  Spiritual
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The appreciation of art has been with us for as long as we've existed. From the earliest days of humankind to our busy modern-day lives, art has been special to our species.
This week's Spiritual Newsletter has a look at a few different artforms, their similarities and why they hold that certain place in our hearts.
kittiara |
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We often think of the arts as entertainment. We go to see our favourite band to have a fun night out, or take a book with us to pass the time on a lengthy plane journey. It’s not only entertainment, it’s also a convenience, and it’s difficult to imagine a world without music, or paintings, or stories.
The arts have been with us throughout the history of our species. From the days when we inhabited caves, humans have expressed themselves by drawing the world around them, decorating their tools, and it is believed that music, dance and storytelling were an important part of our culture even then. This will partly have been a means of survival – sharing what animals have been spotted in the area and sharing news, knowledge and experiences with other members of the group – but another part of it will have been something different. After all, tools don’t need to be decorated to be functional. I think part of it is that we like to express ourselves, we like to gather and have fun, we like to sing and dance… it helps us bond and gives us a means to let go of the stresses of daily life.
The arts touch us on an emotional level. Music, for example, can enhance our mood and even alter it. Upbeat music on our way to work can energize us for the day ahead. Soothing music can help us unwind. It may be a girly thing, but I am certain that I am not the only person who’s played tragic love songs to help myself nurse a broken heart – it may sound counterproductive, but I found that it gave me a measure of release from all the emotions I was feeling at the time. It helped me get it all out and after wailing along for a while, I felt better equipped to cope. In a similar way I pick up a Terry Pratchett novel when I need a smile, or I’ll look up photographs of nature when I want to be reminded of the beauty of the world, rather than all the negativity that frequents the news.
If you are reading this newsletter, you’re probably a creator of art. Some of you won’t think of yourselves in that way. I know I don’t. I don’t think of my silly little poems and stories as art, but then again, the arts at their level of creation are not that dissimilar…
Music and writing have a lot in common. Every note counts, just like every word counts. The start of a song needs to capture the attention of the listener as much as the opening paragraphs of a story need to capture the imagination of the reader. The build-up, the pace, the flow, all these aspects matter in both art forms.
If we look at your regular modern band – drums, bass, keyboard, guitar and vocalist – the instruments are similar to the building blocks of a story. The drums and bass guitar determine the basic feel of the piece. They create the structure to build upon. The guitar brings a touch of emotion – it can reflect anger or sadness, passion and tenderness. The vocals reflect the story of our main characters as well as the voice of the author, the personality that always shines through in every piece of art. The keyboard is quite versatile, and whilst it can be part of the fundamentals, it can also step forward and add those extra touches to the creation to make it special and make it stand out from the rest.
This, then, is not dissimilar to a painting, where every brush stroke counts. And like with the drums and bass guitar, the first layers create that structure and depth and the outlines to build upon. Like the vocals tend to be at the front of a song, and the guitar and keyboard tend to be placed to the sides, a painting will have colours and shapes that draw the eye to them and help the person viewing it appreciate the piece from different angles.
Even the finishing touches to a piece of music and a piece of writing have their similarities. A producer will go through each different part of the track to work on the individual sounds, fine-tuning them and making sure the parts will fit in with the overall structure of the song. It’s comparable with going through each chapter of a novel, making sure that chapter works and also that it works with all the other chapters. The mastering process is not unlike the final edit. Once the production is done, the mastering process involves looking at the song as a whole and ensuring the overall quality of the sound, just like the editor will look at the novel as a whole and give it those final tweaks.
If you are a writer, you are an artist. It doesn’t matter if you write comedy or horror, poetry or full-length novels. Someone, somewhere, will be touched by your words. You might make someone smile, or laugh, or shed a tear in sympathy with your emotions or those of your characters. You are part of something that’s been with our species for as long as we have existed – something important and I dare say something we can’t do without. I’d say that’s quite special  .
kittiara
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A girl finds true happiness in a song. Based on a true story.
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The Spiritual Newsletter Team welcomes any and all questions, suggestions, thoughts and feedback, so please don't hesitate to write in!
Brenpoet  - Thank you so much for featuring my poem
Brenda
You're very welcome! It's a wonderful poem. I am even including the link again in this section of this newsletter to give people another opportunity to have a look at it. Thanks very much for sharing!
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bronxbishop - Kittiara, Great newsletter. The moment I finished reading it the first time, I got up, put on my boots and walked to a nearby park.I won't bore you with the details but the police said if they recover my wallet they will notify me and send me my I.D. Well, I gotta go cancel my credit cards and take a shower to try and wipe the memory of the gun wielding maniac who mugged me and now knows my address from my memory. I guess I shouldn't act on my nature impulses at 4 in the morning, huh? (just kidding. Great newsletter!)
-  Thanks for the wonderful comment. You made me laugh out loud. The people around me will probably think I've lost it, whatever "it" is. 
~~~
Incurable Romantic - Kitti, I loved your newsletter on your sister's visit. And your last paragraph sums it up nicely - put on your walking boots and find some greenery. And you are also write about that very thing possibly expanding a person's writing inspirations. I can see that happening quite easily. Another great read. Thanks, Kitti!
Thanks so much! You're always so kind and encouraging in your comments. I appreciate it .
~~~
Zeke - Another definition of nature is life. Even the lowly little black beetle carries this pecious gift. Sometimes I like to imagine what that little creature is seeking.
Zeke
Thanks, Zeke. You're so right. I, too, wonder about these things every now and again .
~~~
Wishing you a week filled with inspiration,
The Spiritual Newsletter Team:
Sophurky  , northernwrites, kittiara
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Spiritual: April 28, 2010 Issue [#3699]
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