Why and How?

O.K. I guess cynicism is fertile ground.

Chaos can be a good thing. I've been trying to find a way to express the sudden sythesis of divergent thoughts that converged yesterday in one mad rush. The closest I can come to describing it is...it is the nature of the artist's mind to find order in chaos. This is the service artists offer their fellow human beings. That idea hit me like a train.

I watched the movie "August Rush" two days agos and was dumbstruck by the depth of the film. The scene that hit me was when this young, rural foster kid suddenly finds himself in the middle of New York. A extremely sensitive child who claims to the hear "The Music", he is initially overwhelmed by the chaotic sounds of urban life. He turns 'round in the street, struggling for equlibrium and then he begins to hear layers of rhythms in footsteps and jackhammmers. A polyphony of voices, sounds and rhythms begin to coalesce until he ends up standing on a fountain conducting an environmental symphony...a musical synthysis of his sensory experiences. An artist by nature, the boy's mind automatically begins to create form out of chaos. That's when it hit me. We are creatures of the present. The sights, sounds, smells, thoughts, actions of others in this time are all part of who we are and we cannot escape what has shaped us. We can learn from the past but we cannot go back. And if, as artists, we hide in the delusion that we can recreate "times that have passed" we do damage to our spiritual formation and cannot be used as a creative agent in the present/future. We are creatures of this time and place. Artists all, we must strive to bring form to present chaos.

So...I began to think of creative minds who have found form in the chaos of their time and, thereby, served to elevate those who stand witness to a place of hope and beauty. What is their nature? Like the child, August, creative minds are also overwhelmed by chaos but, for some reason they are resilient, unafraid of it or defeated by it. It is in their nature to find the courage to remain open to discordant rhythms and abrasive melodies, allowing chaotic forces to intertwine, take vibratory form and begin to resonate. And from that immersion of the Self in chaos, shapes begin to take form and coalesce and rise.

But, what rises? What do artists and creative minds offer humanity? They offer us Hope. Hope...the child of all that is best in all things struggles to life through the artist's hands, lips, feet. Like a wet baby bird breaking through it's shell, hope, once born and nurtured, is soon dried and grown and ready to fly. That is the true creative gift...giving humanity wings of hope.

So here's to four creative minds I admire in the present. I asked two questions. Why do they do what they do? How do they do what they do?

Al Gore and his crusade to bring focus to Global Warming
Why? Because he wants a better life for his children and grandchildren.
How? Tireless research and traveling, braving ridicule, walking and talking until people started to listen.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitts' and their crusade to build homes for New Orleans flood victims and bring awareness to global issues.
Why? Concern for injustices perpetrated against the poor and powerlessness. Frustration with harrassment by the press.
How? They used their wealth and influence to build homes. They led the press to places of poverty and distress.

Obama's and his bid for the Presidency.
Why? The injustice he saw in the streets, wanting a better life for his children and hope in the human spirit.
How? He courageously stepped into the public arena and shared his vision honestly with people who would listen.Obama gave a stirring speech tonight!