Nate Fleming's Blog, page 16
October 19, 2016
Embracing Beauty • Day 19 • Unplug Part 2
This morning (China time), like many of you, I watched the third and final presidential debate. The experience of watching that debate was a microcosm of this entire election cycle, with all of the frustration, shock, embarrassment, anger, and disbelief that has characterized the past several months all packed into 90 minutes. The only positive feature of the whole thing was that Chris Wallace managed to maintain some semblance of control.
via MattStevensCLT on Flickr
As I shut down the browser, I was struck by a need for beauty. This debate, this election, and what is waiting for us in the next two weeks, all made me realize how much I’ve started to starve for beauty, even in the midst of keeping on top of this 31 Days project. And once more I’ve realized that the beauty that I need is not going to be digital. It’s going to be found in embracing reality – the people around me, the wind in my face, natural light rather than light from an LED screen.
And so, for the second time during this 31 Days of Embracing Beauty, the beauty that I present to you is the beauty in your own world once you have shut down the digital.
Unplug, and get out there and remember that as important as the election might seem, what’s even more important is the reality living in the house with you, the reality of the sun and the stars and the weather, the reality of the touch of a loved one, the reality of life. And the beauty of it all. Get off this device and enjoy that experience for a while.
You’re welcome.
Stay tuned for more examples of embracing beauty, and please share this post with your friends! Let’s help spread beauty all over the internet.
Also, if you have an example of beauty that you want to share, drop me a line at info@thimblerigsark.com and I’ll be happy to include it!
Embracing Beauty • The First Week & Some New
Embracing Beauty • The Second Week & Some New
Embracing Beauty • Day 15 • The Bus Scene from Swiss Army Man
Embracing Beauty • Day 17 • “For the Beauty of the Earth” John Rutter
Embracing Beauty • Day 18 • Animated Short, Borrowed Time
October 18, 2016
Embracing Beauty • Day 18 • Animated Short, Borrowed Time
Today’s example of beauty is a short film made by writer/directors Lou Hamou-Lhadj and Andrew Coats. While you might not know the names of these artists, you have undoubtedly been exposed to their work. The two have many amazing animated films included in their filmographies, including WALL•E, Toy Story 3, Cars 2, Partly Cloudy, Day & Night, Brave, Toy Story That Time Forgot, Toy Story OF TERROR!, Inside Out, Horton Hears a Who, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Rio, and The Good Dinosaur.
Their first film together, Borrowed Time, is the story of “a weathered Sheriff who returns to the remains of an accident he has spent a lifetime trying to forget. With each step forward, the memories come flooding back. Faced with his mistake once again, he must find the strength to carry on.” The short film has been selected for over 50 festivals and has won many awards.
This is a hauntingly beautiful work of animation, effectively demonstrating that animation is not just for kids.
Stay tuned for more examples of embracing beauty, and please share this post with your friends! Let’s help spread beauty all over the internet.
Also, if you have an example of beauty that you want to share, drop me a line at info@thimblerigsark.com and I’ll be happy to include it!
Embracing Beauty • The First Week & Some New
Embracing Beauty • The Second Week & Some New
Embracing Beauty • Day 15 • The Bus Scene from Swiss Army Man
Embracing Beauty • Day 17 • “For the Beauty of the Earth” John Rutter
October 17, 2016
Day 17 • Embracing Beauty • “For the Beauty of the Earth” John Rutter
Lyndall Cave of Lacombe, Alberta, Canada contributed today’s example of beauty, a wonderful choral piece by the prodigious composer, John Rutter. For The Beauty of the Earth, performed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Thanks, Lyndall!
LyricsFor the beauty of the earth,
For the beauty of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies,
(Chorus)
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.
For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flow’r,
Sun and moon, and stars of light,
For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth, and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild,
Text: Folliott S. Pierpoint, 1835-1917
Music: John Rutter, 1945-
Stay tuned for more examples of embracing beauty, and please share this post with your friends! Let’s help spread beauty all over the internet.
