Everyone discusses my art and pretends to understand, as if it were necessary to understand, when it is simply necessary to love.

Everyone discusses my art and pretends to understand, as if it were necessary to understand, when it is simply necessary to love.

CLAUDE MONET

Yesterday, as I was reading several interpretations of Sounds of Silence and contemplating the meaning, part of what was going through my mind, was why was I not taking more time to really drill down on what some of the lyrics to my favorite songs really talking about, and in parallel, what was the artist really trying to express in the process?

As I filtered through other’s interpretations and finding direct conflicts between them, something deeper reinforced inside of me and reminded me of this quotation by Monet, whose work I truly admire.

Sometimes art is just art. It doesn’t matter what the artist was thinking, or what their subconscious was ruminating on. Sometimes art is just visceral expression. Sometimes it is just brush strokes while trying to take one’s mind off of other problems they may be suffering in life. 

As I studied art history, and heard what various museum’s expressed as their interpretation of what the artist had done, I could feel in the back of mind, an arrogant voice, saying, “says who?” Part of the joy of being an artist is allowing yourself to connect with source and enable your inner being to produce without consciousness. You just let the creative process happen. Sometimes it is amazing, and other times, not so much.

At the end of the day, art, in all of its forms is a connection to Source. When an artist is connected, or “in the groove,” or “inspired,” the experience just happens. No doubt, we are influenced by so many things that give us cause to interpret our world, and reflect it through the mind of an artist. And whether that happens consciously or subconsciously, I still have to wonder whether a deep knowledge of the mind of the artist was important in the sheer appreciation and enjoyment of the work of art.

As a filmmaker, I have watched so many critics pontificate about these topics as to make my stomach swirl. But no filmmaker ever got it more defined and accurate and hilarious as Woody Allen!

Happy Monday!

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Written by Brian Weiner
When I was 5 years old, I discovered that the lemon tree in the backyard + dixie cups + water and sugar and I was in business. I have been hooked on that ever since. In 1979, I borrowed $14,000 to create a brand new product... photographic greeting cards with no text on the inside, called Paradise Photography. That was the start of The Illusion Factory. Since then, The Illusion Factory has been entrusted by all of the major studios and broadcasters with the advertising and marketing of over $7 billion in filmed, live, broadcast, gaming, AR, VR and regulated gaming forms of entertainment, generating more than $100 Billion in revenue and 265 awards for creativity and technology for our clients. When I took a break from film school at UCLA to move to Hawaii, my mother did not lecture me. Instead, she took 150 of her favorite aphorisms and in her beautiful calligraphy, wrote them artistically throughout a blank journal. That is the origin of the Lessons from the Mountain series. Since then, on my journeys to the top of a mountain to watch the sunrise, I have spent countless hours contemplating words of wisdom from the sages of all races, genders and political persuasions, constantly accumulating the thoughts to guide me on my life path. I hope you enjoy my books. Please let me know your thoughts, as I highly value your feedback!