Art is just as much about input as output

Just read, The Covenant, by Naomi Ragen. Picked it up as I was looking for compelling covers (research) and then happened on it in the airport. I LOVE it. For a book to be good for me it MUST be written well. I am an auditory learner, so it has to sound real, authentic and almost musical for me to pull through it. I don’t have the luxury of being a very fast reader UNLESS the writer can capture these qualities.
Another great quality I love in literature is when the narrative teaches you history, or facts without you really knowing your learning. A great narrative teaches you while your lulled into the story and your don’t realize how much info your absorbing, one of the reason’s I LOVE using stories to teach. So much of the Bible capitalizes on this quality, there’s something very primitive about a good story that allows us to open up to facts or truths we may have no interest in on their own but we get caught up in the story of it all.
Anyway, I digress, Naomi Ragen captures SO much modern politics and history in her narrative it’s incredible. The heart of the story lies in Jerusalem and the current Palestinian, Jewish conflict but the character development humanizes every angle of the story, creating a page-turner that captures the heat of the moment and somehow balances itself, walking in the shoes of everyone involved. Oh, and I love the Yiddish grandmother’s that add so much color. If you have ever had a Jewish woman in your life (I do but quite by accident) then you’ll love this. The book also covers multiple bias that impact the Middle-East, bias of the press, historic bias, and many aspects of terrorism that have engulfed life as we know it. A great book-club read.

Just watched, Proof, with Anthony Hopkins and Gwenth Paltrow. What an amazing piece by Gwenth, she actually looks homely in this but you really feel for her. She starred in the play not too long ago in London and it shows. She’s had the time to hone the scene’s and become the character, its also fun to listen to a majority of the dialogue that was written for the stage. It’s tight, and bounces though the air so you can almost hear the space in the theatre, an amazing feet for cinema. Not the most compelling life drama but great if you want a thinker, or if the artist in you wants to get involved and critic some great performances.

Just watched, In Her Shoes, Cameron Diaz and a wonderful cast of others. Loved the book, but they are very long (all of Jennifer Weiner’s characters go through real life transformations that almost feel like real time) so it was fun to see them souped up for film. It was expertly cast and it feels like the screen writer shaped the adaptation to fit the women who would be playing the role. Good chick flick but especially good for sisters. My favorite Jennifer Weiner book is still Good in Bed if your shy like me you may want to cover the title when reading in public. The title comes from a magazine article the main character’s ex-boyfriend writes entitled “Loving a Large Women” forcing the character to come face to face with her life, size and sexuality, I think it captures what so many of us feel no matter what size you are.

Still reading, The Artist Way, Juilia Cameron A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity. Amazing to me how so much of the creative process is spiritual, and yet this is not necessarily a Christian book. In fact I doubt many of us Christians think about our creativity in ways that are God glorifying, or that we should. In her text her “Creative Affirmations” hit me because they were all about my God and yet I don’t think I have ever heard these at church.

I am a channel for God’s creativity, and my work comes to good.
My reams come from God and God has the power to accomplish them.
As I create I listen, I will be led.
Creativity is the creator’s will for me.
My creativity heals myself and others.
I am allowed to nurture my artist.
Through the use of a few simple tools, my creativity will flourish.
Through the use of my creativity, I serve God.
My creativity leads me to truth and love.
My creativity leads me to forgiveness and self-forgiveness.
There is a divine plan of goodness for me.
There is a divine plan of goodness for my work.
As I listen to my creativity I am lead to my creator.
I am willing to let God create through me.I am willing to learn and let myself create.

More to come on the Artist Way process.