Writer and philosopher, Johann von Goethe
(1749-1832) said that there were nine
requisites for contented living. In the December
issue I invited you to reflect on the
first five:
- Health enough to make work a pleasure.
- Wealth enough to support your needs.
- Strength to battle with difficulties and
overcome them.
- Grace enough to confess your sins and
forsake them.
- Patience enough to toil until some good
is accomplished.
Now, here are the other four:
- Charity enough to see some good in your
neighbor.
- Love enough to move you to be useful and
helpful to others.
- Faith enough to make real the things of
God.
- Hope enough to remove all anxious fears
of the future.
I have again added questions to ponder and a
link or a quote as kindling. I wish all of
you more than enough contentment!
Thanks for reading,
Aletta
6. Charity enough to see some good in
your neighbor.
Who do you know who could use some kind acts
or words?
The upcoming exhibition Making It New:
the Art and Style of Sara and Gerald Murphy
"explores the extraordinary lives of
Sara and Gerald Murphy and the couple's
influence on a remarkable constellation of
creative artists that flourished in Paris and
the Riviera in the 1920s and 1930s. Friends
of Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald,
Pablo Picasso, Igor Stravinsky, Cole Porter,
Dorothy Parker, Alfred Hitchcock, and Fernand
Léger, the Murphys strove to make something
fine and beautiful of their lives through
'living well,' creating art, and encouraging
artist and writer friends. The result was
some of the most noteworthy literature,
music, theater, and art of the last century.
Often portrayed simply as wealthy patrons,
the Murphys in fact improvised their own
brand of unconventional modernism that was a
source of inspiration to their many talented
friends." June 8-September 14, 2008 at
The Marguerite and Robert Hoffman Galleries
http://dallasmuseumofart.org/Dallas_Museum_of_Art/View/Future_Exhibitions/ID_151545
7. Love enough to move you to be useful
and helpful to others.
What and who moves you to go the extra mile
for others?
"I'm constantly amazed by the talent and
experience of my fellow artists. What is
even more amazing is their willingness to
share that experience with other A.C.T.
members. I was looking for a way to increase
the size of my mailing list. I posted a
'call for help' and in no time at all, I had
all my answers. My fellow artists readily
shared their experiences, templates, signs,
and results.
"I've benefited just as much from other
artist's questions. Many times their
questions apply to something I've been
thinking about or something I haven't been
thinking about, but should have been. The
true beauty of the message boards is that we
can do as a group what we can't do as one.
" Bruce K. Haley, Jr.
http://www.artistcareertraining.com/featuredartistdetail.asp?ID=548
8. Faith enough to make real the things
of God.
How strong is your belief in whatever
inspires you to make your art?
The last couple of classes, although
informative, left me feeling as though this
road was going to be very tough. Was I up to
the task? Could I really pull this off? But
today, I realized or woke up to the fact that
I already have many of the skills I need. I
simply need to reorganize and redirect them.
Life is a brand new journey these days, but
I get to take wisdom from the past journeys
with me.
"So many of the things
Brenda Swenson mentioned today:
relationships, integrity, professionalism,
boldness (described it but didn't call it by
name). Those things I have come to possess
and develop over the years. I can do this
thing. And I'm going to be quite good at it.
I don't have to be the best in the world,
just excellent." Painter and A.C.T. 201
Member Barb Riche.
www.artistcareertraining.com/actprograms.asp
brabriche@earthlink.net
9. Hope enough to remove all anxious
fears of the future.
What helps you face your doubts and fears and
keep going anyway?
"The human mind is a time machine. Even
though we can only live in the present, the
mind has the ability to look back to the past
and forward to the future. This is both an
asset and a liability.
If our thoughts of the future focus on the
bad things that could happen, we will be
worried and anxious. This serves a purpose if
it leads to productive activity. ... Beyond
that, dwelling on future danger only makes me
miserable and wastes my precious time.
However, if we expect good things to happen
in the future, we experience hope." Stan
Hibbs, Ph.D.
Add some thoughtful action based on what is
actually happening, and you have a recipe for
moving forward into the future.
So put
the mouse down and step away from the
computer. Sneak down the hall, move away from
the festivities of the season. Stop in a
quiet place. Drop into your most comfortable
chair with a cuppa' for a few moments
reflection. 