blind freefall
Who wants to read about dogs? I don't want to read about dogs. I thought to myself this morning as I began thinking about writing about dogs. I was reminded of something my friend Brian Heasley posted on his blog recently (see link on my blog) about Yitzhak Perlman, the great violinist. At the beginning of a performance in New York, 4 of his strings snapped and he began to play what everyone knew would be impossible, re-composing as he went along, using the 3 strings he had left. He labored intensely, passionately, as he did this and when finished, listened to great cheering and screaming applause. He then said in a pensive, reverent tone: "You know, sometimes it is the artist's task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left."
The task before us as artists, whether our instruments are musical, pen and paper, or paint and canvas, is to bring to life what you have to bring to life. The words, thoughts, notes tumble out of us, as we strive to create, all the while we are hoping someone else is getting this besides ourselves. We just have to get it out.
And sometimes when we don't know what to do and we feel there's nothing left for us to do, we have the freedom of choice. We can stall out, lay down our gift. Or we can tap into the power of the Heart who knows our heart better than we do and what's in it. Sometimes that's a blind freefall that brings forth an uncomparable beauty when we reach ground.
When we compare ourselves to other artists, the gift grows weak. When we draw from the One who individually inspires, who breathed this earth into existence, we grow strong. There is glory still waiting to be found, to be expressed.
For You I sing I dance
Rejoice in this divine romance
Lift my heart and my hands
To show my love, to show my love
A deep deep flood, an Ocean flows from You
Of deep deep love, yeah it’s filling up the room
Your innocent blood, has washed my guilty life
In Your presence God I’m completely satisfied
(lyrics taken from Divine Romance, Phil Wickham)
The task before us as artists, whether our instruments are musical, pen and paper, or paint and canvas, is to bring to life what you have to bring to life. The words, thoughts, notes tumble out of us, as we strive to create, all the while we are hoping someone else is getting this besides ourselves. We just have to get it out.
And sometimes when we don't know what to do and we feel there's nothing left for us to do, we have the freedom of choice. We can stall out, lay down our gift. Or we can tap into the power of the Heart who knows our heart better than we do and what's in it. Sometimes that's a blind freefall that brings forth an uncomparable beauty when we reach ground.
When we compare ourselves to other artists, the gift grows weak. When we draw from the One who individually inspires, who breathed this earth into existence, we grow strong. There is glory still waiting to be found, to be expressed.
For You I sing I dance
Rejoice in this divine romance
Lift my heart and my hands
To show my love, to show my love
A deep deep flood, an Ocean flows from You
Of deep deep love, yeah it’s filling up the room
Your innocent blood, has washed my guilty life
In Your presence God I’m completely satisfied
(lyrics taken from Divine Romance, Phil Wickham)