“We are lonelier and more disconnected than we have ever been and it’s polarized, but art can save us.” – Brené Brown
A year ago, I would say my favorite pastime was going to see and experience live shows and art (music, theater, art exhibits, etc.). There is such power and feeling of belonging when people get to come together to see, hear, and experience art in its many forms because everyone has individual and collective experience. I have grieved over not being able to have that shared and deeply personal experience for what seems like so long. Too long.
I think one of the reasons why I miss experiencing art in its many forms with others is because as Brené Brown puts it, “art has the power to render sorrow beautiful, make loneliness a shared experience, and transform despair into hope…Music, like all art, gives pain and our most wrenching emotions voice, language, and form, so it can be recognized and shared. The magic of the high lonesome sound is the magic of all art: the ability to both capture our pain and deliver us from it at the same time. When we hear someone else sing about the jagged edges of heartache or the unspeakable nature of grief, we immediately know we’re not the only ones in pain. The transformative power of art is in this sharing … It’s the sharing of art that whispers, ‘You’re not alone.’”
As a way to draw upon the full human experience, artists are masters of contrasting light and dark in their medium. Whether it’s song lyrics, lines in a poem, stories shared, paintings, pictures, etc. artists have a way of capturing the power of light and dark. Clever artists also have a way of “flipping the script” knowing light doesn’t always equal good and dark doesn’t always equal bad – everything has context. What are some of your favorite works of art that incorporate light and dark? I encourage you to share that work (song, poem, picture, story, etc.) with someone else and talk about it. I believe you will not only make a deeper connection with the person you share it with but also experience a deeper understanding of yourself and the work itself.
To start the sharing, my favorite Avett Brothers’ song (shout out to Karen and Bill Bruner who are also big fans of the band) is “Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise.” It was the first song of theirs I listened to and the swells of the song and the lyrics grabbed my attention and had me hooked. For me, the songs and lyrics capture the idea and importance of acknowledging my experiences (the good, the bad, the ugly) so that I can move forward with all that I’ve learned. Everyone has doubt. It’s part of the human condition. But we all also have potential. We have to work through the doubt to achieve our true potential. I would love to be one of the people you share your story of why you chose the work of art you did!
Peace,
Pastor Kate