The Lardner Report

Unleash your creative superpowers!

When Art Moves Your Soul – At Age 4

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His name is Jackson and his father uploaded this magic moment for all of us to see. I am so grateful to Mark Blitch for sharing such an intimate, profound experience with his son.

The song is called “Say Something” by “A Great Big World” featuring Christina Aguilera. It’s a smash hit, with nearly 50 million views on YouTube.

I can’t begin to explain my response to this recent viral video. And earning over 3 million views in just a couple of weeks, it’s clear I’m not alone. What sends me spinning is the sense that Jackson seems to completely understand the pain of a breakup, loss, or lovers’ standoff. How can this possibly be? But watch how he responds to the words – as if they hurt – as if they mean something personal, deep – as if he too had experienced this kind of anguish at some point in his short time on earth.

When his father asks if he should turn off the song – Jackson replies,”No.” You can almost hear him say, “I have to feel this.” To me, it’s proof again that art – like the song – can magically reach a place so deep in our souls that age and  experience just don’t matter.

Jackson Blitch just might be the youngest teacher to show us that art is the purest, most fundamental way to connect hearts.

 

No Excuses! Commit to Your Creative Path

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A fifth-grader born without arms takes up the trumpet

Please remind me – the next time I start whining about lack of time, feeling fatigued, or some other lame excuse for not pursuing my creative passion — that I only need to watch this video to understand nothing should ever get in the way. 10-year-old Jahmir already knows that. In fact, he’s way ahead of us, and it never even occurred to him that anything could ever hold him back.

Press play.

Accidental Art

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Green drywall at MS cafeteria 4tlr

(Pic #1) Drywall prep in NYC cafeteria renovation

It’s simply about being aware… conscious, open.

While surveying a corporate bank client’s new cafeteria construction site in a Manhattan high-rise last month, I stumbled onto this gorgeous green wall (above). I fell in love — with the color, the haphazard strokes of paint, and the funky protruding electrical cables.  It reminded me of Franz Kline’s work  (normally in black and white) – at a fraction of the cost. The funny thing was – I kept hearing managers asking contractors about the space, “when will this be done?”

I chuckled  to myself – because I felt it WAS done. In its current state, this stretch of drywall has all the elements of a Rauschenberg combine: loose, wide brushstrokes, a sweet sense of negative space, and 3D objects adding intrigue and dimension.

The saddest thing is – this underground masterpiece will never be seen by anyone – but you, right here. I just heard that construction on the eco-friendly cafeteria is completed, and employees and customers will now only see what they’re supposed to see: perfection.

glov e-2-2.4tlr jpg

(Pic #2) And then there was one: Lonely work glove expresses “tude.”Photo by Josh Kaplan.

In my corporate creativity workshops, I always stress the importance of really SEEING what’s around you. Sometimes that means looking down. Way down. Case in point – the parking lot surprise above (Pic #2) left by someone in a hurry. Lying viagra flat on the asphalt – in a classic F-YOU pose, this work glove emerged as a striking road sculpture in the middle of an Encino strip mall. We did not stage the extension of the middle finger – it apparently ended up that way after hundreds of drive-overs and thousands of pounds of crushing pressure from speeding SUVs.

One of the true tests of whether something is “successful” art is its ability to engage. The abandoned glove had us speculating over lunch for an hour. Did my husband really just point-and shoot?  Or did he “arrange” the piece in a bogus bird-flipping position? If he did just “capture” the art as it was – how did the glove land smack in the middle of a perfect light source? The answers are simple: it was a glorious happy accident.

Murre cleaners window

(Pic #3) A section of a weathered window decal at my dry cleaners.

Sometimes, while waiting on line somewhere,  I’ll fixate on something mundane – like my cleaners’ neglected storefront window. (Pic #3) Weathered and cracked, its sign “Murre” has become unreadable. But it manages to give us something else: a stunning abstraction in emerald and grey.

I encourage you to look around your world and find the beauty – no matter how ordinary your path. Those little visual treats are just waiting for us to notice.