Creativity and the Human Condition

You could almost say it’s the Arts that make us human.  Music, drama, poetry, literature, dance, sculpture, drawing, painting, performance… these may be obvious categories of creativity.  Yet our society is full of other expressions which make our environment what it is: product design, graphic design, landscaping, architecture - to name but a few.  Sound, colour, texture, size and scale, choice of materials, aspect, seasonality – choices are made about all of these in every aspect of how we design, construct and adapt our living spaces, the tools we use, in fact, everything around us.

So to me the Arts are not about how you choose to spend your leisure time, they are crucial to what creates quality of life in everything we do.

Focusing on artistic endeavour highlights certain skills and sensitivities which make us better performers at other things.  It’s arguable that children who regularly perform music are better at maths.  Personally I’d argue that music is in fact a branch of mathematics – if only we could have maths teachers who had musical sensitivity for the subject, I’m sure more pupils would be enthusiastic.  And no doubt, somewhere, we do have such teachers.

Drama and performance encourages self-confidence.  So does singing.  One of my favourite performers, Jim Couza, says “Singing together makes us strong.”  I believe that.  The Arts enable us to communicate feelings and insights which are really important to us.  Good design encourages use and builds receptiveness in an intended audience.  That’s as true for a well constructed annual report as it is for well-played Shakespeare.

Check out Lorca’s essay Theory and Function of the Duende.

A review of my book can be read here:

There are lots of books about permaculture, and many have a slant on gardening, but one that I have found particularly useful recently is The Permaculture Garden, by Graham Bell.

Bosque Tallados or Wood Carving shows the work of Bruno Torf.

Hidden in a small village in Marysville Victoria, southeastern Australia, is a magical world where the sculptor Bruno Torfs has 25 years contributing his work to combine the beauty of art with the beauty of nature around him. Born in South America, at age 15 his family moved to Europe in search of new opportunities.With frequent trips, sometimes alone and sometimes with his wife Marleen, to form the artist’s personality, which is reflected in the form of paintings and sculptures . After years of living like this, Bruno and his family decide to go to Australia to create a garden with sculptures that immediately became a permanent attraction. After finding the ideal site in the small village, it took a further five months preparing the park for opening to the public. Bruno began with just 15 sculptures and today you can find over 150 and he continues to add some from time to time. He has gone to live there with his family in the area of rainforest that he bought to live happily with their creations. Looks very Worthwhile.

A fantastic Scottish song improved by Robert Burns.
Learn the words today and their meaning.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne?

CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We’ll tak a cup of kindness yet,
For auld lang syne!

And surely ye’ll be your pint-stowp,
And surely I’ll be mine,
And we’ll tak a cup o kindness yet,
For auld lang syne!

We twa hae run about the braes,
And pou’d the gowans fine,
But we’ve wander’d monie a weary fit,
Sin auld lang syne.

We twa hae paidl’d in the burn
Frae morning sun till dine,
But seas between us braid hae roar’d
Sin auld lang syne.

And there’s a hand my trusty fiere,
And gie’s a hand o thine,
And we’ll tak a right guid-willie waught,
For auld lang syne

Meanings

auld lang syne – times gone by
be – pay for
braes – hills
braid – broad
burn – stream
dine – dinner time
fiere – friend
fit – foot
gowans – daisies
guid-willie waught – goodwill drink
monie – many
morning sun – noon
paidl’t – paddled
pint-stowp – pint tankard
pou’d – pulled
twa – two

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auld_Lang_Syne

This is the song we sing in Scotland when we say goodbye to people.