Teresa R. Funke's Blog: Bursts of Brilliance for a Creative Life, page 44

Art and the Butterfly Effect

The other day I was reading a book set in World War II America. Prominently shown in the “Recommended Reading” section at the back was my own book, Dancing in Combat Boots. What an unexpected thrill. I showed it to my usually low-key husband, and even he was impressed. A few days later, we were visiting my in-laws in middle-of-nowhere Idaho, and a distant relative said to me, “I saw your name in the acknowledgements of a book I’m reading. The author seemed so grateful for your assistance!” Another unexpected surprise.

As artists we think constantly about our own work, and part of us (even for those who deny it) secretly dreams our creations will be the next big thing. But for most of us, our artist journeys will consist of hard work, long hours, modest livings, and a modicum of recognition or success, and for that we will count ourselves lucky.

We don’t think very often about all the ways our art impacts others. And many of us will never know. If my book inspired another artist to do her best work, how great is that? If my guidance helped another author share his message with the world, how great is that? If someone writes to tell me that my quote in a magazine article gave her the courage to start writing again, how great is that?

I’ve said it before . . . we’ll never know the full impact of our art and that’s okay. If there is such a thing as the “butterfly effect” –and sometimes a small change can make a large difference–it only stands to figure that sometimes we are the butterflies.

The post Art and the Butterfly Effect appeared first on Teresa Funke.

Can Art Ever Offend?

The other day, I had the pleasure of hearing Kevin Kallaugher, the political cartoonist for The Economist magazine. You don’t meet political cartoonists every day—there are actually very few of them—so I was eager to hear what types of questions people would ask during the Q & A.

One gentleman asked “Kal” how he handled taboo subjects in his art, like gun control, abortion, religion, etc. He told us, while it’s tempting at times, he opts not to offend. He said the point of political cartoons is to engage the reader and make them think. If you automatically offend someone, say by drawing a ridiculing picture of a prophet, their anger will keep them from considering your point.

As artists we face this dilemma often. Can we depict a controversial topic in our art, can we show a beloved figure in a less-than-flattering light, can we cross the lines of “decency?” And if we do, will we be admired for our courage or hated for our disrespect? And akin to Kal’s comments, will our decisions prove more distracting than useful? I call that “pulling us out of the story.”

For example, I once saw a production of Les Miserables, my favorite musical. In the number “Master of the House,” which takes place in a bawdy inn, the innkeeper sings as he picks the pockets of guests or sidles away with their belongings. But in this staging, our gaze was drawn to a couple in the background who were supposed to be having sex in an upstairs bedroom. All eyes were on them, hence, most viewers missed the misdeeds of the innkeeper, which was the point of the scene.

Art, like so many things, is subjective. What is offensive to me, may not be to you. What is funny to me, may be distasteful to you. So even if an artist tries to walk the politically correct path, he/she will likely sometimes stumble.

To me, it all comes down to the purpose and intention of the art. If you are purposefully pushing the boundaries in order to challenge or shed new light on them, that is one thing, even if I don’t agree with you. If you are seeking to shock or offend simply to garner attention for yourself or your work, that is another.

And please don’t think we are fool enough not to recognize the difference.

The post Can Art Ever Offend? appeared first on Teresa Funke.

Perfection Revisted

Last month, I mentioned a new playlist on my YouTube channel called “Bursts of Brilliance for a Creative Life.” I’m recording some of my most popular blog posts in video form to hopefully provide a new level of inspiration and give your creativity a boost.

This month, you’ll find a video of my post “Chasing Perfection.”  If you like it, please share it on your social media or send the link to a friend.

Thank you for all your kind comments regarding the first video, “It’s About Time Finding You.” I hope this new one is equally encouraging.

To watch the video, click here.

 

The post Perfection Revisted appeared first on Teresa Funke.

Do You Think Too Much?

Do you remember how, whenever he needed to figure something out, Winnie-the-Pooh would tap his temple and say, “Think, think. Think, think.” Even as a child, I found it interesting that he had to encourage his mind to think. Mine won’t stop thinking. I wish I could tap my temple and say, “Shut up. Shut up.”

More than once, I’ve been accused of “thinking too much” (about work, politics, religion, society, parenting, the arts, etc.). People give me credit for being smarter than I am, because I have crammed so much information into this head of mine. And I haven’t just developed book smarts, I’ve honed some street smarts from years of operating in a challenging field.

I’m constantly studying, learning, analyzing, experimenting, testing, developing, etc. I’m also repeatedly questioning, second-guessing, reviewing, refining, restructuring, and just plain starting over. It can be exhilarating, but also exhausting.

And with all of this thinking and questioning comes decision making. There are days, like today, when I’m sure I can’t possibly make one more decision, large or small.

I often wish there was a way to take a day off from my brain. You know, just shut it down like a computer. But it doesn’t work that way. Thoughts and worries arrive unbidden at all hours of the day and night, kind of like e-mail.

