I do not even remember who wrote that - I will have to ask Dad - he remembers those kinds of things. But the Santa Anas are howling fiercely - and the cracks in this old house are letting in the cold. But I have my trusty space heater to keep my toes warm, so I am set!
Another Sunday night - but this one is the night before a holiday featuring "NO SCHOOL" and so it's a special Sunday night. Although I have to get up early enough to go for a fasting blood test - just depends how long I want to wait for breakfast I guess! There is something about not having to get up at a specific time!
I do not have my new camera yet - although I could take pictures with my old one - but Dad has been taking work pictures and I don't feel like wading through "construction shots" anyway.
It has been a good Sunday - and a good Saturday. Dad and I went and saw "Walk The Line." (On Saturday, not Sunday!) I enjoyed it - mostly impressed at how someone could so exactly become Johnny Cash. Upon reflection, Mr. J.R. Cash is not a particularly stellar fellow - I suppose he redeemed himself - but then movies about "stellar fellows" probably wouldn't be terribly entertaining or engrossing.
Which leads me to the thought that is it possible as you strive for perfection to become a great artist? I have often heard it postulated that great Mormon art and artists are not to be - because great artists seem to be self-absorbed. And they seem to focus on the seamier side of life. Or maybe in their self-absorption they neglect the finer things? These are just random thoughts.
In the meantime, I guess I will continue to read the artists who are busy being self-absorbed - and comment on it now and then.
And it was William Shakespeare, in King Lear - a fellow who may or may not have been self-absorbed (Billy boy, not Lear!)
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Ah, looks like you found it first. Before reading through your post I Googled the quote and was prepared to impress you. Act III, Scene II.
King Lear is one of my favorite plays of all time. I watched the Ian Holm version (BBC) and absolutely cried.
It was windy here too, yesterday. We had pretty nice weather all week but then got dumped on yesterday in a storm that lasted through the afternoon--but by the evening everything had settled. I think it was nice for Phil & Lynnette to come home to a winter wonderland! Today snow is still covering everything but the sun is out and the sky is beautiful. Some days I really love living in Utah!
barbara-
i once thought that the added inspiration that comes from trying to perfect oneself could make up for the fact that total immersion in the art form is impossible if one is responsible in other areas of life. i'm not so sure now.
the great architects seem to be just that, and not much else. lots of abandoning of families, wife swapping and the like.
did you ever see "my architect"? bonny and i left that pretty depressed; another great tyrannical architect.
anyway, don't want to dwell on this too much. i try not too in my day to day life, but i am confronted with it at least monthly as the shelter magazines are arrive at the house.
you have a point, and are likely correct, but we'll keep trying to do it all nonetheless.
before i stop typing, another aspect to this is the command to develop our talents. i remember hearing (from the always quoted anonymous general authority) that our responsibility in this life was as follows-
1.our own salvation
2.that of our family
3.our talents
4.our calling/duty in the church
i have my doubts, as if we miss church, or even a church assignment, because we are out developing our talents, it doesn't seem all that Christlike, just kind of irresponsible.
anyway.
I thought of one talk by President Kimball entitled "The Gospel Vision of the Arts." They have you read talks like that in TMA classes out of fear that one may become like Neil LaBute (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_LaBute)... I think they're good talks though, and I know a lot of people that struggle with trying to be a good artist as well as remaining in good standing with the church... I don't know, it's more complicated than that, but it is an oft-visited topic of discussion.
It's probably a simplification, but it is emblematic of my life at the present. My calling is pretty all-consuming. It is rewarding - I don't regret the things I do - but if I focus on another area of my life - the example that comes to mind is our recent Christmas celebrations - my calling in Relief Society doesn't get much attention. And I suppose that is not bad - maybe that is how you are supposed to do it - "balance" doesn't seem to happen any other way for me. I seem to be someone who focuses on one thing at a time.
So why do I ALWAYS feel like I'm doing 20 things at once?!
It is interesting to me that I often like someones "art" (acting, music, writing, etc.) but when I learn about their life I'm not very impressed. It does make me think about priorities and talents.
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