Mumford and Motivation

our view of the Mumford show. Can't see the band in the photo, but it shows the cool lights they set up at every show!

 

This post is a little late, and has no correlation to how enthusiastic I am about the music I witnessed last weekend.  Some of you may know the band, Mumford and Sons. I have been pretty obsessed with this band since last winter. They sold out  in the spring at the amazing Varsity Theater, so when tickets went up for sale for their next show in Mpls, my dear husband scored tickets with in the first minute or two (earning him super, mega, rock-cred husband points.  …as if he needed them..). Just when I thought I couldn’t love this band more than I already did, seeing them live was beyond words. It’s almost as if God himself arranged this musical group to my exact specifications. High Energy, Folk Rock? Check. Poetic Lyrics? Check. Amazing Harmonies? Check. Did I mention they are British men that wear vests, and look like they hoped right out of a modern version of a Jane Austen novel? Here is a little taste of the genius that is Mumford…

What does this have to do with making stuff, you may ask? I’ve always felt that art fuels art. Sometimes you see a painting and feel inspired to, well, paint. But sometimes all I know is you just want to go make something, be apart of something. Sometimes it’s easy to let feelings of inadequacy get in the way of simply creating. I’m slowly learning that the process of making isn’t about being the best at something, getting noticed, or getting awards.  it’s just about making, because that is what you were born to do. Sometimes it’s just about taking it all in. The ability to be moved by the arts is uniquely human.

One of my  first jobs in high school was in food service. I remember having a conversation with a co-worker, a male, probably in his mid 30’s saying he didn’t really enjoy music, that he’d never felt moved by a song or anything. I still think about that statement he made, and I can only hope he just hadn’t heard the right song yet.

Back to what I’ve been making. My newest obsession is ‘photo runs’.  Thanks to the Hipstamatic ap on my phone, it is super easy to snap some shots of anything that catches my eye, and simply move on. I’ve decided I want to work on a series of paintings of images all captured within running/walking distance of my house. anyone who knows me, probably knows much I love St. Paul. I love the diversity, the history, the community of this city. here is a painting I’ve been working on. There is something about power lines that look so cool to me.  Also a picture of my ‘spare bedroom studio’. I, sadly, had to move all my painting supplies inside since it is now below freezing in the evenings. I feel like I just moved it all out on the porch, and now I have to move it all in again. 😦

Here are some images I’ve captured of the deliciousness that is St. paul in the Fall