I’m learning, though, to trust my instincts even more. There are days when my thoughts spiral toward a yes for all the logical, practical, realistic reasons, but my gut tells me no. I’m learning to listen more to my gut, if only to give my brain a break.

“Any fool can know,” said Albert Einstein, one of the biggest thinkers of all time. “The point is to understand.” Funny how it has taken overthinking to teach me the value of simply trusting.

The post Do You Think Too Much? appeared first on Teresa Funke.

How to Compliment a Woman

The other day, a friend posted a new video on Facebook in which she and her male colleague were being interviewed about a project they are launching. It’s a brilliant idea, and much needed in her industry.

When I watched the video, though, I couldn’t help but notice how good she looked. She’s been working on her health and well-being lately, and it showed. In the comments section, I wrote “Great job. You look fabulous!” Afterward, I regretted my comment.

See, social media has been flooded lately with videos entreating us not to comment on a woman’s looks, but rather to focus on her intelligence and expertise. We are being lead to believe that noticing a woman’s appearance is akin to dismissing her talents.

I’ve long considered myself a feminist, and I understand the rationale behind these arguments, but I think we may be taking things a bit too far. Our clothes, our hair styles, our jewelry, even our tattoos, are outward expressions of our style. They are part of the “art” of being us, and like all art, when they come together in a flattering manner, it brings pleasure to the viewer, as well as to the artist.

If you think about it one way, women are lucky. If a man had posted that video, I would have said, “Great job. A much-needed service.” He would have gotten one compliment — on his work alone. But my friend got two. Because you see, part of the reason she looked so amazing is because she was radiating confidence and experience and excitement related to how strongly she felt about the work she was doing.

My husband is a sharp dresser. He loves it when someone compliments his maroon oxfords or his brightly colored dress shirts in a meeting, and he never feels those comments dim the quality of his work. So maybe instead of taking something away from women, we should level the playing field by making sure a woman can feel confident that a compliment does not diminish her in the eyes of her peers.

As with everything else, it comes down to respect. If a woman’s accomplishments warrant our respect, she should get it, first and foremost, just as a man would. She should never feel that her appearance would, one way or the other, dictate her success. She should never feel required to “dress the part” in order to succeed.  Neither should she feel the need to apologize for looking good.

The post How to Compliment a Woman appeared first on Teresa Funke.

The Answer is Always Now

Should I start that book I’ve been wanting to write now, or wait till after my sister’s wedding? Should I take that watercolor class now or wait until I have a bit more money? Should I go to that play I’ve been dying to see tonight, or wait to see if I can find someone to go with me?

We ask ourselves these questions all the time, but it’s easy . . . the answer is always now.

If your art is calling to you, it’s doing so for a reason. You are feeling a pull toward something for which your soul is yearning. But our souls are much quieter than our minds. Our minds are loud-mouthed bullies. They are quick to remind us that they are in charge, that they know best. They can beat down our souls anytime they choose. They’ve been building those muscles our entire lives.

But before our minds took over, our souls were stronger. They were our best friends and most trusted advisors. When we were children, we followed the longings of our hearts, not the dictates of our minds. A toddler doesn’t ask if now is the time to stop and blow the seeds off a dandelion, she just does it.

I know what you’re thinking . . . not that old platitude again. Return to the heart of a child. Heard it. But life is more complicated than that.

It certainly is, but rarely as complicated as we make it. Our souls aren’t afraid to venture out on our own, our minds are. Our souls don’t worry about money, our minds do. Our souls don’t ask if something else is more important, that’s our minds talking.

You go for a jog even if you don’t want to. You learn a new skill to push your thinking. You spend a lot of time building the muscles in your mind and body. Why not spend a little time building the muscles of your soul? You might be surprised how much good a strong soul can do for you. And you don’t have to wait. Do it now!

A New Way to Look at Time

I’ve got a treat for you! At least, I hope you see it that way. I’ve decided to do something a bit unusual (and possibly unique) for a blogger. I’ll be taking some of the posts you have identified as your favorites and turning them into videos. I hope that by seeing me and hearing these blogs out loud, the messages will resonate even stronger than just reading them on the screen. I’m hoping you will return to these videos any time you need a creative boost. And I’m hoping you will share them with friends or relatives who are struggling to reconnect with the things that matter in their lives.

Moving forward, you will find these videos on my YouTube channel, alongside my writing and “Great Ideas Giveaway” videos. They will be on a playlist titled, like this blog, “Bursts of Brilliance for a Creative Life.” Watch for them there.

And thank you, as always, for reading this blog and for noting your favorite posts. This project is all about passion for me, exploring my own, and, hopefully, helping wake you up to yours. To watch this first short video, which is called, “It’s About Time Finding You,” click here.  You’ll learn the secret to finally finding time for the things you love.

Enjoy!

Put Happiness on Your Calendar

Two years ago, a friend and I met at a bistro to share a cheese plate and a glass of wine and talk about an idea we had. We were both stressed in different ways, and wanted to find more time for ourselves and for the things we loved.

