Given recent news, I thought I'd share a poem that I love--and which is appropriate. Called "How did you Die?" it was written by Edmund Vance Cook.
Did you tackle that trouble that came your way
With a resolute heart and cheerful?
Or hide your face from the light of day
With a craven soul and fearful?
Oh, trouble's a ton, or trouble's an ounce,
Or a trouble is what you make it.
And it isn't the fact that you're hurt that counts,
But only how did you take it?
You are beaten to earth? Well, well, what's that?
Come up with a smiling face.
It's nothing against you to fall down flat,
But to lie there - that's disgrace.
The harder you're thrown, why the higher you bounce;
Be proud of your blackened eye!
It isn't the fact that you're licked that counts;
It's how did you fight and why?
And though you be done to death, what then?
If you battled the best you could;
If you played your part in the world of men,
Why, the critic will call it good.
Death comes with a crawl, or comes with a pounce,
And whether he's slow or spry,
It isn't the fact that you're dead that counts,
But only, how did you die?
Update: Don't miss out on the other art antidotes here at The Nearby Pen--and be sure to also check out the 8 quotes from Mind Over Mood that I share elsewhere.
Showing posts with label art antidote. Show all posts
Showing posts with label art antidote. Show all posts
Monday, March 22, 2010
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Art Antidote for the Apathetic
A poem by Edgar A. Guest was used as a previous art antidote (for a lack of resolve) and you're likely to see more of him here as he is one of my favorite poets.
"If I Had Youth" is a good poem for any occasion, but it may be particularly valuable to those who need a fire relit in their soul. I myself can't read it without being more excited about life. Enjoy!
If I had youth I'd bid the world to try me;
I'd answer every challenge to my will.
And though the silent mountains should defy me,
I'd try to make them subject to my skill.
I'd keep my dreams and follow where they led me;
I'd glory in the hazards which abound.
I'd eat the simple fare privations fed me,
And gladly make my couch upon the ground.
If I had youth I'd ask no odds of distance,
Nor wish to tread the known and level ways.
I'd want to meet and master strong resistance,
And in a worth-while struggle spend my days.
I'd seek the task which calls for full endeavor;
I'd feel the thrill of battle in my veins.
I'd bear my burden gallantly, and never
Desert the hills to walk on common plains.
If I had youth no thought of failure lurking
Beyond to-morrow's dawn should fright my soul.
Let failure strike--it still should find me working
With faith that I should some day reach my goal.
I'd dice with danger--aye!--and glory in it;
I'd make high stakes the purpose of my throw.
I'd risk for much, and should I fail to win it,
I would not ever whimper at the blow.
If I had youth no chains of fear should bind me;
I'd brave the heights which older men must shun.
I'd leave the well-worn lanes of life behind me,
And seek to do what men have never done.
Rich prizes wait for those who do not waver;
The world needs men to battle for the truth.
It calls each hour for stronger hearts and braver.
This is the age for those who still have youth!
Update: Want more? Check out this post sharing eight quotes from Mind Over Mood, a book on changing how you feel by changing the way you think.
"If I Had Youth" is a good poem for any occasion, but it may be particularly valuable to those who need a fire relit in their soul. I myself can't read it without being more excited about life. Enjoy!
If I had youth I'd bid the world to try me;
I'd answer every challenge to my will.
And though the silent mountains should defy me,
I'd try to make them subject to my skill.
I'd keep my dreams and follow where they led me;
I'd glory in the hazards which abound.
I'd eat the simple fare privations fed me,
And gladly make my couch upon the ground.
If I had youth I'd ask no odds of distance,
Nor wish to tread the known and level ways.
I'd want to meet and master strong resistance,
And in a worth-while struggle spend my days.
I'd seek the task which calls for full endeavor;
I'd feel the thrill of battle in my veins.
I'd bear my burden gallantly, and never
Desert the hills to walk on common plains.
If I had youth no thought of failure lurking
Beyond to-morrow's dawn should fright my soul.
Let failure strike--it still should find me working
With faith that I should some day reach my goal.
I'd dice with danger--aye!--and glory in it;
I'd make high stakes the purpose of my throw.
I'd risk for much, and should I fail to win it,
I would not ever whimper at the blow.
If I had youth no chains of fear should bind me;
I'd brave the heights which older men must shun.
I'd leave the well-worn lanes of life behind me,
And seek to do what men have never done.
Rich prizes wait for those who do not waver;
The world needs men to battle for the truth.
It calls each hour for stronger hearts and braver.
This is the age for those who still have youth!
Update: Want more? Check out this post sharing eight quotes from Mind Over Mood, a book on changing how you feel by changing the way you think.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Art Antidote for a Lack of Resolve
While art can sometimes bring you down, at other times it's like "red bull for your soul"--it lifts your spirit higher.
