As I drove home this evening, I sifted through possibilities for tonight’s blog post. This was one of those days where I felt drawn in several different directions, with no clear indication yet which path to take. Music had snagged my heart, and I listened to the La La Land soundtrack as I drove…and yet silence met my inquiry when I asked about sharing something musical.
I also felt drawn toward creating on a new page in my art journal. I am very much enjoying that artistic journey. Yet again, when I picked up the journal at home, and scanned through a new page, nothing really connected with me.
I considered that tonight, for the first time since I began blogging, three plus years ago, I might not have anything to write about.
And yet…something…something…was trying to rise to the surface.
Reaching for my Walking in This World book, by Julia Cameron, I finished the last chapter. It was on the final two pages that the stirrings within finally surfaced and understanding dawned.
In the final task, at the end of the book, Julia writes that each of us carries the inner capacity for awe. Different things inspire different people, and some things simply make us happy, and some things we love for no apparent reason. We experience the touch of the Great Creator, when we touch upon something we love.
Julia says, “Because the part of us that creates is youthful and innocent, an ideal place to collect artist toys is a good children’s bookstore.” I know the truth of Julia’s statement. I often pick up a book from the children’s library, when I am learning something new. These books for kids cut out the unnecessary clutter and get to the important stuff quickly.
The assignment was to find a children’s book that makes me happy. “Make it a point that your bedside table contains at least one book on a topic that simply delights you.” She goes on to write that delight opens the door for the Divine to touch us.
There it was, the connection I was looking for, the door swinging open. I had a strong visual image of looking through an open door earlier in the day, and wasn’t sure how to interpret that. And now the Divine was inviting me to enter, by way of my delight.
Because, I already have a children’s book on my bedside table, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and I’ve been wondering how to share about it. However, I’m not exactly clear about why I have been drawn to read this book, and the series that follows. I recently rewatched all the Harry Potter movies. And that wasn’t enough. Now I know I am supposed to read the books.
This magical tale, by JK Rowling, centers on Harry Potter, an orphaned boy who does not know who he is. He only knows he is miserable, living in a tiny cupboard under the stairs, in a house with horrible people. His aunt, uncle, and insufferable cousin fear who he might be and seek to prevent Harry from living his destiny.
But when a mysterious owl delivers a strange letter to young Potter, his life shifts dramatically. The letter is an invitation to a place, a world, that Harry never dreamed existed. At Hogwarts, Harry Potter finds new friends and incredible knowledge, strength he didn’t know he possessed and almost overwhelming challenges. Ultimately, he finds himself.
I may not know yet what all the truths are for me, within these children’s books, but in this first volume, I’ve discovered…it does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live…it takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to an enemy and just as much to stand up to friends…fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself…truth can be beautiful and terrible…and music is a magic, beyond all we do here.
I don’t have to know why I am being guided to Harry Potter. I don’t have to figure it all out. My inner artist knows what she’s doing. I can simply marvel. I can delight. And in finding delight, I am opening the door to the touch of the Divine, and connecting to a sense of the marvelous.
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For many people, Super Bowl Sunday is the most anticipated winter tv program. I do watch that sporting event. However, it is not the most keenly anticipated show for me. All my life, the end of December has not only signaled the end of the year, it signals the countdown to my favorite televised event…the Academy Awards, nicknamed the Oscars.
I am posting in the blog during commercial breaks, as this award show typically concludes late in the evening. And I am loving the program already. Justin Timberlake performed one of the nominated songs as the opener, a lively number that had attendees on their feet, dancing in the aisles. I applauded as heartily as anyone.
I confess to a slight trepidation, leading up to the award show. With the highly charged political climate that we currently live in, I felt my anticipation diminished by the concern that tonight’s focus would shift from the movies and spectacular performances to divisive speeches and statements.
