The Artword Artbar Concert
There are times in your life that, if you are tuned into yourself well, you can feel the beginning of change. Last night handed me one of those moments on several levels.
Meeting the Foreign Films:
These people (Bill, Marie, Amber and Jon) are truly wonderful human beings. So many musicians I come across are jaded and tired – but these young veterans are not part of that school. Their music (and passion for it) is just as refreshing as their personalities. The same goes for Mr. Dave Hind. Meeting people like this and sharing a stage with them warmed me… and somehow, because of them, this world I find myself in feels friendlier and much less daunting.
Judith and Ron of the Artbar:
Their vision and passion for uniting artists of all mediums in Hamilton is so inspiring. Speaking with them after the show for awhile, I had the opportunity to learn why they have dedicated their lives to the arts. It all seemed surreal to me, as I am still in the very early stages of trying to survive as a creative professional. That they pay their bills with money earned by nourishing their art (and many many others art) seemed so extraordinary, so interesting, so much a fairy tale to me. I think, as we were leaving, Ron picked up on this sort of wide-eyed-wonder some of us were experiencing after hearing their story. To this he simply said – what we do here is ordinary. In that moment something dissolved in my mind…
The Pursuit of Happiness:
Perception is an incredibly powerful thing… and malleable. Our perception has been toyed with since we could feel, hear and see. I like to think of myself as a more open-minded person but I realized then how much a life like Ron and Judith’s seems like a dream (or a gamble). From a young age, our perception is constantly a target for skepticism, “realism” … capitalism, in short. And the damage is done in such a sly way. We are all sponges after all; growing up to be an Artist is like winning the lottery, right people?! For the vast majority of us – making a living creating “art” has been made to seem unsustainable and impractical. How sad is it, that something that can move a person to tears is not a necessity of life? When those tears can help one come to terms with something that has been blocking a little bit of their happiness. Tears, laughter, outrage – these extreme emotions are natural and healing. Feeling them and reflecting on them on a regular basis is a necessity to true happiness. I think that I can speak for most, and say that a life of happiness is what we are taught to aspire to. So if money is advertised to bring that about – then why the hell is art (in any and every form) not just as important – not just as necessary??
Thank you to those who came out to listen to all of us! And a Super Thank you to everyone who bought one of my albums! It was the first show that I sold it at! Yet another circumstance that triggered the the cogs of change!
Thanks for reading my spiel