Also, if you have an example of beauty that you want to share, drop me a line at info@thimblerigsark.com and I’ll be happy to include it!
Embracing Beauty • The First Week & Some New
Embracing Beauty • The Second Week & Some New
Embracing Beauty • Day 15 • The Bus Scene from Swiss Army Man
October 16, 2016
Embracing Beauty • Day 15 • The Bus Scene from Swiss Army Man
Every year, I watch Star Wars on my birthday.
It’s a tradition that goes back more than twenty years. I usually invite a bunch of friends, and we watch one of the Star Wars movies. In fact, one year, in Kazakhstan, we watched all six of the movies, back to back.
It was a long day.
And over the years, I’ve made substitutions. I’ve watched Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Lord of the Rings (the entire trilogy in one sitting – exhausting), and E.T.
But they’ve always been films that looked backward, connecting me to my childhood.
This year, I made the conscious decision to go the complete opposite direction, to look forward. And so I invited friends to watch the 2016 film, Swiss Army Man.
This is a film directed by a duo known as The Daniels, and featuring actors Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe. It is a film that had made a splash at Sundance this past year, but was probably not on most people’s radar (except for the Daniel Radcliffe connection).
I heard about this film this summer when I was in Los Angeles for the Variety Faith and Family Film Summit. I heard about it from a Lyft driver who gave me a ride to the cinema where I was seeing Star Trek Beyond. He was an actor who said that it was the most original film that he’d seen in a long, long time.
And I was intrigued.
But I forgot about it.
Until my birthday rolled around last Friday. Friday morning I realized that I was not in the mood to watch Star Wars, or Raiders, or Goonies, or some other movie from my youth. I was in the mood to watch the most original movie I could find.
And so I chose Swiss Army Man. And it didn’t disappoint.
This movie is like nothing I’ve seen before, and I can imagine that many people would detest it like an introvert detests being at a party where people are constantly asking him to talk about himself. The film is strange, and unexpected, and talks about some pretty vile subjects…
But it’s also weird, and beautiful, and unexpected, and strange, and touching.
And so, for today’s examination of beauty, I wanted to show the scene of this film that drew me in the most. And I want to show it without explanation, because I don’t know that I could explain it, even if I tried.
It’s the bus scene from Swiss Army Man. An example of beauty in filmmaking.
Stay tuned for more examples of embracing beauty, and please share this post with your friends! Let’s help spread beauty all over the internet.
Also, if you have an example of beauty that you want to share, drop me a line at info@thimblerigsark.com and I’ll be happy to include it!
Embracing Beauty • The First Week & Some New
Embracing Beauty • The Second Week & Some New
October 14, 2016
Embracing Beauty • Day 14 • The Second Week in Review
We’ve hit the two week mark in our month of beauty, and so as I did at the end of the first week, I want to take a moment to reflect on the last seven days.
Day 8 • More Examples of Beauty in Music
My friend Karina has fantastic taste in music, and so when I asked her to share some of her examples of beautiful songs, it wasn’t a disappointment. On Day 8, we were able to enjoy some wonderful music, as well as a lovely perspective of France.
Her are a few other examples she sent.
Day 9 • Beauty goes Interstellar
On Day 9, we turned our attention to the heavens, and to the wonder and beauty that exists beyond the skies above, courtesy of the Hubble Space Telescope. We saw some amazing images along with a beautiful score by Hans Zimmer from one of my favorite films of 2014, Interstellar.
Along those lines, I think this is a fitting companion piece: video footage from orbit, looking back at our beautiful world, along with the music of Brian Emo.
When I realized that all of my examples of beauty were digital, or at least digital representations of real things, I concluded that I needed to encourage some independent unplugged searching for beauty. My challenge on this day was for everyone to put the devices down, take a walk in nature, have a cup of coffee with a friend where you don’t check your messages once.
I’ll extend that challenge again. Turn off your phone or your computer, get up, and go find beauty.