Where before you stared at your feet, after a great work of art you're likely to be looking up to someone else's achievement or, better yet, to the great things that you plan to (and will) do.
Suppose though that along the way you make a mistake or meet an unexpected obstacle.
The problem may be something outside yourself--for example, an economic or political system that makes your financial dreams more difficult. The problem could also be something internal--for example, you are paralyzed with fear at the seeming insurmountability of a struggle.
Art can not change the nature of external challenges, nor the steps that you need to take to conquer them. However, it can strengthen your will to keep going in spite of the odds, or to keep moving forward despite the distractions.
It can do so simply by showing what happens when a person pursues their values with determination and resolve. Or: it can do so by poetically stating the reasons why one should act in such a way.
"See it Through" by Edgar A. Guest is a fitting example of the above (and the first part of this week's art antidote):
When you're up against a trouble,
Meet it squarely, face to face;
Lift your chin and set your shoulders,
Plant your feet and take a brace.
When it's vain to try to dodge it,
Do the best that you can do;
You may fail, but you may conquer,
See it through!
Black may be the clouds about you
And your future may seem grim,
But don't let your nerve desert you;
Keep yourself in fighting trim.
If the worst is bound to happen,
Spite of all that you can do,
Running from it will not save you,
See it through!
Even hope may seem but futile,
When with troubles you're beset,
But remember you are facing
Just what other men have met.
You may fail, but fall still fighting;
Don't give up, whate'er you do;
Eyes front, head high to the finish.
See it through!
If you're ever feeling a lack of resolve when pursuing goals, certainly spend as much time as it takes to achieve clarity regarding your purpose and your plan, but also remember the lines above.
I think the above poem is beautiful; its message, priceless. And I hope, after reading it, you feel the same. On Thursday, I will pair up this Art Antidote with another, in order to help you further strengthen your resolve.
Where before you stared at your feet, after a great work of art you're likely to be looking up to someone else's achievement or, better yet, to the great things that you plan to (and will) do.
Suppose though that along the way you make a mistake or meet an unexpected obstacle.
The problem may be something outside yourself--for example, an economic or political system that makes your financial dreams more difficult. The problem could also be something internal--for example, you are paralyzed with fear at the seeming insurmountability of a struggle.
Art can not change the nature of external challenges, nor the steps that you need to take to conquer them. However, it can strengthen your will to keep going in spite of the odds, or to keep moving forward despite the distractions.
It can do so simply by showing what happens when a person pursues their values with determination and resolve. Or: it can do so by poetically stating the reasons why one should act in such a way.
"See it Through" by Edgar A. Guest is a fitting example of the above (and the first part of this week's art antidote):
When you're up against a trouble,
Meet it squarely, face to face;
Lift your chin and set your shoulders,
Plant your feet and take a brace.
When it's vain to try to dodge it,
Do the best that you can do;
You may fail, but you may conquer,
See it through!
Black may be the clouds about you
And your future may seem grim,
But don't let your nerve desert you;
Keep yourself in fighting trim.
If the worst is bound to happen,
Spite of all that you can do,
Running from it will not save you,
See it through!
Even hope may seem but futile,
When with troubles you're beset,
But remember you are facing
Just what other men have met.
You may fail, but fall still fighting;
Don't give up, whate'er you do;
Eyes front, head high to the finish.
See it through!
If you're ever feeling a lack of resolve when pursuing goals, certainly spend as much time as it takes to achieve clarity regarding your purpose and your plan, but also remember the lines above.
I think the above poem is beautiful; its message, priceless. And I hope, after reading it, you feel the same. On Thursday, I will pair up this Art Antidote with another, in order to help you further strengthen your resolve.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Introducing Art Antidotes
I explained the concept of art antidotes ever so briefly in the post on how to get rid of a bad (movie) feeling. I plan to present a whole series of posts on art antidotes--opening up a kind of online pharmacy for them--so an introduction is definitely in order.
You can think of art antidotes as being somewhat analogous to medication. In this case, however, the antidote is working on your soul as opposed to your body.
A typical post will start with an emotional "ailment" such as being agitated or scared or apathetic--and then go on to list an artwork that helps you to feel an opposite emotion.
Agitated, for instance, is the state of being "shaken up" emotionally, or restless. Leaving aside the causes of the emotion for now--something that I do not recommend you do (should you feel it)--an appropriately selected art antidote should help you achieve a state of serenity.
In my experience, combinations of different mediums of art (that convey similar emotions) are immensely useful, the equivalent of extra-strength medication for those "sticky" bad feelings.
Because of the above, many of the art antidotes will be delivered in two or three posts--to be "taken" (i.e., viewed, listened to, thought about) either at once or at spaced intervals.
All that said, I hope you like the concept of art antidotes and, when you come back to the site again, I hope you'll enjoy the reality of one!
