“Dance above the surface of the world. Let your thoughts lift you into creativity that is not hampered by opinion.” ―
I have been attending morning convocation via Zoom of the school where my spouse is on faculty. Beyond the gathering and administrative aspects, this has allowed access to a creative process with wonderfully creative people. To my surprise, this one hour provided spark and nurture for a part of me that I knew existed but neglected.
On Maundy Thurs
day, the guest artist was Ernest Vincent Wood, a local artist. His contribution was a eight minute video of which the last half was the creation of a time lapse painting of Christ. The work actually took him a period of four days up to the point presented to us.
day, the guest artist was Ernest Vincent Wood, a local artist. His contribution was a eight minute video of which the last half was the creation of a time lapse painting of Christ. The work actually took him a period of four days up to the point presented to us.Ernest said there was more to add, but the process was quite moving.
We noted that as he painted he was wearing earbuds listening to something as he composed the work. When asked what it was, he sent a link to the music.
The next week, in convocation we listened to a portion of the same piece of music and create something. A drawing, painting, a photo of what the music represented or to write something.
Contributions were shared in the Still Point google classroom. Even though a guest in this space, I decided to give it a shot.
Space For The Spark To Ignite
I sat with eyes closed and listened and let my imagination flow as the music played. Surprisingly images of clouds over a skyline began to appear. I am not an artist, so putting to paper a sketch, drawing or painting would have fallen short of what I was seeing. But words began to flow and I wrote them as they came.
I do not consider myself a poet. I read a limited amount of poetry just to do it. Reading literature outside my normal wheelhouse, is like going to the gym and using a muscle that likes to hide from exercise. It feels awkward, unfamiliar and sometimes is painful. Yet it expands and strengthens reluctant parts that need exposure.
As I focused on the music and kept the moving image in my minds eye, the words came as if hooked on to another.
I am taking another step and sharing it with you.
Thunder rolling, dawn rising, dark clouds fading, a skyline appears, trees,
edifices of worship places, commerce and life.
Shadows dancing along the horizon, in shades of grey, black and light.
Light and wind play with and against one another
as the quiet sun emerges from its’ rest.
Sounds of creation awaken with the smile of God.
The Creator’s breath infusing the day with life.
Love Himself waves His right hand across the land. – Nancy Hancock-Cullen, 2020.
(copy write, Cullen Enterprises, LLC)
Spark Latent Talent
I am not the first in my family to write poetry. My father quietly wrote poetry of which we only discovered the vastness of it after he died. The point of this bit of sharing is there are latent talents inside of each of us, Hanging out with the right people serves to spark those gifts.So thank you Northfield. This may be the only poem I ever write, but it is nice to know I can.