—
This was one of my favorite days of the month so far. I put out the call to friends to send me favorite pictures of people who either are family by blood or by life experience, and I received dozens of beautiful photos of all kinds of different families. It was fun for me to see the extended relations of my friends, but also a good reminder of one of the most important things we’ve been given in life: community.
Head over to Day 11 and experience the beauty of family.
And since Day 14 of this challenge is actually my birthday, I want to celebrate with one more look at my beautiful family. So, if you will indulge me…
On this day, we explored the works of one of the masters. And since Monet loved painting flowers, we also saw some beautiful flower photographs from Heim Studio in Russia. It’s too bad you can’t digitize scents, because flowers – while lovely to look at – are even more beautiful when you can smell them.
Here’s a famous Monet that we missed: Bouquet of Sunflowers (1881). Courtesy of The Met.
Day 13 • Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber
We ended the week with another contribution from my friend Blythe, who sent in her favorite symphony, Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber. It is a stirring and emotional piece, and a fitting addition to our examination of beauty.
To add to it, I wanted to share a choral version of the piece recommended to me by my friend Genevieve, performed by the King’s College Choir.
Stay tuned for more examples of embracing beauty, and please share this post with your friends! Let’s help spread beauty all over the internet.
Also, if you have an example of beauty that you want to share, drop me a line at info@thimblerigsark.com and I’ll be happy to include it!
Embracing Beauty • The First Week & Some New
October 13, 2016
Embracing Beauty • Day 13 • Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber
Today, I am pleased to have another contribution from my friend Blythe, who contributed A Teacher’s Story for my second day of embracing beauty.
Blythe wrote:
I found something else to add to your collection of beauty. I LOVE going to the symphony. It’s one of my favorite stress relief activities, and for a few hours, I am transported somewhere else.
Last year the symphony in my city played Adagio for Stings by Samuel Barber. It was stunning and it brought me to tears. I could not tell you why I was crying except that it touched me so deeply in my soul that words would not suffice. It painted pictures in my imagination and for a few minutes I was transported.
I could not find a recording of the symphony in Amarillo playing it but here is a recording of the Chicago Symphony playing it and doing a stunning job.
Stay tuned for more examples of embracing beauty, and please share this post with your friends! Let’s help spread beauty all over the internet.
Also, if you have an example of beauty that you want to share, drop me a line at info@thimblerigsark.com and I’ll be happy to include it!
Embracing Beauty • The First Week & Some New
Embracing Beauty • Day 8 • More Examples of Beauty in Music
Embracing Beauty • Day 9 • Beauty goes Interstellar
Embracing Beauty • Day 10 • Unplug
Embracing Beauty • Day 11 • The Beauty of Family
Embracing Beauty • Day 12 • Monet
October 12, 2016
Embracing Beauty • Day 12 • Monet
No commentary today.
Only Monet, and flowers.
Just because.
The photos come from Heim Studio, and the Monet from the internet. Thanks, Karina!
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Stay tuned for more examples of embracing beauty, and please share this post with your friends! Let’s help spread beauty all over the internet.
Also, if you have an example of beauty that you want to share, drop me a line at info@thimblerigsark.com and I’ll be happy to include it!
Embracing Beauty • The First Week & Some New
Embracing Beauty • Day 8 • More Examples of Beauty in Music
Embracing Beauty • Day 9 • Beauty goes Interstellar
Embracing Beauty • Day 10 • Unplug
Embracing Beauty • Day 11 • The Beauty of Family
October 11, 2016
Embracing Beauty • Day 11 • The Beauty of Family
When I consider beauty in the world as well as in my own experiences in life, I have to conclude that one of the most beautiful ideas we have is the idea of family.
We didn’t have to be creatures of community, but we are. Imagine, we could have been like moles, solitary animals destined for a life of digging in the dirt all alone. We could have been like skunks, wandering around by ourselves in the forest, scaring off everyone else with our stench, only coming together when we’re desperate for each other’s warmth in the frozen winter.
Maybe those animals do paint a picture of the way we are sometimes. But we aren’t our best in those pictures of the solitary life, are we?
