There is nothing like an intelligent conversation to stimulate the mind and re-energize one’s thought patterns and creativity.
I have always tried to make people understand the importance of books and reading. While the Internet is a valuable tool when beginning research, everyone needs to follow up with the actual reading of books. I was telling a friend of mine the other day that I fell in love with reading when I was a kid. I only owned a colour television or got cable once I was almost thirty. I had my music and my beloved books. I went to movies on summer evenings when my apartment was unbearably hot, and most of the time, I would doze off anyway.
Art doesn’t appear out of nowhere. Painting isn’t about picking some random photograph of a landscape and copying it. Art comes from the artists’ ideas and thoughts. This raises the bar.
Being around intelligent people also raises the bar. If we can’t keep up in the conversation, we know we’ve slacked off a little in our learning. Learning new things is important!
A few years ago, an old acquaintance told me I should be learning something new to help stave off any form of memory loss. Dr. Bob suggested learning something entirely out of my field to exercise new areas of my brain. He suggested learning a new language for starters. Dr. Bob was learning French and Italian himself. He also took piano lessons and exercised at the gym for one hour daily. The other thing the Doctor said is that we all need lots of affection, intimacy, love and sex. Did I mention that he is in his eighties?
According to Doctor Bob, if we lead a balanced life and keep our minds active, we can live until we are one hundred and twenty!
I have a lot of work to do if I am to steer my ‘Titanic’ of a life clear of the icebergs. I have taken Dr. Bob’s advice to heart. I try to exercise as much as I can, I am trying to read more and eat a more balanced diet. Love, intimacy and sex are plentiful now. My sixties look great, and I feel a sense of calm and reassurance knowing that I am leading a balanced life.
What remains is for me to start learning new things. The prospect of learning Italian excites me. It is such a beautiful-sounding language. Learning the language would give me the incentive to travel to Italy again, and that thought alone fills me with a sense of adventure and joy.
Like most people, I need help managing my time. Everyone thinks that the life of an artist is easier than working a job. I have never worked harder than I am right now. It is a business like many others. There are sales, events, and exhibitions to organize. There are canvases and materials to prepare. Then there is the creativity and ideas to sort through. Add working a job, teaching and mentoring, and you have a lot on your plate.
What I have learned is that I need to take some time, especially with Annie. Having nearly lost her to cancer brings everything into focus. Life is precious. Love is the most important thing of all.
We all need to follow the Doctor’s orders.
Namaste
Quote Of The Day
“I believe alien life is quite common in the universe, although intelligent life is less so. Some say it has yet to appear on planet Earth.”
~ Stephen Hawking ~
