"no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should"

This was given to me by a Ffriend on a small pocket card. It is called Desiderata and was found in Saint Paul's Church in Baltimore and dated 1692.

"Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle, with yourself.
You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy."

Art, Science, and Sociology

Art and science are essentially the same. They both observe life and both ask the question "what happens if I/we do this". Both are sociological and have sway in the direction they lead. Art deals with the internalities of a person by manifesting a representation externally. What and how one does this also has an impact on the individual and society. What is the art supporting? The words "Blissed Out sense of Calm" come to me as I look at the art on my walls, the "Empowerment" spiral, "Particle Breath Energy", and the mandalas.
In a beautiful address to freshman at the Boston conservatory, Karl Paulnack spoke about how artists are more like surgeons and firefighters, and that one night "at 8:00pm someone is going to walk into your concert hall and bring you a mind that is confused, a heart that is overwhelmed, a soul that is weary. Whether they go out whole again will depend partly on how well you do your craft".
The book Free Play, by Stephen Nachmanovitch, sheds light on the beginnings of composition. Originally, the great artists were all improvisors, and a show could never be reproduced. The fact is, artists have not stopped being improvisors. It is the beginning of how anything is created. I can only further explain the “how” of my own experience. I sit down (or sometimes stand or dance) with an intention such as an image of grattitude, I breathe, wait, and listen. Sometimes an image is presented in my mind, and other times I allow it to flow as I manifest. I listen for where certain colors, lines, ect. should be placed. There is not a voice speaking in my head, simply instinct, and self-trust. This experience, again, stems from a similar place as science: ask a question and watch. Await, follow, and observe what manifests. Sometimes it is fabulous and it speaks to me completely, and sometimes I do not understand and/or it may not have been what I was looking for. Also, like scientists (although they may not always wish to admit it) artists have some biases for outcome. The best way to handle it is to allow for what the result is and if it is fab, its fab, and if it’s a plop, well plop happens and that’s okay too. Creativity is abundance. It is an unlimited supply of ingenuity. Actually, all there is is creating. Really, read this type, there isn’t anything except creating, except non-existance, and that does not exist:-) Part of being an artist (and this includes everyone, even if you think you don’t have a creative hair on your body) is realizing this and being empowered by it to be more consciously engaged with life. A conscious exploration and molding of living and being. It is delving into the unseen, the temporarily unconscious world, and having an intention. It is a treasure hunt!
Furthermore, one of the ties of sociology and art is the application of meaning. Everyday, everyone applies meaning to everything (okay maybe not everything). It is one of the mechanisms that develops interactions and culture. And applying meaning to things or refraining from doing so, is an art. And it is one of the reasons why some people become frustrated with modern and post-modern art. Sometimes modern art does not mean anything, it could be about the medium its self, and sometimes it does mean something and requires audience engagment. All arts are the study of “morphology”, what happens when we/I do this and what does this mean on the micro and macro scale.

Hi! I'm Zoe Rei, painter, dancer, adventurer, and gigglemeister. Welcome to my blog! The place where your soul is liberated with freedom to breath, be inspired, and challenged. Feel free to post responses, and if you have any questions such as "Help I don't understand modern art" or anything else, I'm here to help. If you would like to receive the weekly zoe quote and image email me with "weekly hoo ha" in the subject line :-) May your day be... hilarious Cheers! ~Zoe