We’re at our best when we’re not facing the world alone.
Even the most introverted among us have to admit to be the case. We have to confess that even though occasional solitude is a gift, a bigger and better gift are the people who genuinely care about us, and who are always there for us, and who love us and accept us in spite of who we are, not because of who we are.
And we call this gift family.
What does this word mean to you?
I asked my friends on FB to send in favorite pictures of their families, and I’ve assembled quite a collection of beautiful people. While most of these pictures are people with their blood relatives, or their spouses and kids, there are also pictures of people connected to others by a different bond – a bond that is no less family than the pictures of people connected by DNA.
As my friend Sarah put it, “…family is not just those who share the same blood, but those who have been with you through thick and thin, who love you no matter your faults (and sometimes because of them), and have no problem making themselves silly to join in the fun.”
Well said, Sarah.
So, for today’s beauty embrace, I give you a gallery of beautiful families from all over my world. And if you’d like to add your family, please send me a pic at info@thimblerigark.com, and I’ll grow the gallery.
Stay tuned for more examples of embracing beauty, and please share this post with your friends! Let’s help spread beauty all over the internet.
Also, if you have an example of beauty that you want to share, drop me a line at info@thimblerigsark.com and I’ll be happy to include it!
Embracing Beauty • The First Week & Some New
Embracing Beauty • Day 8 • More Examples of Beauty in Music
Embracing Beauty • Day 9 • Beauty goes Interstellar
Embracing Beauty • Day 10 • Unplug
October 9, 2016
Embracing Beauty • Day 10 • Unplug
It occurred to me yesterday that for my 31 Days of Embracing Beauty, I’ve been encouraging everyone to continue staring at a screen, looking at 2D and digitized examples of beauty.
Meanwhile, on the other side of your screen, beauty is most evident in reality.
And so, for today’s example of beauty, I challenge you to not look at a screen for a couple of hours. Take a walk, have a conversation face to face with another human being, play with your kids (or your parents). In short, unplug.
To help encourage you in this, I invite you to watch this video, Can We Auto-Correct Humanity? by Richard Williams, better known by his stage name Prince EA. Williams is an American rapper, spoken word artist, music video director and rights activist from St Louis, Missouri.
Stay tuned for more examples of embracing beauty, and please share this post with your friends! Let’s help spread beauty all over the internet.
Also, if you have an example of beauty that you want to share, drop me a line at info@thimblerigsark.com and I’ll be happy to include it!
Embracing Beauty • The First Week & Some New
Embracing Beauty • Day 8 • More Examples of Beauty in Music
Embracing Beauty • Day 9 • Beauty goes Interstellar
October 8, 2016
Embracing Beauty • Day 9 • Beauty goes Interstellar
Circling the earth in a low orbit since 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope has returned some of the most stunning images of the universe ever taken. The telescope, a joint operation between NASA and the European Space Agency, was placed in position to take advantage of being outside the earth’s atmosphere, allowing it to take images five times sharper than the strongest earth-bound telescope.
Today’s example of embracing beauty is a gallery of some of the galaxy’s most visually stunning images. All of the images, as well as more information about Hubble, can be found at the NASA Hubble page, HubbleSite, and the Hubble Space Telescope website.
Also, to enhance your experience, I would recommend listening to Hans Zimmer’s Interstellar soundtrack while working your way through the images. Zimmer’s soundtrack is also pretty stunning, and a perfect companion piece to these images. Also, make sure to expand the pictures out of the gallery to enjoy them in their full glory!
All of the following images were taken from the Hubble Space Telescope website. If you go look through the image gallery on that site you can read all about the objects in the pictures.
Stay tuned for more examples of embracing beauty, and please share this post with your friends! Let’s help spread beauty all over the internet.
Also, if you have an example of beauty that you want to share, drop me a line at info@thimblerigsark.com and I’ll be happy to include it!
Embracing Beauty • The First Week & Some New
Embracing Beauty • Day 8 • More Examples of Beauty in Music