You can think of art antidotes as being somewhat analogous to medication. In this case, however, the antidote is working on your soul as opposed to your body.
A typical post will start with an emotional "ailment" such as being agitated or scared or apathetic--and then go on to list an artwork that helps you to feel an opposite emotion.
Agitated, for instance, is the state of being "shaken up" emotionally, or restless. Leaving aside the causes of the emotion for now--something that I do not recommend you do (should you feel it)--an appropriately selected art antidote should help you achieve a state of serenity.
In my experience, combinations of different mediums of art (that convey similar emotions) are immensely useful, the equivalent of extra-strength medication for those "sticky" bad feelings.
Because of the above, many of the art antidotes will be delivered in two or three posts--to be "taken" (i.e., viewed, listened to, thought about) either at once or at spaced intervals.
All that said, I hope you like the concept of art antidotes and, when you come back to the site again, I hope you'll enjoy the reality of one!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
How to Get Rid of that Bad (Movie) Feeling
Have you ever watched a film that made you feel as though your soul was somehow dirty afterwards?
Have you ever finished a novel with the vague feeling that somewhere along the way you lost something of spiritual importance?
Have you discovered a method for ridding yourself of that "icky" feeling and reclaiming your previous emotional state at once?
I have. And, although the following five steps are not the only way to rid oneself of a bad (movie) feeling, they are the quickest and surest way of doing so that I've discovered thus far.
1. State the emotion clearly--starting with the dominant emotion first.
For example, let's assume you have just seen a horror movie--like Friday the 13th. You leave the theatre with a strong sense of discomfort, a feeling that can last for hours and perhaps (intermittingly) for days or weeks.
The first step to get the feeling out of your system quickly is to state in a clearer way what it is exactly that you feel. In this case, the answer may be that you feel an underlying though vague sense of fear (as if you were haunted).
2. Identify the dialogue or action that caused the emotion.
Continuing with the above example, you might point out that the world portrayed in the movie is one where the innocent are not only semi-retarded but also completely helpless against evil. At the same time, the evil character is ever-present, all-powerful, and unkillable. The feeling of being haunted, you conclude, comes from being in this sort of universe--a world where one can't escape from evil no matter how hard one tries.
3. Re-affirm the world as it is and the proper place for humans in it.
"People as a whole are not like those shown in the film," you might say--noting that your fundamental view of mankind should not be defined by the lowest common denominator.
More importantly, in this world as opposed to the one experienced while watching the film, the innocent do not have to fear any sort of all-knowing, all-powerful, and unkillable being.
The innocent and the good move forward confidently from one destination to the next, their days are spent peacefully, and when they are tired they sleep soundly. It is the evil characters by contrast that stumble through life--they are the ones condemned to spend long days crouched in fear and long nights with no rest.
More importantly, in this world as opposed to the one experienced while watching the film, the evil have to fear an all-knowing entity--one that can not be vanquished except with their own life: their consciousness.
No matter where they go, or how much they try to deaden their senses (with liquor or with drugs), as long as they are alive they will be haunted by the awareness of something horrible, ever-present, and evil: themselves.
The way that horror films portray good and evil (along with the emotional consequences of both in a person) couldn't be more wrong--it's a completely upside down view in fact. No wonder so many people feel so "shaken up" spiritually after watching one.
4. Repeat the above steps for any other emotions experienced.
For example, perhaps while watching the film you kept the full context of the situation in mind.
In other words, you were aware that "it's just a movie" and that the whole idea that a person can die and come back to life is utter nonsense (because it's biologically impossible). Thus, you were never truly scared but still got that vague sense of uneasiness--as if you were haunted--by having spent so much time in that world.
To the extent that you kept the above facts in mind or focused on other issues--like the quality of acting in the film--another emotion you may have experienced is boredom. (Actually, judging by the reviews at Rotten Tomatoes this was the dominant feeling!)
Here again, simply repeat the steps. Name the feeling, identify what caused it, and--using specific examples--show yourself that people are not always boring and neither does life have to be.
5. Choose the appropriate (art) antidote--and enjoy the well-deserved emotions that result.
After the above four steps you know a lot more about the causes of certain painful emotions--and are thus in a better position to avoid the films (or other works of art) that might lead to them.
You also should more deeply understand the causes of pleasurable emotions--and are thus in a better position to find the films (or other works of art) that might lead to them.
The underyling sense of fear, you may notice, has gone--but wouldn't it be better if this could be replaced with an opposite emotion?
Part of that work has already been done, when you mentally showed how one view was incompatible with reality as it is and another, more positive view, is philosophically consistent.
The fifth step is to strengthen and re-affirm the above examples and conclusions--using specific works of art that are chosen for the specific purpose of eliciting desirable emotions.
Because they completely eradicate undesirable emotional "ailments" by replacing them with their opposites, I call the above artworks art antidotes.
