artists spend their lives trying to do the same thing; trying to revert back to the pure imaginative state that is a child’s mind. Is it any wonder that Romantics and others have seen the child as perfect and innocent; have turned baby Jesus into such an icon? So, here is to the child in us all, may it rule over our creativity and spirit.
They can open a wardrobe and step into a different realm with ease. Many writers and artists spend their lives trying to do the same thing; trying to revert back to the pure imaginative state that is a child’s mind. Is it any wonder that Romantics and others have seen the child as perfect and innocent; have turned baby Jesus into such an icon? So, here is to the child in us all, may it rule over our creativity and spirit.
Play
What an interesting chapter! Child psychologist, Donald Winnicott wrote, “Play is essential to creative development, and play requires a different mind-set from ordinary consciousness.” Play is a beneficial medium for children’s learning. They can gain social, emotional, physical and language skills through it. Confidence is also gained and reality is weaved into their lives. Children imitate what they see, such as cooking and other activities. Without realizing it, they are in a different enjoyable mind-set than ordinary consciousness during the play.
Child’s play in Alice and Wonderland is very odd, but then so is Lewis Carroll! I found myself in shock reading about him. What an odd person! He was delighted in the company of young girls? He photographed nude children? Today, he would have quickly been arrested for child pornography without another thought. We certainly live in a different time period today! It is understandable now after learning about the Fly Agaric toadstool (Amanita muscaria) how the Caterpillar’s mushroom in the story, “Alice In Wonderland” has an honorary status with modern dope enthusiasts. I have no doubt Lewis Carroll was in an “Altered State of Mind”, while writing his stories!
Child’s play in Alice and Wonderland is very odd, but then so is Lewis Carroll! I found myself in shock reading about him. What an odd person! He was delighted in the company of young girls? He photographed nude children? Today, he would have quickly been arrested for child pornography without another thought. We certainly live in a different time period today! It is understandable now after learning about the Fly Agaric toadstool (Amanita muscaria) how the Caterpillar’s mushroom in the story, “Alice In Wonderland” has an honorary status with modern dope enthusiasts. I have no doubt Lewis Carroll was in an “Altered State of Mind”, while writing his stories!
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Blog 4 or Distractions, distractions
Amazing how distracted we can become by the simplest things. The internet is a wonderful tool and a terrible temptation. Even the most innocuous of things like checking the bank account can throw everything off kilter. I found a charge I did not make and of course the company has no cust. svc on weekends and now I'm annoyed about that and I'm supposed to be thinking about childlike imagination and frakkin' Winnie-the-Pooh and I hope Alice stays down that damn rabbit hole! Okay, okay, deep breath, cleansing breath . . . , ratsin', fratsin', deep breath . . . crap! the Cardinals just lost! FOCUS! FOCUS! Breathe, breathe . . .
I like the first line in chapter 7, "Creative products are the evidence of our evolution." We think when we create, we create when we think. The mind is always working, even we are asleep, dreaming of far away places and the next big whatever. Art is everywhere, creation is everywhere. Every thought is a creation. Where do the thoughts come from? I find the rest of the chapter difficult to distill into single thoughts. It covers quite a lot in the realm of society and its effect upon the artist. This has always been the case. And there have always been those who step out of the box and push against the societal norms, not all with positive results. Oscar Wilde is mentioned in the chapter, but he is just one of many. Galileo was imprisoned by the church for his ideas of the universe. Da Vinci painted religious art but also did a lot "on the side" that the church did not or would not have approved. Now we see him as the very idea of Renaissance. A person comfortable in all the disciplines of academia. Personally I believe he was an alien.
Ahh, play. I intend to show this chapter to my parents. Reading for fun always takes a back seat when the academic year starts up again. I do what I am supposed to do for school but after awhile I can no longer focus on texts. There comes a time when I am only reading words. Just words on a page. No longer is there any grasp of the message or the ideas the author is trying to present; nothing there but letters formed together in random lengths. This is when I go play. Everyone has a different idea of play I'm sure, for me it might actually involve reading something else. Something that I can just take in but not have to focus on or keep in the forefront of memory. Sports Illustrated, Batman, Coastal Living, Cigar Aficianado, GQ, Vanity Fair, Wolverine, you get the idea. Maybe a car race on TV or House. (New season Tuesday!) Maybe music, walk the dog, drink a beer, take a drive, again you get the idea. I believe play, in whatever form you give it, is essential to creativity. Artists look at art, writers read and write, musicians listen to music, runners run, hikers hike. Some of that can be considered work but it is also play and essential to life.
I like the first line in chapter 7, "Creative products are the evidence of our evolution." We think when we create, we create when we think. The mind is always working, even we are asleep, dreaming of far away places and the next big whatever. Art is everywhere, creation is everywhere. Every thought is a creation. Where do the thoughts come from? I find the rest of the chapter difficult to distill into single thoughts. It covers quite a lot in the realm of society and its effect upon the artist. This has always been the case. And there have always been those who step out of the box and push against the societal norms, not all with positive results. Oscar Wilde is mentioned in the chapter, but he is just one of many. Galileo was imprisoned by the church for his ideas of the universe. Da Vinci painted religious art but also did a lot "on the side" that the church did not or would not have approved. Now we see him as the very idea of Renaissance. A person comfortable in all the disciplines of academia. Personally I believe he was an alien.
Ahh, play. I intend to show this chapter to my parents. Reading for fun always takes a back seat when the academic year starts up again. I do what I am supposed to do for school but after awhile I can no longer focus on texts. There comes a time when I am only reading words. Just words on a page. No longer is there any grasp of the message or the ideas the author is trying to present; nothing there but letters formed together in random lengths. This is when I go play. Everyone has a different idea of play I'm sure, for me it might actually involve reading something else. Something that I can just take in but not have to focus on or keep in the forefront of memory. Sports Illustrated, Batman, Coastal Living, Cigar Aficianado, GQ, Vanity Fair, Wolverine, you get the idea. Maybe a car race on TV or House. (New season Tuesday!) Maybe music, walk the dog, drink a beer, take a drive, again you get the idea. I believe play, in whatever form you give it, is essential to creativity. Artists look at art, writers read and write, musicians listen to music, runners run, hikers hike. Some of that can be considered work but it is also play and essential to life.
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