In this blog post, ‘Discriminately Discriminating: Our Artistic Choices,’ we look at why we choose what we do. It’s about the art, the music. It’s about us and our preferences. Choices aren’t just made. They’re felt, lived. Behind every choice, there’s a story, a reason. History. Background. We listen, we see, we decide. It’s never just random. It’s human.
Estimated reading time: 12 minutes
What determines our artistic inclinations and tastes? Choosing what we engage with profoundly reflects our identity, values, and experiences. This choice is not merely a preference but a declaration. It’s personal. Each of us decides what resonates emotionally and intellectually. Why do we interact with art and music the way we do?
Table Of Contents
The Paradox Of Choice
In today’s digital age, we’re inundated with a seemingly infinite stream of musical and artistic expressions. The abundance can be overwhelming. We can choose from many streaming platforms, each offering millions of songs. There are galleries of music from every corner of the globe. As creators, we have multiple avenues of artistic endeavors open to us. Herein lies the importance of being “discriminately discriminating”: navigating the vast seas of options and identifying what genuinely speaks to us.
When we plunge into art or lose ourselves in music, it’s not just an act of selection; it’s an act of revealing who we are. Our choices in art and music stand as testaments to our journeys, battles, victories, and losses.
Engaging with art and music is an active process. We listen, we see, and in doing so, we decide. But more importantly, we feel. These choices are our bridges to others, our ways of saying, “This moves me. Does it move you?” It’s a shared experience, a common ground found in uncommon places.
A Universal Truth
Art speaks to the shared aspects of human experience. Examine the criteria through which you discriminate in your preferences. Ask yourself this question: Can you uncover not only our own biases and predispositions but also the common threads that bind humanity?
Our preferences can serve as a mirror, reflecting the individual and collective psyche. These predilections reveal underlying values, fears, dreams, and the vast tapestries that define humanity.
The Essence Of Choice
The core tenet of Stoicism is that some things are within our control while others are not. This principle encourages a discerning mindset. Our decisions are guided by understanding what we can influence versus what we must accept.
Most of the world is beyond our control, but the path we choose for our creative endeavors is not.
John Cage
John Cage, a visionary in music and art, reshaped the boundaries of sound. His innovative approach challenged traditional views of music, urging listeners to rethink their perceptions and choices about what defines a musical experience.
The Art Of Sound
4’33”: Perhaps the most striking example of Cage’s exploration of sound and silence is his composition “4’33.” In this piece, the performer does not play their instrument, directing the audience’s focus to ambient sounds, often dismissed as noise. This decision to frame silence and ambient sound as music was revolutionary. Cage’s choice to embrace silence challenged audiences to find music in the sound of their environment, blurring the lines between life and art.
Prepared Piano: Cage invented the prepared piano. He placed objects between the piano strings to change their sound, broadening the boundaries of sonic resonance. The innovation aimed to replicate a percussion ensemble with one piano. It also showed Cage’s interest in chance and indeterminacy in music. This approach transformed the piano’s sound possibilities. It encouraged composers and performers to explore their instruments more physically.
Chance Operations: Cage embraced chance in his compositions, inspired by the I Ching. He chose to let go of creative control. Random procedures decided the music’s composition and performance. This challenged the usual roles of composer and performer. Cage’s method showed his philosophy: embracing choice, control, and life’s unpredictability.
The Testament
The Legacy of Cage’s Decisions: John Cage’s decisions in his exploration of sound fundamentally changed the landscape of modern music and contemporary art. His work fostered a radical openness to sound’s potential, challenging our notions of music and noise. It delved into the roles of choice and chance in the art of creation. Cage’s legacy is a testament to the power of making bold, unconventional choices in the pursuit of artistic expression and understanding.
Discriminating Your Choices
Discerning art and music is deeply personal, reflecting our innermost feelings, experiences, and aspirations. It goes beyond mere selection; it’s an intimate process where the heart and mind converge. Each choice is a mirror, revealing parts of ourselves often left unspoken. Art and music become conduits for expressing identity, with every preference marking a step in the journey of self-discovery.
Random selection and discriminately discriminating stand at opposite ends of the spectrum in artistic choice. Random selection is akin to closing one’s eyes and letting fate decide, devoid of intention or personal connection. It’s a lottery, exciting but ephemeral, often leaving little lasting impact.
Discriminate discrimination, however, is an exercise in introspection and resonance. It’s about aligning choices with the core of one’s being. Each decision is a deliberate affirmation of one’s values, tastes, and experiences. This method transforms choosing into a meaningful exploration. Each decision is a personal resonance that becomes a guiding light. Through this lens, art and music are experienced and felt. The tapestry of preference is as unique as one’s fingerprint.
Personal History And Cultural Background
Our upbringing, the traditions we hold dear, and our communities influence our tastes. This connection is a dialogue between our present selves and the echoes of our history. Each preference reflects where we’ve been and who we are.
Historical context and personal stories are pivotal in shaping our artistic choices. These influences act as a compass and mirror our journey through art and music. A song from childhood might hold profound emotional significance. The melody may evoke a sense of nostalgia and belonging.
Art linked to a specific cultural or historical period can deeply resonate with those who are connected to that time, and heritage strengthens this connection.
Art and music transcend time and space, bridging our personal narratives with history. This interplay shapes the mosaic of our preferences.
Margery Williams
Margery Williams, also known by her married name, Margery Williams Bianco, was an English-American author best known for her children’s literature, including the beloved classic “The Velveteen Rabbit.” Born Margery Winifred Williams on July 22, 1881, in London, England, she moved to the United States with her family in the late 1890s, where they settled in New York City.