When chosen properly, not only should the undesirable emotion be gone, but you should be truly excited about living in an awesome world--where material success and undiluted happiness and romantic love are possible (even to-be-expected, by those who work hard for them).
***
If you haven't identified the artworks you like, the emotions they tend to elicit and why--stay tuned. I'll be sharing a ton of the art antidotes I use, and which you can as well, to combat boredom, fear, anxiety and so on.)
Also, for more on this, check out a post I wrote called 8 quotes from Mind Over Mood on changing how you feel.
Have you ever finished a novel with the vague feeling that somewhere along the way you lost something of spiritual importance?
Have you discovered a method for ridding yourself of that "icky" feeling and reclaiming your previous emotional state at once?
I have. And, although the following five steps are not the only way to rid oneself of a bad (movie) feeling, they are the quickest and surest way of doing so that I've discovered thus far.
1. State the emotion clearly--starting with the dominant emotion first.
For example, let's assume you have just seen a horror movie--like Friday the 13th. You leave the theatre with a strong sense of discomfort, a feeling that can last for hours and perhaps (intermittingly) for days or weeks.
The first step to get the feeling out of your system quickly is to state in a clearer way what it is exactly that you feel. In this case, the answer may be that you feel an underlying though vague sense of fear (as if you were haunted).
2. Identify the dialogue or action that caused the emotion.
Continuing with the above example, you might point out that the world portrayed in the movie is one where the innocent are not only semi-retarded but also completely helpless against evil. At the same time, the evil character is ever-present, all-powerful, and unkillable. The feeling of being haunted, you conclude, comes from being in this sort of universe--a world where one can't escape from evil no matter how hard one tries.
3. Re-affirm the world as it is and the proper place for humans in it.
"People as a whole are not like those shown in the film," you might say--noting that your fundamental view of mankind should not be defined by the lowest common denominator.
More importantly, in this world as opposed to the one experienced while watching the film, the innocent do not have to fear any sort of all-knowing, all-powerful, and unkillable being.
The innocent and the good move forward confidently from one destination to the next, their days are spent peacefully, and when they are tired they sleep soundly. It is the evil characters by contrast that stumble through life--they are the ones condemned to spend long days crouched in fear and long nights with no rest.
More importantly, in this world as opposed to the one experienced while watching the film, the evil have to fear an all-knowing entity--one that can not be vanquished except with their own life: their consciousness.
No matter where they go, or how much they try to deaden their senses (with liquor or with drugs), as long as they are alive they will be haunted by the awareness of something horrible, ever-present, and evil: themselves.
The way that horror films portray good and evil (along with the emotional consequences of both in a person) couldn't be more wrong--it's a completely upside down view in fact. No wonder so many people feel so "shaken up" spiritually after watching one.
4. Repeat the above steps for any other emotions experienced.
For example, perhaps while watching the film you kept the full context of the situation in mind.
In other words, you were aware that "it's just a movie" and that the whole idea that a person can die and come back to life is utter nonsense (because it's biologically impossible). Thus, you were never truly scared but still got that vague sense of uneasiness--as if you were haunted--by having spent so much time in that world.
To the extent that you kept the above facts in mind or focused on other issues--like the quality of acting in the film--another emotion you may have experienced is boredom. (Actually, judging by the reviews at Rotten Tomatoes this was the dominant feeling!)
Here again, simply repeat the steps. Name the feeling, identify what caused it, and--using specific examples--show yourself that people are not always boring and neither does life have to be.
5. Choose the appropriate (art) antidote--and enjoy the well-deserved emotions that result.
After the above four steps you know a lot more about the causes of certain painful emotions--and are thus in a better position to avoid the films (or other works of art) that might lead to them.
You also should more deeply understand the causes of pleasurable emotions--and are thus in a better position to find the films (or other works of art) that might lead to them.
The underyling sense of fear, you may notice, has gone--but wouldn't it be better if this could be replaced with an opposite emotion?
Part of that work has already been done, when you mentally showed how one view was incompatible with reality as it is and another, more positive view, is philosophically consistent.
The fifth step is to strengthen and re-affirm the above examples and conclusions--using specific works of art that are chosen for the specific purpose of eliciting desirable emotions.
Because they completely eradicate undesirable emotional "ailments" by replacing them with their opposites, I call the above artworks art antidotes.
When chosen properly, not only should the undesirable emotion be gone, but you should be truly excited about living in an awesome world--where material success and undiluted happiness and romantic love are possible (even to-be-expected, by those who work hard for them).
***
If you haven't identified the artworks you like, the emotions they tend to elicit and why--stay tuned. I'll be sharing a ton of the art antidotes I use, and which you can as well, to combat boredom, fear, anxiety and so on.)
Also, for more on this, check out a post I wrote called 8 quotes from Mind Over Mood on changing how you feel.
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