Tea with McNair

• ape etudes...or not

Leonard Sweet posted this quote on Facebook. 

"An artist is not a special kind of human,

but every human is a special kind of artist" 

    ~ Eric Gill (1882-1940)*

To which I commented:

Only we human's make art. It is one of the chief reflections of our Creator spirit. You cannot get from the primordial amoeba to Mozart without divine intervention. The development of great art makes no sense in the evolutionary chain of survival. It is unnecessary. There are no "ape etudes", orangutan tangos, simian sonata. In all universes of the Creator's great handiwork, humankind is his masterpiece. So, why do so few of us follow our Father's example? And why does the church work so hard at discouraging artistic expression? It's getting better, but we still have much to do. Keep dancing.

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* ERIC GILL, British sculptor, type designer, created one of my favorite fonts "Gill Sans." Well known for his deep Christian convictions, essays on faith, type design, and erotic art. He was associated with the "arts and crafts" movement (one of my favorites) often using type as a key element in his art. Many great examples on the website, Eric Gill.com. (Click two examples below to enlarge and enjoy.)

      

• are you a verb?

 

"Say what you want.

Believe what you will.

But it is by what you DO that we will know who you really are."

    ~ McNair

• what to do when a hotel falls on you

My friend Dan Woolley at Compassion International was in Haiti last week making a film. He and videographer David Hames returned to the Hotel Montana just in time for the earthquake. Dan was found, under four stories of rubble and pulled out after 65 hours trapped in an elevator. What he did is remarkable and, apropos to this blog site, quite creative. Knowing Dan, I was not surprised.

He told his story, along with his wife, on the TODAY show. You can also follow Dan as he is back on Twitter as "webguydan"—here.

His friend, David Hames (right) is still missing. David did have water and protein bars in his backpack. Pray for David, his wife and kids.

Compassion International has accounted for 73 0f the 74 staff members in their Haiti country office. Compassion has been working in Haiti continuously for forty years. They have more than 230 child development centers working with 65,000 Haitian children! Each center is a school where children (sponsored by folks like you) go to school, receive vocational training, nourishment, medical assistance, Bible classes, and more. I strongly recommend you send money through Compassion for their ongoing (and current relief efforts) in Haiti. Compassion consistently spends more than 83% of every donated dollar on the work that directly benefits children and their families in twenty-five countries around the globe. They currently have more than one million sponsored children (all at one time)—with thousands more already enrolled who need a sponsor.

• happy birthday, albert!

This morning I was reminded or one of my favorite persons—theologian, musician, philosopher, and physician, Dr. Albert Schweitzer. He is widely quoted for his philosophy of serving all creatures. He is miss quoted as being a vegetarian, he was not. He did choose to eat small amounts of meat, mostly due to working with and living among people in Africa who could not afford to include meat in their daily diet. He was also a noted music scholar and organist. Mostly we recall his service as a doctor. Living to the ripe old age of ninety, he served a long time. 

"I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve."

Schweitzer determined, as a Christian, to repay the world for the happiness which it had given to him. He decided to live a full life, pursuing his varied interests until the age of thirty and then dedicate the balance of his life to the service of humanity, with Jesus as his example.And so he did just that.

My memory about Al's birthday was jogged when I stopped by one of the handful of websites I check almost daily to jump start my brain and spirit: the History Channel's This Day In History site. There you'll find lots of history including a short video with highlights of This Day, every day.

What's not only interesting, but fun about this site is the juxtaposition of a wide array of events on the same date. For example, besides being Doc Schweitzer's birthday (1875), January 14th is also the date of the first Super Bowl game (1967), the beginning of Prohibition (1919), end of the hostage crisis in Iran (1981) which makes it also inauguration day for President Reagan's first term, and it is the birthday of the every-cheerful Edgar Allen Poe.

Seems a lot happened on January's fourteenth day over the last 135 years. Has this day ever meant anything to you before—unless it is also your birthday or anniversary?

It reminds me that you don't need a Monday, or the first of the month, the beginning of a new year, or one of those really special years with a magic zero on the end to start something new. You can take the first step of a big new project, make the dramatic turn toward a better life choice, or even just start, something, anything, TODAY.

Me? I'm going down to sort through a few more boxes in my garage, in preparation for my move next month. If I go through just four boxes today I will be halfway through. 

"It is impossible to clean out your garage. It is possible to sort through a few boxes, then a few more, and someday, maybe soon, you'll get your garage back." - - McNair

OR . . . you could just sit down for a few minutes and doodle, scribble, or make something. Even if it's just for the exercises or to take a break. Don't evaluate it, just do it. (Notice, left, that Dr. Schweitzer hold's his pen "funny." Worked for him.)

Full garage, or "spare room"? Check out my post from a year ago: reducing your stuff.

Like Albert Schweitzer, you can serve others today.

Help Haiti by visiting my friends at Compassion International. They are IN Haiti and have been there, every day, for over FORTY years—feeding, teaching, healing, "releasing children from poverty in Jesus name." Even $10 makes a big difference in the Western hemisphere's poorest country (that was before a 7.0 earthquake.) We can each do something.

• fill 'er up

Another full year ahead, another day, another week begins. Orders to fill, clients' expectations to fulfill, can't eat any more I'm full.

