I was browsing the web earlier this morning and came across many works of art, music and poetry that inspired me and gave me a good feeling about my fellow beings on this short journey we are all on. What inspires you or moves you and makes you feel good about life and the world we live in? Music is and always has been a huge feature of inspiration in my life, so I will start with a couple of compositions by Lisa Gerrard who I came across some years ago, I love her music and downloaded her entire collection which I am still working through Lisa's songs are often wordless in the true sense, her voice becomes an instrument. The End Come Tenderness
I have 4 grown children and I love them equally. They're all special in their own way. But there is one who inspires me to always be kind and look for the best in everyone. From birth, Jennifer has always been the peacemaker in the family. I asked her, "how do you do that?" She recently reminded me, when she was very little I told she was the peacemaker of the family (I remember that). She said she thought that was so beautiful that she always wanted to live up to that. And she sure has…but it comes naturally to her. It's not so much that she tries to fix everyone's issues but more so that she just doesn't enter into any conflicts and never takes sides of other's conflicts. Her peace mission, which comes naturally, is just to love everybody, look for the best in them at all times, be positive at all times, lift them up, forgive easily, and help them love themselves. She's the sweetest person I know….a true example of unconditional love.
Yes Lara your Jennifer sounds like a real treasure, and good to be around. My eldest daughter Caroline inspires me with her whole way of being in life, the way she handled the death of her first child and her non judgemental attitude to everyone around her.
I'm inspired by all sorts of things...art, music, literature, sport, you name it. I get inspired by those touched by genius, but also - maybe even more - by 'ordinary' people doing good things. I'm inspired by the VSO, UN and Peace Corps volunteers I met in Africa, I'm inspired by people that give their time saving wildlife and what remains of our planet and I'm inspired by those people without privilege or wealth that seek a better world or even just seek to better their own minds. I'm inspired by those that challenge prejudice and injustice and those that quite simply care.
One must think like a hero to behave like a merely decent human being. May Sarton Incidentally, Think Like a Hero is also the name of a brilliant album by Ron Kavana.
I'm not really a music lover although I used to be listening to music often when I was still in school. Maybe my professional life had changed my likes and dislikes. What inspires me is a place where there is greenery, peace and quiet, and water maybe like a river or a pond. We travel mostly to other countries but in one of our domestic travels, we went to a hilly place where the view downward is the sea and everywhere is green. It's nice to sit back and relax to enjoy the wind.
From Merriam-Webster, the definition of 'inspire'... : to make (someone) want to do something : to give (someone) an idea about what to do or create : to cause (something) to happen or be created : to cause someone to have (a feeling or emotion) So, what "inspires" me... One of my wife's patients is pastor at a black church in town. A couple years ago, after he kept inviting her to attend, we went one Sunday morning. We've been back a couple more times. When those old church hymns end, you just want the music to continue. Such feeling... Such inspiration. All our kids "inspire" us, each in a different way. Our one daughter, however, exudes the definition of 'inspiration'. She was the one to push every button during high school. In fact, at age 4 she packed her suitcase and was going to run away from home. During high school, it became drugs and alcohol. We would never have bet she'd graduate from high school... and barely did. The pain and heartache that child caused is difficult to even recall. At age 26, she was the youngest vice president of one of the largest insurance brokerages in the U.S. Today, turning 40 this Valentine's Day, she sits in a corner office as Director of Risk Management for a large corporation. She and her husband adopted a sibling set of three beautiful children almost 10 years ago. From the ashes of ruin, an inspiration of what one can accomplish is born. And, after having one of the best golf seasons I can remember, the last two rounds have been so bad I've been "inspired" to sell my clubs and take up checkers or shuffleboard!!!!!
While browsing the web earlier I came across more of the works of the artist "Richard Burlet" I posted one of his pictures on the blue thread, here are some more of his paintings, they have some similarities with Klimt which may account why I am attracted to his work. World famous artist Richard Burlet was born in France in 1957. He is influenced by Austrian symbolist painter Gustav Klimt and Art Nouveau. Richard Burlet received his artistic education, first in Nice, in the School of Fine Arts, and then in 1977 he was admitted to the prestigious Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux Arts in Paris. It is believed that his work is also influenced by the Viennese school of painting. Richard Burlet works in oils, gold and silver leaf. Penetrating eyes of his women represent goddesses in an enchanting and romantic paradise painted in bright colors. The rich palette of colors, mostly red and purple, creates a background contrast for the delicate female portraits. From this point, paintings by Burlet have classic psychedelic nature typical for 1960s art and design. Applied 24-karat gold and silver leafing gives the canvas texture and divine light, that no other color can compete with. The colors in paintings by a unique master intertwine with collage to create both mood and a multidimensional surface.
Excellent!!!! I love the patterns, layers of color, shapes, gold & silver leafing, texture, and interesting expressions. Very inspirational. Thanks for posting this!!
Oh wow…fabulous. All women. I'd like to see him try some other subjects. Simple landscapes maybe. I would say flowers but like Henri Matisse once said, "There is nothing more difficult for a truly creative painter than to paint a rose, because before he can do so he has first to forget all the roses that were ever painted."
While browsing some inspirational art sites, I came across one of my other loves, inspirational music. I love a lot of movie soundtrack compositions because they are written to convey emotions when combined with visuals. Here is a collection of some moving inspiring music tracks.
A movie that particularly inspired me was " Himalaya" which I was lucky enough to catch in 1999 during it's short release. If you ever come across it I would recommend it as a must see movie, the soundtrack music was also very inspiring and beautiful in itself, so I bought the CD when it was released.