An Artist's Mind

Artists minds intrigue me. They set the bar for thinking outside the box. Somehow they tend to see the world in a way that the rest of the population doesn't and then they create something magical for the rest of us to engage with. I've always wondered why that is, why a certain person is able to express a vision of reality so far from what I tend to live in. One day, I was listening to NPR and they were talking about a piano composer who has a rare condition called synesthesia. With this neurological 'condition' her brain actually associates each note with a hue of color. She not only hears notes, she hears colors. She's not making up colors to go with her music, she's not putting something on to be more than she is, it's just how her mind works. And I finally got it. Not to say that all artists have neurological conditions, but it finally dawned on me that each artist who is creating something boundless and beyond reality, really does see the world with an amazing twist. They aren't trying to come up with something artistic, or even edgy, they are simply putting substance to what is in their mind. Life may be full of sound, or light, they may see more colors, or feel more textures. Whatever it is that inspires them, they create a world for the rest of us to ponder, where we can begin to see our world in a new way too. That expression is bold. It suddenly isn't just a painting, or a song, it is instead the laying bare of a person's soul to show us something new.

I heard a few new songs this week, some Christmas songs from an inspiring musician. He released 3 songs online, none of them like any Christmas music I have heard as of yet. Instead of the bright, flourescent music reminiscent of department store shopping, his songs wore a fleshier note, a little less flashy and a bit more like what I imagine the birth of a baby in a barn to be like, and not just any baby, but one who holds the realms of humanity and spirituality in his soul. Mysterious, insightful, and thoughtful the songs drew me into a different place. A new, slower paced season full of love for each other. Less Santa Claus, more coming in from the snow for some hot cocoa. You can check it out yourself at aaronstrumpel.com.

And so, now inspired, I am setting out to find more artwork, music, new places that bring me beyond my reality and into a new one. Ways to see the soul of humanity, the realms of divinity, and the realities of other minds laid out for all to peruse. If you find someone who has inspired you, please let me know so I can check them out too.