My long time friend, Michael Marzella, sent me the perfect birthday card. (Click on image to expand to full size.) With a birthday at the cusp of each new year (the fourth day of the year) I take time to plan, dream and reflect on last year's thoughts. How did I want to fill 2009 and did it all get fulfilled? 

Enter 2010: another "glass" to fill.

Another glass half full or half empty.

In school—third grade—a visiting scientist invited me on stage in front of the entire student body. Pouring water into a glass he asked me, "Is the glass half full or half empty?"

I had never seen this exercise before, I was eight. But I knew right away what I thought, "It's half the size it needs to be."

"Excuse me." The science man said.

"Well,  I'm gonna want a lot more water than it will hold."

I like a big glass. Lots of possibilities, room to move on around in.

And you? What will you fill your "twenty-ten" mug with in the coming weeks and months?

A suggestion: Never see it as a to do list—certainly not must do or should do list. Your "glass"—your dreams and plans—are all possibilities. If you are a New Year's resolutions setter, this glass is for you. You believe it is possible to fill the glass fuller and do grander, more interesting, more full-filling work this year.

I use "work" here generically, not isolated to merely professional pursuits. Raising children is work (important work), hobbies and sports are work. Art is work. Great art is hard work. I often tell young artists:

       It's supposed to be hard, it's ART!

I said it to an old artist friend in a challenging role in a Broadway show (on Broadway in New York.) It renewed his commitment to the production. It was just Wednesday afternoon, not Opening Night, and he became very excited about the rest of the run.

We get excited about the New Year, the new number (2010)—especially when the  number ends in a zero. Pinch me. But actually we get a new beginning, if you will, every thirty days or so when there's a new moon. Or, how about: the sun rising for a new day.

But we can hit the reset button (there's one below if you need) at any hour of any day that we choose to fill the glass a little more. Even 5:30 PM on a Wednesday.

It can be the possibility to work a bit harder, smarter, more creatively, or color (live) much farther outside the box—cubicle, guidelines, assumptions. (The "rules" by which we are actually guided are mostly "assumptions," not actual rules. Assumptions are "The way we've always done it around here." Challenge that.) 

Grab your glass and fill it a bit more than you did yesterday.

Suddenly I'm quite thirsty.

See my two previous posts:

    • reset and

    • why i believe in resolutions (below.)

• reset

A cartoon from my old pal and Disney Imagineering cohort, Christian Hope reminds me that we can press the correct button sometimes to reset, restart, delete, and shift any time we'd like. The New Year is a time we think about such things, but January 9th might be a better day for you. See the button...

Push the button, now.

[ cartoon used with permission of the artist—thanx, christian! ].

• why i believe in resolutions

4 January :: Today's my birthday (actually I'm not yet "here" until 9:37 PM, Minneapolis, time.) I thought I should say something profound, prophetic, or make a resolution or three.

I am actually pro-New Year's resolutions. Those who say, "They don't work!" are either satisfied with their current set of personal habits, finances, and the size and shape of their physiognomy or don't see the value in trying. Put me down as not satisfied and ready to try something that works better.

Freud said dissatisfaction is the early warning sign of our creative spirit." Being dissatisfied is really saying is, "This could be better." On that, me and Dr. Did-You-Hate-Your-Mother agree.

I make a few personal resolutions every year on my birthday. They are practical, important to my on-going development and enrichment, and they are do-able. Once again this year "loose 150 lb." did not make my list. Being more physically active did.

The key is that on a day that I don't do my walking or other cardio stuff I don't say (or think) "I am such an enormous, complete failure. I am doomed to be in the Macy's parade floating my way down Broadway." No I say, gotta get back at it tomorrow. Usually I do. This year I am resolved to make a success of my freelance speaking, coaching, and writing in ways I never have. It includes putting in office time every day, connecting, communicating, making work.

It is not my favorite way to spend time, but it contributes to opportunities to use my strengths, practice my passions, and be the me that my Creator intended for me to be. That's what I love. 

I know, too, that being me encourages others to pursue their passions. I know that that happens because you tell me these posts and my speaking and teaching inspire you. And that inspires me to do more and try to do it all better.

So, making new and better plans and setting some goals is a good thing. When I don't get "it" done, I get at it a little better tomorrow.

Resolutions are a good idea. If you only stick with it a few weeks or even a few days you've made a little change. Even 1% change each day means 100% improvement in just 70 days.

Try this: instead of say "I'm going to stop ______" say, "I will reduce ______ a little every week, a little each day." Cut "it" in half or by 10-20%. In the last year I have cut back a little in several areas. It makes a difference.

Or I might have said, "Just shoot me. I can't do it." BUT... I know I can do it because I have. Make a small change today. If it makes A difference, do a little more tomorrow.

Remember: "Anything worth doing is worth starting poorly just to get it started." That's from the fertile mind of G.K. Chesterton. He knew that we begin a new thing as best we can and then we can get down to improving it.

Everything you do well was once something you could NOT do at all. You tried, failed, tried again, got better, sucked at it for a while, improved and now...

What do you want to do, fix, change? Do it. Get moving.  

Ready for better? Me too.

Add water and stir! Keep stirring.

Let me know (in the comments) what works—even a little.

.