For the finer things in life
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For the finer things in life Posted on May 4 2006 at 4:47pm by It's hard for us to admit, but there's more to life than film and television. Music, books, painting... whatever your artistic interests, talk about them here. 
Re: For the finer things in life Posted on May 22 2006 at 7:37pm by Ok, here are two outstanding books I've just discovered, both probably out of print but available thru the net: TAKE ME WITH YOU by Brad Newsham, and SOMEBODY ELSE'S CHILDREN by John Hubner. Trust me, these books could change your life.
RE: For the finer things in life Posted on Nov 9 2006 at 9:41pm by administrator wrote:
(May 04 2006 @ 04:47pm)
It's hard for us to admit, but there's more to life than film and television. Music, books, painting... whatever your artistic interests, talk about them here.
I have acquired an interest in writing during the past decade. My first college degree was not in literature though. Now I wish that it had been in that area or in art. I have received compliments on my artistic and crafty pursuits which have centered around pastel portraits, decorating, floral arrangments, placement of quilt colors, painting gourds, even the choice of clothing to accenuate the positive in myself and others. I've done a lot of high brow art and some low brow art too like painting and sculpting porcelain dolls that were made from molds. I have done some good watercolors and some terrible watercolors. I took a pottery -wheel throwing (jeepers is that the term?) class too.
Mainly, I'm the cheerleader, bottle washer and chauffeur for my family so I'm not too focused on one thing. I took a sculpting class at the University of .... for credit once. I've also gone to a lot of writing workshops conducted by professionals in my town. I was in a writers group where I got some good tips. I was definitely the amateur but the folks were nice to me. One lady had been the press agent(I've forgotten the exact term she used--she handled the press releases)for a well know Hollywood director's children. I'm very far away from California. I never did ask her how she arrived in this southern city. She was one of the nicest people in the group to me. I think that her values were very different from mine but I appreciated her.
I nose around this site and the Sundance Film Festival site ocassionally because I am interested in writing and because I am a bit in awe of the place. The place is far above my training and experience for sure. It would be fun to be an invisible being while observing a screenwriting workshop though or even a conductors workshop. I have bought some screen writing reference books and spent time reading them. I've written a few short stories too. I don't think that I will set the world on fire but it is an interest that maybe I can polish a bit more when my last child is in college. I'm not going to make any money at it but I will have fun because I do enjoy it.
I would love to get an option though. ---Wink----Everyone can dream. They would be dead if they didn't.
My husband tells me that I am in my element when I am doing artistic things.
I have Robert McKee's book "Story". It is one big chunk of intellectual material in my opinion. I am still checking out the films that he mentions in his book and on his website. I'm still not through all of his chapters either. I have to reread some of the paragraphs because the terminology is new and different to me.
I love to sing and have taken voice lessons. I have done a few solos and I have sung in some award winning church choirs. That was a passion that has subsided because of my kids activities and a lack of access to a good choir right now. I don't know if there are any particularly religious people on this site but if there are those folks here they will probably agree that it is getting increasingly difficult to find a church choir that sings well as well as selecting inspiring music. Some of the song choices can be horrible in some churches. Our church is large and the choir director slaps it together. The lack of refinement shows. The educated congregation doesn't have a clue for the most part. Once upon a time I was in a choir with a director who had connections and employment with a well know orchestra that still has recordings in national music stores. The man left to go elsewhere. He had a fantastic choir then. The church I belong to now doesn't have a choir that measures up and I don't have time anyway.
The music of Broklyn Tabernacle Choir is inspiring and interesting to me. Their story is phenominal also if one reads about the female director and her husband also who is the pastor of that church. Many drug addicts and some prostitutes also I think changed their lives by their participation in that choir. They both have wonderful stories that should be interesting to even non Christians. Her husband has several good books out in Christian book stores for sure. The one that I have read is called "Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire". It isn't a staid boring book. I recommend it. His last name is Cymbala or something like that.
I also love the music of the St Olaf College Choir from Minnesota. Their director at the time that I saw him was Anton Armstrong. I have several of their recordings. I like choir music that is closer to the classical end of the spectrum rather than the "Me, My and I" christian contempory songs that are so prevalent now at the other end of the spectrum.
I have hopes of taking a class to learn more about doing inlay and basketry on gourds. There are many gorgeous gourds in the United States and the world. I have visited a gourd museum close to Helen Georgia. The gourds and their many uses are fascinating. There are several talented gourd artists who have exhibits in juried art shows.
Sheesh, this is a run on post with too much about me. It isn't sophisticated at all. Hey if I ever get my act together maybe I will submit a screenplay to the contest that Sundance sponsers. Wink Wink. Thanks for letting me make my amateur post. Perhaps tomorrow I will be in a sophisticated mood. (Wink, Smile)
RE: For the finer things in life - Creativity means freedom Posted on May 13 2007 at 12:02pm by I find I am happier if I can do at least one creative, artistic thing each day - something I don't have to do but do just for the joy of it - This can be: taking some photographs and saving them on my computer; playing and recording on my viola, the piano or quinton (I am a professional musician and you would be surprised how hard it is to find time to let loose and play an instrument, rather than practice music you need to learn); creating some digital art with a computer paint program and printing out the result - I even used to make earrings occasionally but working with jewelry was too hard on my carpal tunnel prone hands -
In general I am an A type person - working almost all the time and multi-tasking, jumping from working on one project to covering needed work for another - this happens all day most days - dealing with the requirements of our projects is a way of life. My husband and I also live with and care for my 102 year old blind grandmother, so we have set up our offices in the main living area of our house so we can always be near her during the day. I have an exercycle set up at my computer (doesn't power it yet, but that will come when I have time to set that up).
Within this confining lifestyle we are learning and adapting so that we can still feel free and creative. That is why my daily creative bursts are so important to me. Also my mornings - like this morning - I take the morning time, while the house is quiet and before my grandmother gets up, to do just what I'm doing now - explore the world through the internet.
I would love to hear on this post what others have discovered about being creative like this.