Williams began writing at a young age, and her first novel, “The Late Returning,” was published in 1902. Despite this early start, she did not gain significant recognition until the publication of “The Velveteen Rabbit” in 1922. The story, which explores themes of love, reality, and the passage of time through the experiences of a toy rabbit that dreams of becoming real, has since become a classic of children’s literature, beloved by generations.
Throughout her career, Williams wrote numerous novels and children’s books, though none reached the iconic status of “The Velveteen Rabbit.” Her works often delved into themes of fantasy, reality, and the emotional lives of her characters, demonstrating her keen insight into the human condition and the transformative power of love and belief.
Margery Williams married Francesco Bianco, an Italian, in 1904, and they had two children. The family lived in England for a time before returning to the United States, where Williams continued her writing career.
Margery Williams Bianco died in New York City on September 4, 1944. Despite the wide range of her literary output, she is remembered primarily for “The Velveteen Rabbit,” a testament to the enduring power of her best-known work to speak to the hearts of children and adults alike. Her legacy lives on through this and her other writings, which continue to captivate and inspire readers worldwide.
Why I Love The Velveteen Rabbit
“The Velveteen Rabbit” is a story about love and becoming real. It’s about a stuffed and simple rabbit longing to be real. To the rabbit, real is something love makes you. The boy loves him, and that love changes everything.
The story’s power lies in its truth about love. It is raw and cuts deep. Love transforms and makes us real. It’s not the fabric or the stitching that counts; it’s being loved. The rabbit’s journey is like ours. It’s about becoming, through love, who we are meant to be.
At its core, love is what makes us. It’s not easy or painless, but it’s the most real thing there is. “The Velveteen Rabbit” is a reminder. Love scars, heals, and ultimately defines us.
It’s a tale that stays long after the book is closed. I become literally cry when I think about it. This book is beyond sweet.
Emotional And Intellectual Resonance
Art and music deeply move us. They weave into our emotions, shaping our choices.
These mediums can evoke deep feelings, memories, and reactions. They are personal to us. They guide us to choices that resonate emotionally. We often feel connected to music or art because it speaks to our experiences, joys, fears, or dreams. This connection makes our choices mirror our emotional worlds.
Intellectual engagement with art and music stimulates our curiosity. It challenges our understanding. This engagement is a dialogue. Questions and analyses deepen our appreciation. They refine our selection process. Intellectual exploration draws us to thought-provoking works. These works inspire learning and satisfy our quest for knowledge. This discovery journey enriches our experience. It shapes our artistic and musical tastes. It reflects a blend of mind and emotion in our preferences.
The Process Of Selection
Discernment is vital in art and music appreciation. Engaging deeply involves conscious decision-making, allowing us to filter through vast options to find what reverberates. This active discernment elevates our experience, guiding us towards choices that enrich our lives.
Listening goes beyond hearing. It is an active, focused engagement that requires us to be fully embraced. We hear the notes and the emotions woven into the music. Immersing ourselves in the melody and rhythm becomes a part of us. Our moods and choices are enhanced.
Beholding art is a deep interaction, a visual conversation that demands our attention and curiosity. It’s about observing beyond the surface, understanding the context, emotion, and technique. This interaction deepens our connection to art and shapes our aesthetic judgments.
The Power of Discriminate Discrimination
Discriminately discriminating in our creative choices cultivates a curated artistic path. Each preference is a reflection of our identity and aspirations. This deliberate approach to engagement enriches our personal lives. The tapestry of everyday moments becomes a pallet of meaningful experiences. Such discrimination enhances our creative landscape. New vistas are revealed as we embrace diversity and depth in artistic appreciation.
And In The End
Choosing art and music with discrimination is vital. It means we are pursuing purpose driven art. This is the power in our lives to drive the creative process. The goal is to envision and hear what truly matters to us. Discriminating discrimination in our choices fosters a personal environment that reflects our true selves. We profoundly connect and enhance our creativity.
As we explore our preferences in art and music we get know ourselves better. Engaging with art and music is just not passive, but a dialogue in creativity. Intention and reflection empowers us to compile a personal artistic landscape that truly nourishes our spirit.
This is our life. It is a path marked by constant learning, unlearning, and relearning as we evolve. This journey is about love.
Our creations are akin to the Velveteen Rabbit, worn from the passion and dedication poured into them. Like the rabbit’s fabric fraying at the edges, eyes loose and teetering on the brink of falling out, our work bears the marks of our relentless devotion. This wear is not a sign of neglect but of love. We cherish our work to the point of becoming real. Just as the Velveteen Rabbit becomes more than a toy through the love of a child, our creations transcend their initial forms. We imbue them with life by our deep commitment. There is nothing else they, or we, could possibly be. Through the process of loving and being worn, we reach for our most authentic selves.
Can We Help You?
First off, a huge thank you for diving into the depths of art and music with us. It’s been a journey of reflection, discovery, and sharing the profound connections that bind us to the creations we cherish. Your presence and engagement here remind us that we’re all part of a larger conversation about the role of art and music in our lives.
We’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences too. Did the insights resonate with you? Do you have your own stories of how art and music have shaped your identity or illuminated your path? Please, take a moment to leave a comment below. Your reflections add invaluable depth to this collective exploration, enriching our understanding and appreciation of the arts.
And if this discussion has struck a chord with you, why keep it to yourself? Share it with friends, family, or anyone you know who finds solace, inspiration, or simply joy in the art and music that surround us. Spreading the word means growing our community of like-minded souls, eager to dive deeper into what makes us tick, thrum, and thrive.
Lastly, if you haven’t already, consider subscribing. It’s the best way to stay connected and ensure you don’t miss out on future conversations, insights, and explorations into the boundless world of art and music. Join us as we continue to uncover the layers of our identities through the creative expressions that move us.
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