Normal or Exceptional?

Maya Angelou is a gem living among us! A poet to be sure, but so much more. A wise person. A fountain of prickly thoughts that call us to a high standard of contemplation.

Here’s one of her prickly thoughts:

            “If you are always trying to be normal you will never know

 how amazing you can be.”

As we watch this season’s The Voice and get ready for the new season of So You Think You Can Dance, Angelou’s quote makes a lot of sense. On The Voice we meet new, young singers of varying artistry and musical genre. During the competition to determine who will prevail as The Voice of 2013, we observe the brilliance of talent each contestant has. They are all very, very good! As the coaches work with each artist is becomes ever clearer that once the creative genius within each of us is let loose we learn that ‘normal’ will never be seen again, at least with that contestant.  These artists bloom before our eyes and put us in awe of their ability to sell a song and its message. Stunning talent. Certainly not normal or usual. Outstanding.

Same with So You Think You Can Dance. If you haven’t witnessed this program you need to. Young dancers who compete to be named the best of the best at the end of the competition. Their movements are breathtaking. The emotion they evoke in their dancing are heart stopping. You sense immediately the breadth and depth of artistry these young performers are capable of. 

The same goes for each of us.  If I seek normal that’s all I’ll be. If I seek more, to be beyond reach, I will rise to the demand. Each of us has more potential and capability than we can possibly imagine. All we need do is reach.

Kurt Vonnegut had this to say about the arts:

“Go into the arts. I’m not kidding. The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven’s sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something.

And Ray Charles shared this with us:

“I was born with music inside me. Music was one of my parts. Like my ribs, my kidneys, my liver, my heart. Like my blood. It was a force already within me when I arrived on the scene. It was a necessity for me – like food or water.”

We take what we have been given and do something with it. It may be of little interest to others, but to us it has value. Doing something with it is a must. No choice involved. Make art. Make music. Appreciate art. Be changed by art. Creation is a wonderful thing to behold.

While you’re at it, support the arts! Insist that art be an important part of every school’s curriculum.

May 10, 2013