We all know the song well. But when have you seen it sung in quite this manner? Life imitating art as singers mimic the movements of anime characters. And it’s truly awesome because of the guys’ incredible facial expressions that clearly outdo the cutsie anime girls. So, start your week on this much needed light note. And remember that art is influenced by life and vice versa. Art in all of its forms is integral to our life. Doesn’t this make you want to make something unique yourself? š
I love spoken word poetry, but it’s been a while since I’ve heard it. Well, Shane Koyvzan prepares a powerful TED Talk on the topic of bullying. I found Shane when I fell in love with the talent of Sarah Kay. I’ve covered him on this blog before with his spoken poem, This Is My Voice. This time his spoken word is one that will touch us all, especially if you’ve ever been on the receiving end of bullying and survived it. Ā This talk will bring you to tears. You feel all of our pain in his words. You remember the need to crumble into ourselves in order to escape the horror of the moment. You hate not fitting in. But you survive simply because you have to. But people like Shane make it so much easier to find others who have been victimized by this intolerable act that few stand up to.
Here’s the part that resounded the most with me:
but I want to tell them that all of this shit is just debris leftover when we finally decide to smash all the things we thought we used to be and if you canāt see anything beautiful about yourself get a better mirror look a little closer stare a little longer because thereās something inside you that made you keep trying despite everyone who told you to quit you built a cast around your broken heart and signed it yourself you signed it āthey were wrongā
If you’ve heard the brilliance created by Eric Whitacre, then you also know about his beautiful wife, Hila Plitmann, who accompanies him on many of his musical creations. After listening to this gorgeous creation, Five Hebrew Love Songs, one can only imagine how full of song their home life must be. It’s easy to see how much they love what they do, as you see the looks of joy when they perform. This is what it looks like to fall in love with your calling. And when you find another to share the dream, then you’re a pair like no other.
And we’re so lucky to be able to share in their joy. May they always be blessed with a creativity that inspires the best in all of us. We really are lucky to be the recipients of such beauty.
You’ve heard me gush about Eric Whitacre’s genius using the Web as a musical medium. Well, this time he took TED Talks by storm with a rendition of Cloudburst which incorporated real-time singers with a virtual choir. Every one of his musical creations has brought chills down our spines as we listen to the purity of these brilliant singers. The fact that he can take such beauty and meld it with technology proves that innovation knows no bounds when there are few restrictions. Listen and tremble at the beauty of a divine melody – all thanks to this amazing TED presentation. And thanks as always to the inspiration that Eric shares with us all. This is what true creativity brings to life when its married with passion.
Of course, I jumped on board of his newest Kickstarter Virtual Choir, as did so many others, helping Virtual Choir 4 successfully reach its goal with Bliss. Can’t wait to hear it come to life!
If you’re deliberating on what you should be doing to make life better, then you might want to watch some of the movies that cover real life events. If you want to find out just how you would react in an intolerable situation, then watch this movie. I stumbled across it by accident when it was brought up in a forum, and was curious to see just what would make so many people exclaim over the brilliance of it. How did I not see this when it came out???
The Whistleblower is a movie about the aftermath of the Bosnian war, and deals with corruption going up to the highest levels of society with human trafficking as the crime. I honestly think that this is the most powerful acting by Rachel Weisz and a stellar cast on a topic that will literally rip your soul out.
When you spend your life wondering if you’ll ever do what you feel you’re meant to do, sometimes it takes a swift kick like this to awake you to your calling. I’ve spoken of other movies and shows (here, here, and here) on this blog that have created similar quakes within me. But every once in a while, the fire within burns out of control and lights the way to the path you’re seeking. This movie shows the true importance that small segments of our population play in shining the harsh light of day upon the bad actors that cause harm to humanity.
Whistleblowing is taking an incredible hit at the moment as institutional power fights for keeping its own way of life intact. But when that life derails a fair society, then perhaps it’s way past time to build a better way of life. The level of courage that this act requires is only held by very few people who understand the delicate interlinking that makes up life, and how one bad link can threaten it all.
What makes up the important things in life differs for each and every one of us. But we also understand that there are certain things which aren’t negotiable. What is your non-negotiable line in the sand that you’ll protect at all costs? A movie like this will shine a light on that which you hold dear.
But beware that you’ll need a strong stomach to see this incredibly important movie on the crimes brought about by war, greed, and desperation. I’m still shaking and probably won’t be able to un-see many of the scenes when I close my eyes. That we actually have to deal with such atrocities is the true crime of humanity. If you want to know more about such acts of courage, then read the latest from Matt Taibbi and Glenn Greenwald. The fact that we live in scary times only means that more of us need to step up to the plate and fight for justice when injustice prevails.
Why does disappointment hurt so much? How do you move past it when trust is shattered? Especially when trust is such a necessary commodity for business?
It’s been a while since I did one of these talks, but it’s necessary because theseĀ dispiritingĀ things keep happening and the instigators don’t get the dangers caused by their own destructive actions. Whether it’s short changing a person during a financial transaction like misleading product sizes compared to an advertisement, or creating a highly stressful work environment, it has a detrimental impact on more than one person. Just like the circle of life, our actions have a rippling effect on the world around us.