We started by answering this question: “In the past five years, what were your three happiest days, and why?”  In analyzing our answers, we discovered some things we had in common. Our happy days usually revolved around experiencing or learning something new, travel, laughter, friendship, and accomplishment. So we decided that each month, we would try something at least one of us had never done before. It could be an activity or an exotic dish at a restaurant or a class to learn a new skill.

My sister-in-law recently asked what my favorite “happiness project” has been. Hands down, the week my friend and I spent in Paris. How will we ever top that? She asked about the “worst” experience. I’d say the college open mic comedy night, which was awkward in ten different ways.

But even when one of our projects doesn’t work (we both stunk at the Bollywood dance class), the experience gives us something to laugh about. And laughter is part of what we are seeking.

What this project has taught me is that happiness, like everything else, requires work. It would be nice to think we could just make up our minds to be gleeful, then wake up every morning with a smile on our face and Disney bluebirds singing on our pillows. But to be truly content, we have to think first about what makes us happy, and then go out and pursue those things. And we must identify the people who make us feel good and find time to spend with them. And, of course, we need to look for work that brings us joy, because it’s pretty hard to be happy if you spend 8-10 hours a day doing something you hate.

Am I saying we need to schedule happiness? Sure, why not? Gives you something to look forward to and ensures you connect with the people you like most. As the immortal Lucille Ball once said, “It’s a helluva start, being able to recognize what makes you happy.”

The post Put Happiness on Your Calendar appeared first on Teresa Funke.

Outside The Box? What Box?

I was one of those kids who listened carefully when the adults were talking. I took in as much as I could, trying to understand the world around me. Every now and then I’d hear someone refer to “thinking outside the box.” And, in the literal way a child sometimes thinks, I would picture boxes around things, or try to.

When I got older, teachers would show us mind-mapping exercises. They always started with a concept written neatly inside a box or a circle, and you would spin off ideas from that. I never understood why we couldn’t just write the words down any old way we wanted. They were still coming out of my head and landing on paper. Why did they have to be organized in a specific manner?

The trouble with boxes is that they contain something, and I’ve always taken issue with containment. If you build a wall to separate people, there will be those who find a way around the wall, or over it, or under it, or through it. We humans are not meant to be contained, and neither are our thoughts.

The problem with boxes is, you can set them next to each other, you can stack them, or you can sometimes fit them inside each other, but there is always a layer between the contents of each box; a layer that separates those contents from everything around them. If you think outside the box, your idea may be free, but the things that inspired it are still trapped inside.

If we do away with the notion of boxes at all, we have ideas that are floating freely in our minds, bumping into each other or absorbing each other without constraint.

Tonight, my friend and gifted singer, Colleen Crosson, and I are doing a house concert. I will be reading selections from this blog, and she will be pairing those with songs she has chosen from her diverse repertoire. As far as we know, no one around here has ever done this before, but part of what excites me as an artist is trying new things and collaborating with other artists to see how our passions fit together.

I suppose someone might say to me, “I’ve never heard of a house concert that involved blog posts too. Way to think outside the box.”  But here’s the funny thing . . . I never saw the box to begin with.

The post Outside The Box? What Box? appeared first on Teresa Funke.

How to Banish Envy

I was reading one of my friend’s Facebook posts, and I said to myself again, “She is leading my writer dream life.” If you’re in the arts or entrepreneurship, you have at least one friend like this. Someone whose work you admire and whose talent you would never dispute. Someone whom you genuinely like . . . a lot. But he or she has something you have always longed for and striven for, yet never achieved, and some part of you envies that.

You tell yourself that envy is counter-productive, that you could sit around envying someone all day and it would accomplish nothing. You know you are better off focusing on doing your best work and reaping whatever rewards it brings your way. You remind yourself to feel grateful for what you have. You tell yourself that it’s not nice or Christian or enlightened to envy and you should rise above it. You convince yourself that maybe that person just has better luck than you. Or you give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they have worked longer or harder than you. But no matter how much you try to out-distance your envious thoughts, sometimes they still catch up to you, and you look at your friend’s latest accomplishment and sigh.

But you still buy every book this friend writes and see every play she acts in and show up at every concert she performs, because you know she is that good, and the artist in you can’t stay away from great art. You hug her and tell her you are so proud of her, so happy for her success. And you are! And the next day you return to your desk or studio and hope and dream to one day achieve what she has.

But if you surrender to the work, those thoughts melt away. You feel the thrill of creation and settle into your natural rhythm, and you know that what you are doing is what you are meant to do. And she is doing what she is meant to do. And while her art may touch millions, your art may touch only a few, and none of that matters.

What matters is that when you go to bed that night you sleep knowing you have not turned your back on your own gifts out of petty envy and useless comparison. You have not short-changed yourself by pining to be something you are not. You have spent one more day in pursuit of art that only you can produce, and somewhere, someone is envying your courage to do just that.

The post How to Banish Envy appeared first on Teresa Funke.