Last night I saw the play 33 Variations.  It’s a fictional story surrounding the composition of Ludwig von Beethoven’s  thirty-three variations of Anton Diabelli’s waltz.  It was a wonderful play written and directed by Moises Kaufman.  But while some might view the play from the perspective of seeing one of Beethoven’s works come alive, I viewed it as a process of change and living in the present moment.

One the surface, Beethoven began with a simple waltz by Diabelli and transformed it into thirty-three different musical works of art.  During the play, we discovered the process of composing a piece of music, showing through Beethoven’s sketchbooks how he would draft a set of notes in pencil, then pen over a revision until he arrived at the final product.  In addition to depicting the music, Kaufman also portrayed the life of Beethoven as he descended into deafness, the process of a maestro at the height of fame plunging into the depths of illness.  Kaufman blended the past with the present day by including a musicologist sleuth, diagnosed with a debilitating illness, who’s out to discover why Beethoven was so obsessed with these musical variations.

The play made me pause and think about the process of life, how nothing stays the same, how everything changes, yet change happens day by day, moment by moment. 

At the macro level, we are born and grow.  At each stage of our life, the process continues.  We learn.  We work.  We love.  We experience the world around us.  Each year, each week, each day, each breath, is a new beginning.  As we focus more closely on our life, we can examine our career, and home life and see how each successive event in our live transforms us into the person we are today. 

As a writer, I think about the process of writing.  Typing subjects and verbs. Stringing sentences into paragraphs, paragraphs into pages of text until the words are transformed into a story.  As a stained glass artist, I think about the process of creating a work of art.  Designing a window, cutting the glass, leading and soldering and mudding until what was once small plates of glass and strips of lead have been transformed into a piece of art.

Everything is a process.  And every process begins and ends in the present moment.  

Posted: April 27th, 2008 under Stained Glass, present moment, writing.
Comments: 4

What is Creativity?

Julie Cameron in The Artist’s Way says that “Creativity is a spiritual experience.”

I’ve heard writers say, “When I’m in the zone, the prose flow from somewhere deep within me.”

I’m in the process of rereading Eckhart Tolle’s book The Power of Now.  On pp. 19-20, he writes, “All true artists, whether they know it or not, create from a place of no-mind, from inner stillness.  The mind then gives form to the creative impulse or insight.”

I had to pause after reading that statement and really think about what it says.  I’ve been writing for many years and more recently I’ve channeled my creative energy into my stained glass art.  I definitely agree with all these quotes.  There is someplace beyond my mind, beyond my thoughts, where ideas form and I give birth to them either on the page or in my stained glass.

So the question for you is this.  How do you define creativity?

Posted: April 11th, 2008 under Stained Glass, mindfulness, present moment, writing.
Comments: 4

I took some time this morning to catch up on all my magazine reading.  The stack has been piling up since the first of the year.  Seeing the stack was a reminder that I haven’t been taking enough “me” time. 

As I breezed through the February issue of Yoga Journal, I came across an article “Create a Life You Love” by Nora Isaacs.  The article suggests ten ideas to help you reconnect with what truly makes you happy.  Among them she suggests: get energized about your future, plug into your spiritual self, let go of the old, serve others, honor your physical self, be daring, soothe your mind, notice your surroundings, create community, and  make a date with nature.

Ah.  For me, that pretty much sums up the changes that I’ve tried to make in my life over the last two years.  Let me tell you, changing your lifestyle isn’t for wimps.  One of the hardest changes for me was letting go of the old.  How often do we stay stuck in a job we don’t like, justifying our misery with one excuse after another?  Maybe we stay in a bad relationship because we’re too afraid to be alone?  Or maybe it’s just too hard to let go of bad habits: eating fattening foods, drinking alcohol, smoking, ignoring our body’s need for exercise.  I’m grateful that I didn’t have to deal with all the things I’d mentioned, but believe me, I had plenty on my plate.

Focusing on some of the other ideas the author mentioned in the article, like looking at my spiritual self, serving others, soothing my mind, being more aware of my surroundings, creating new communities of friends, and taking the time to be in nature have helped me refocus on who I truly am, and how I want to live my life.

How’s life treating you these days?  Are you happy?

Maybe it’s time to come up with a list of things we do each day to make us feel happy and more alive, then strive to do more of those things each day.  I’ll start with a few of my favorites: watch the sun rise, be aware of my breath through daily breathing exercises, be grateful, get a massage once a month, exercise, practice yoga, meditate, smile, create stained glass, write, tell my family and friends how much I love them.

What’s on your list?

Posted: March 7th, 2008 under Stained Glass, exercise, healthy eating, meditation, mindfulness, writing, yoga.
Comments: 5

Did you ever think of your life as a Story? A story with a beginning, middle, and end. We have goals, motivation, and conflict in our lives. Our story begins when we are born. Then, it’s a rollercoaster ride to the end.

I’ve recently been studying the structure of a story by reading “The Comic Toolbox” by John Vorhaus. I’m picking up the proverbial pen – again – and starting a new novel. So I’m looking at the core of what makes a story interesting. I like the simple way that John describes a story.

“The door open. The hero takes control. A monkey wrench is thrown in. Things fall apart. The hero hits bottom. The hero risks all. The hero gets something in the end.”

When we think about our lives, we can see a series of stories. Some more dramatic than others, but a story nonetheless. Every incident in our lives, like a heart attack, is a story. Our journey through heart disease is a story. Our childhood, teen years, aging – they are all stories.

Something happens in our lives. We take control of the situation as best we can. Something else comes along to upset the status quo. Things go from bad to worse. We seem to sink to the bottom of the deep blue ocean, drowning in our own misery. Then, we encounter our spirit and fight to get our lives back on track. The story can end badly or have a happy ending.

The one thing I like best about a story, no matter if it’s fiction or non-fiction, is that I can influence the ending to my own story. The choice is mine. I can wallow in my sorrows and complain about all the misery around me or I can look at the good and positive aspects of my life and be grateful. The choice is mine. Personally, I’ve always been partial to a happy ending.

Enjoy your day.

Sandy

Posted: January 17th, 2008 under writing.
Comments: 2