Let’s put it another way. Do you like it when other people do these actions to you? Or does it cause a growing rage on the inside about this out-of-control world that we live in? I don’t know about you, but as much as I like chaos for its potentially positive impacts on creativity, I’m not exactly condoning that type of destructive chaos that comes from selfishness. And that’s what we’ve become because we have unlearned what is truly important in life. We become what we endure. And lately, that isn’t a good thing.
Have you noticed that you’re acting in ways that you hate? All because the stress of being short changed in our daily lives is directly impacting the way we interact with one another. Lately, my pet peeve has been our freeways. The number of commercial trucks are increasing on a daily basis and taking over the ever-decreasing spaces on roadways. And then there are the slower drivers who all spread across the freeway with little thought to the frustrations they cause from those who don’t live life at a slower pace. Face it, some of us move fast in many aspects of our lives, simply because we’ve been forced to with schedules that never let up. So we need to cut one another some slack and realize that our actions impact those around us in an always-growing ripple.
Take a deep breath and really look around to see if you can change your behavior to make your and someone else’s life a little easier. I’m trying to change my ways on a daily basis. The world doesn’t need any more short changing. We’re already starving right down to our very souls because of selfish individualism. Being your own unique individual is never a bad thing, but it should be tempered with doses of thoughtfulness.
Here are a few thoughts:
Watch a recipient’s behavior when you do an action – positive or negative. Then tailor your actions to improving an already stressful world.
The only motto I’ve ever taken to heart from religion – Do unto others as you would have done to you. It’s self explanatory.
Learn from the negatives of our past when we don’t let go of the bad. We seem to be drowning in this brain-washing that the past was the best. It’s a learning experience, so learn from it and move forward.
The differences in each and every one of us is what makes this world full of beautiful vibrancy. We resonate on such a pure level when we feel the right note in a song, a story, or an image.
If you see intolerance, stop it. This world is too small for such petty destructive behaviors and thoughts. What’s the sense of having history if we don’t try to change for the better?
Seek to support those things that fill your creative well. Creativity is very necessary in life. Mother Nature proves it to us in the most unsuspecting of places.
Join up with others who also want positive change to move us all forward. Whether it’s today or tomorrow, just the fact that you’re doing something adds to all those other positive changes that are trying to take root. Trust me, this world needs all of us.
It’s been a week of introspection for me because of the change that is about to happen, as well as the things that just seem to want to stay the same. And it all came to shape a realization that is finally being allowed to come to life…slowly but surely.Ā Piccsy always seems to have great thoughts brought to life by inquisitive minds who love to create. And somehow, this one moment appeared at just the right time as a reminder of what’s important, and becoming more so each day.
Finding things of value is difficult because we concentrate on the wrong “things”, instead of the right moments. Sometimes, it takes a whole lot of wrong moments to shine a light on the right moments. Sometimes, it happens because of a conversation or two. And sometimes, a simple image awakens a new reality. Whatever it takes.
I found Metric just last year (how did I not know about them until now???) and have so fallen in love with this song, Blindness. If you’re feeling trapped in life, then this song is a perfect anthem for your circumstances. Listen and see.
What it is and where it stops nobody knows You gave me a life I never chose I wanna leave but the world won’t let me go
The album Fantasies is beyond brilliant, and this Canadian indie band turns melodies into dreams with lyrics that really hit home. Whether it’s the rhythmic pounding of Gold Guns Girls or the sliding honesty of Satellite Mind, Emily and the band really can rock. What a difference a song makes.
p.s. Go listen to Youth Without Youth from their new album Synthetica! AMAZING!!!
Living a reactive life is not conducive for good health. A lot of us are finding this out the hard way. Once, I had taken a step off the beaten path in order to build my own dreams. But somewhere during that process, I was forced back onto the path well traveled. And I feel like I’ve been paying the price since. Aches that had once only existed internally are now manifesting externally. Warning signs abound, all saying that this reactionary life I lead is taking me over the falls. I wonder just how many people feel the same way? Numerous, I would think, in today’s stressfully broken world.
So, what does one do when they lives take over what little free time we have available to us. My answer is to grasp the dreams even tighter and force more free time in order to turn them into reality. We only have one life with one body. And we are reminded on a daily basis that our lives are rare and precious, so we can’t afford to waste them as we do.
Possibilities are something that we need to embrace with our very souls. Because only then will we be able to reach for the stars, instead of a pail to put out an unnecessary fire.
Our censorship fight with the US Congress is far from over, as they continue to attempt to break the Internet with legislations driven by crony capitalism in the US and abroad. Though SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect IP Act) have been pulled back for now, more continue to follow them. Now, we have to contend with ACTA(more) and TPP(2), which are international attempts to censor and control the Internet for the sake of commerce. And if that's not enough, now there's CISPA (more).
Go to EFF.org to keep up with the legal news that impacts our world and its technology. The greed won't stop, so we have to stay vigilant as well. Especially now that lobbyists are admitting out loud that they expect to be rewarded for their "contributions": Read it on TorrentFreak
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I want to thank all of my visitors who are taking the time to leave such inspiring and thoughtful comments. I'm glad that I'm able to connect with so many of you through my writing. This blog is all about things that drive my creative inspirations, and all of you are part of that inspiration. So, thanks for your support. I look forward to getting to know you better throughout this creative journey.
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