This is what I had to do…let my concerns go. I accepted that everyone is allowed to share their thoughts and opinions. Everyone. And if I reacted to something said, whether by host Jimmy Kimmel or a presenter or an actor accepting an Oscar, that’s on me, that’s something to go within and inquire about.
I needn’t have been concerned. Host Jimmy Kimmel set the tone for the evening with a light hearted opening monologue. “We are going to have fun tonight!” Jimmy promised. I applauded again.
The first winner of the evening was Mahershala Ali, for Moonlight. If Jimmy set the tone for the award show, Mahershala raised the bar for acceptance speeches. He was humble, gracious, sincere. “It’s not about you,” he was told as a new actor, “You are serving the characters, the stories.” My heart was pierced by his words, his tears. Mahershala is an actor to watch, as he tells stories.
Viola Davis picked up the Oscar for her performance in Fences. Through tears she shared passionately that she became an actress because this is a profession that knows what it means to celebrate life…not just well known publically recognized lives, but the lives of common everyday people who hoped and dreamed and lived and died. She was asked, as an actress, “What kind of stories do you want to tell?” Viola is answering that question through the characters she chooses to portray.
Emma Stone captured this award, her first, for her role in La La Land. She thanked the other nominees for allowing her to stand alongside them. Through tears she said she still has a lot of learning and growing to do, and her Oscar is a symbol, a sign, to continue on her journey.
Casey Affleck, humble and searching for the right words, picked up his first Oscar for Manchester by the Sea. His acting career has been inspired by Denzel Washington, whom he met for the first time tonight.
Damien Chazelle, La La Land, picked up his first Oscar and is the youngest director in history to win in the Best Director category. He is 32 years old.
In all the years that I’ve watched the Oscars, I’ve never seen the wrong winner announced. It happened tonight, for the top award, Best Picture. The presenters were given the wrong envelope, which contained the winner for Best Actress Emma Stone, La La Land. Confused, they hesitated and at last announced La La Land as the winner. During the acceptance speech, one of the supposed winners broke the news that they had actually lost…and Moonlight was the correct winner. I was as confused as everyone else was! I was hoping La La Land would win. But I was impressed with the graciousness of the La La Land cast and the Moonlight group. I wish both could have walked off the stage with Oscars.
I so enjoyed the evening. There were many surprises, such as a bus full of unsuspecting tourists who got a peek inside the theater, and a funny Mean Tweets segment where actors read trolls’ comments about them on Twitter. And a huge number of firsts occurred: all the major categories were won by people receiving their first Oscars, Amazon had its first big movie nominated, Manchester by the Sea, and it won in two categories, the youngest director in history won, and for the first time a major goof at the end caused the wrong film to be announced as Best Picture. Wow.
For me, the biggest surprise (other than the unintentional twist at the end) was finding out what this year’s theme was for the Academy Awards…Inspiration. I didn’t know until the theme was revealed, half way through the show. My mouth fell open. I loved my personal connection with the word, my word for 2017, and that men and women shared throughout the evening about the films, characters and actors who inspired them.
And there were tears, shed by winners as they spoke from their hearts, and shed by me during those acceptance speeches, during moving performances of the nominated songs, and when Michael J Fox, who is battling Parkinson’s disease, presented for Film Editing.
The Memorial segment is especially poignant, as actors who have died in the past year are honored for their contributions to the world, and for their lives. We lost so many bright shining souls, passionate gifted people who devoted their lives to following their hearts. We have been blessed by their dedication.
I was inspired tonight. I have nine Best Picture nominated films to watch and I made a list of other movies, shorts and documentaries to view as well. In fact, for the first time, I would like to watch all of the winners, in all of the categories, a lofty goal for sure, a challenge I am presenting to myself.
I appreciated the diversity of the 89th Academy Awards. Although La La Land collected the most Oscars with six wins, no movie overshadowed the others. The winners were from countries around the world including Italy, Syria, Iran, Canada, France and England. All races, colors, genders and ages were represented, celebrated, and honored.