I think we can all agree... 2017 was an absolutely surreal year. After all the weirdness, a person might conclude it’s a good idea to abandon all hope, just to have some sense of accomplishment. But I'm dedicated to keeping this blog positive, and I'm not derailed that easily. So lets discuss what we can do about all this silliness. I’d like to open with some inspiring quotes that have helped influence the direction of my life: An old favorite of mine is from Einstein… “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”. And another one I love is from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s fictional character, Sherlock: “Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.”. There are two very important things to keep in mind while observing social structures and determining whether they remain beneficial: First... some form of structure is necessary if you want to have lots of people living in harmony in a small space (and I'm speaking primarily of the structure of government and religion). The reasoning behind both is quite logical. If you give people something to focus on, something to believe in, then they are more likely to behave ethically and serve the greater cause. Second... those structures aren't meant to be permanent or unchanging (like a single building). They are meant to be torn down from time to time and rebuilt with the latest knowledge and technological advancements (like a living city). While creating a new democracy, the forefathers of the United States realized the importance of this fact. They felt that governmental structure needed to be challenged from time to time; and bad or outdated concepts needed to be thrown out, in order to keep the integrity of the idea intact. That’s some pretty serious wisdom right there. The important thing to pull from those last two paragraphs is this; we need some form of structure… and we need to challenge that structure’s effectiveness to insure it’s integrity. It doesn’t matter if you’re talking about your political view, your religious background, or you as an individual. Those two ideas still stand. Here’s the catch. Our knowledge and capabilities are now evolving at an unbelievable pace, which brings the integrity of most structures into question rather quickly. Intelligence and wisdom are on the rise. Everything we believe needs to be put to the test. If it’s capable of evolving, it’s worth saving. If it’s too outdated, unstable or unreliable, then it needs to be scrapped so something new can take its place. Apply this to any structure (including yourself), and you have a working solution to this odd little problem we find ourselves in. On a personal level, questioning the structure leads to quick change. On a societal level, it may take a while. But the idea still works. If it didn’t, we’d still be living in caves, and the world would still be flat. Change will happen, my friends. Consciousness combined with intelligence demands it. There really is no way of avoiding it. You just have to decide if you want to be an active participant. There you go. Happy New Year. Here’s hoping it stays happy. :) On to the music and art… Two More New Songs for You to Enjoy. First I Offer You: ‘We Are Not Alone’ As part of my collaborative explorations, I thought it would be fun to try crafting a song around the vocals of a very loved and respected fellow SoundCloud artist… Special Cecilia. Although her original a-cappella offered several possible directions, I was most drawn to the bits about our unexplored universe; both micro and macro. Her lyrics convey a wonderful sense of mystery, excitement and optimism; and I hope I’ve captured that mood with this little musical interpretation called ‘We Are Not Alone.’ Click the image link below to take a listen. (Opens SoundCloud in a separate window.) The Second Song is: ‘Tearing at the Fabric’ The most exciting thing about this song is that it’s the first piece I created for a compilation project; Bricolage podcast #28, hosted by one of my favorite musicians on SoundCloud… Belial Pelegrim. But what does is symbolize, you might ask… Have you ever had the experience, after waking from an unbelievably realistic and intensely visceral dream... that you are somehow still trapped in the dream-state? I often encounter the idea that what we think of as being awake is actually the dream, and our true selves actually do the majority of our creative work while these forms are asleep. In support of this theory, one of these sources suggests that our true self is constantly plugged in to the metaphorical outlet of eternal energy (call it God, Divine Light, Universal Consciousness, or whatever suites your fancy) and requires no artificial nourishment, while these physical forms we occupy are quite dependent on the periodic cheeseburger and coke in order to keep the engine running. In essence, the true reality might be the one that requires no batteries. This song symbolizes our struggle to see beyond the veil of illusions... to finally understand our own collective truth. There is no joyous end state; no explosion into clarity, because that journey is something we each take in our own time... and I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise. ;) I hope you enjoy one of my favorite creations; a far noisier offering than my usual fare... "Tearing at the Fabric." A Painting Update: (020) ‘Fall Gourds’ Continuing with my Fall of 2015 Advanced Oils class, this is the second color painting; and an interesting challenge using transparent objects. 2 more paintings to go before all the gaps are filled on my Art tab. That’s enough new stuff for one post. But I will need to get another post up soon, because I already have another two new songs done after these two. I’m perpetually behind. Haha.
Until next time… Smiles, Justin
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AuthorHello everyone. I'm Justin Mackay. I'm a creative soul, an explorer of life's mysteries, and a big fan of all the beauty in the world. If you're just here for the paintings, then head on over to my Art tab. If you wish to delve deeper into the odd thoughts of a pondering mind, then this is the place for you. Archives
February 2018
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