Sunday, January 30, 2011

Making Stone

I've been seeing a lot of art and theatre, but I haven't been inspired to write about it. Mostly because I haven't been connecting on a deeper emotional level. Am I learning more about the human condition? I suppose. Am I experiencing beauty? Sometimes. Am I being exposed to new idea? Sure. So, what's the problem? It feels passive. And while I can't expect to have a transcendent experience every time I see a work of art, I wish the feeling was coming a little more often.

I've decided to take action. I'm looking for new experiences--ones that make me feel like an active participant or collaborator. I feel like a cheeseball saying this, but I'm trying to create a sense of intellectual excitement, emotional vitality, and--dare I say it--well being. In the last couple of weeks, I went to my first yoga class since college; I polled friends for good non-fiction books and started reading; I redecorated part of the living room; I helped make a stone wall for a theatrical set; I explored an unfamiliar part of the City; and I made a new friend. I feel like I'm slowly shaking off the winter-time stupor. It will be interesting to see if this continued regimen will bear fruit. I think it might.