"Increasingly, I have felt that I don't see a painting until I turn away from it and don't read a poem until I close the book. What I know or retain of either depends on what I am able to invent in their place."
Canadian Poet
1934 -
Memory is a teller of tales. What we remember of a painting or a book has less to do with what is in it and more to do what is in our memories. As readers we bring so much to a book and often we change the intention of the author and the meaning of the book through our reading. Think about the books you have read or the paintings you have seen. How much do you remember of the work itself versus your own experiences at the time? The same is obviously true of songs. Songs bring back memories of a time and place. Song connects a generation. Song connects lovers. We shape our experience of art probably more than the art shapes us. What do you remember of the last book your read or the last painting you saw?
What does this have to say to us as creative leaders? Don't let the comments of your audience and critics trouble you. If the comments are negative, they are a reflection of the heart of the person expressing them. If the comments are postive, they are a reflection of the heart of the person expressing them. The comments are not about our art but about who they are as people and how they see the world.
