WELCOME TO MY BRAIN: imagine this: 20-something people standing outside of Britain's national gallery holding out tiny 1X1 size jars which each contain 100 different items for the public to see. Sweat is dripping off our faces as curious passers-by approach us, cautious not to get too close, as they scrunch their foreheads at the sight of silent statue-esk BYU students with outstretched jars. A woman approaches me-"What is this?" i silently give her a sticker that is peeling off of my shirt from the heat and humidity. not to worry, i have about 10 more stuck to my clothing and arms, ready to transfer to the first person that shows interest.
But how to answer her questions...what is this? what am i doing holding a jar of randomly collected stuff ? and most importantly, how do i explain how this jar has changed my life?
By first definitions, i would describe myself as a woman, a member of the LDS church, a musician, a leader. I would not think myself an artist. Never have i considered crafting cheap jewelry and scrapbooking as art. Nor would i ever have taken trash collecting or writing poems based on the hear-say words of others as artistic talent. The thought of "conceptual art" would have made me laugh 6 months ago....what a joke? Now i am so different. While studying art in london, my whole life was transformed into one on-going art project. And i loved it-thrived in it. My eyes have been opened to the beauty and color and magnificence of every moment of my existence. That small jar of 100 colors is the most significant thing i brought back from the UK (with my galaxy bars coming in at a close second :) because i noticed all of the vibrance of a city that has been set in stone from its history, and i brought back a small but significant piece of it through what others would consider 'trash'. Each piece in the jar also holds memories of laughter, friends, fun, and life learning. Its not what you do that necessary makes your life great: its who you share it with. I have shared the moments of london with 59 other remarkable people who have taught me to love people for who they really are, and to understand others that are essentially different from us. They have taught me that life is a beautiful gift, no matter what might not be going my way. I forever more have made a pact to myself to STOP over crowding my life and packing it full of mindless things, leaving me with no time to enjoy and thrive within my existance.
But how to answer her questions...what is this? what am i doing holding a jar of randomly collected stuff ? and most importantly, how do i explain how this jar has changed my life?
By first definitions, i would describe myself as a woman, a member of the LDS church, a musician, a leader. I would not think myself an artist. Never have i considered crafting cheap jewelry and scrapbooking as art. Nor would i ever have taken trash collecting or writing poems based on the hear-say words of others as artistic talent. The thought of "conceptual art" would have made me laugh 6 months ago....what a joke? Now i am so different. While studying art in london, my whole life was transformed into one on-going art project. And i loved it-thrived in it. My eyes have been opened to the beauty and color and magnificence of every moment of my existence. That small jar of 100 colors is the most significant thing i brought back from the UK (with my galaxy bars coming in at a close second :) because i noticed all of the vibrance of a city that has been set in stone from its history, and i brought back a small but significant piece of it through what others would consider 'trash'. Each piece in the jar also holds memories of laughter, friends, fun, and life learning. Its not what you do that necessary makes your life great: its who you share it with. I have shared the moments of london with 59 other remarkable people who have taught me to love people for who they really are, and to understand others that are essentially different from us. They have taught me that life is a beautiful gift, no matter what might not be going my way. I forever more have made a pact to myself to STOP over crowding my life and packing it full of mindless things, leaving me with no time to enjoy and thrive within my existance.
No comments:
Post a Comment