The Jazz Player
Yes you have seen this before, well some of you have. I have put it in today because a fellow blogger admitted to me a love of the saxophone. On my other blog I was talking today about getting priorities right and how easy it is to get into a mess because you fail to do so. I was doing it very much tongue in cheek.
The reality is though that it is so easy to get it all wrong. As we get older, and sadly we all do, we reflect back on what just might have been.
At one time I was a sax player. I played sax and clarinet. It was not all wasted I had some great times and I suppose in one way or another I learned much from the experiences I had at that time in my life. Music in turn led me into the ministry in a round about kind of way. I wrote some modern hymns and tunes that are still song in churches today.
I swopped the clarinet and the sax for a new engine for my car and the music came to an end.
I tell you this because I am aware that I am in grave danger of swopping my art for something else. I have regretted the loss of the music often and writing that down here for you to read will make me think about the art again.
Anyway here it is again posted just for my blogger friend who loves sax players.
Done in pastel on pastel board it still lays around my home somewhere. One that got away and nobody wanted to give him house space.
This blog is linked to my other How Wrong Can We Be
It's funny how similar my life is to yours. I was a serious trumpet player and majored in music in college. Somewhere along the way, I stopped teaching music and started teaching elementary subjects, and the trumpet was re-assigned to the basement. And that's okay. Just follow your heart, Ralph. Don't do the art because others expect it of you. Do what you feel you need to do to be YOU at this moment of your life. The trumpet is always there, if I decide to go get it and pick it up again... so is the art. It's always there for you when you're ready for it.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ralph for the post. Remember my favorite quote.?.." Follow your heart and you'll never be lost."
ReplyDeleteExcept for obligations and responsibilites one should never do something because others want it. If your heart is not singing because of something....let it go for a while.. if it comes back fine, if not ...thats fine too. You'll be enthused and happy inside with the next chapter in your life.
Give up blogging? Give up art? What's going on Ralph? You sound down. I would think after accomplishing your run up mountains, you would be feeling wonderful about yourself.
ReplyDeleteMaybe its just time to step back, take a deep breath and relax. Maybe allow yourself two weeks off from both and see how much you miss them??? Personally I don't think you should give up on the things you love...
Ralph, in your "about me" on your blog, it states that your art is your vocation. Every life has different vocations at different times. I do think that choosing visual expression at this time in your life has a reason. However, do not pursue if it is because others expect you too. It's your life. If you do wish to pursue ... do it just for you. You run for you, you blog for you, do you paint or draw for you?
ReplyDeleteCurious, what are you swapping art for?
ReplyDeleteYou should only pursue the creation of artistic pieces if that is where your heart is. Art should not be a labour or a priority...it should always be the 'beginning' of an inner translation; a 'desire' not a 'necessity' to express what words deny.