A quote from JF

There seems to be a running theme in these last bunch of entries (inconsistent as they may be). They all, in one way or another, reference Jon Foreman. Sorry, Jon, I'm really not a stalker-- haha. His words, though, have a way of resonating deep in my soul and I've really appreciated reading his lyrics, his tweets, and his op-ed pieces. It is from one of these op-ed (see the link at the bottom of the page) that I draw the following quote (portions in bold are those that deeply resonate with me):

"The artist is a bridge between despair and hope. The artist, more than anyone else is responsible for the re-creation, re-definition and re-thinking the world around us. Every poem, every song, every painting has tremendous possibility. Each of these creations could be a letter of resignation to The World That Is or a window into The World That Is Not. Each poem/painting/song could be a vehicle to a new reality, one in which the artist plays a part no matter how small. The artist paints a world into existence. The canvas, the paint, the brush--these known quantities of existence and reality are tools for stepping into the unknown.
The notes of the song are a bridge from what is to what is not yet."

There are so many things in this quote that I wish I had the energy to respond to. All I can manage to say right now is that my heart longs for this in a way that defies my not inconsiderable ability to articulate it (*pat pat* good ego, gooood ego!). If there is one thing that I am continuously frustrated by during my graduate school experience, it is the lack of time to be truly creative. Deep down, I recognize myself as an artist more than anything else. But the creative side in me has been so neglected over these last few years that I feel like the very core of me is completely neglected and so I've been coasting on fumes the last few years instead of a full tank.

Creative Matt, I miss you.