An Appreciation for the Arts...

... I haz it.

(C'mon, how do you not love cats lacking grammar skills?)

One of my literary faves, Jen Lancaster (linked on the left as Jennsylvania) wrote a whole book last year on developing an appreciation for the arts as a means to expand her conversational repertoire beyond reality TV.

I say that my already well developed understanding of the arts lets me rot my brain in other areas as much as possible, much as being all responsible like in having both a job and a condo lets me be ridiculous at times and have waaaaaay too many shots (See: a recent Young Professionals Network event. No one was anywhere near professional by the end of that evening).

I have learned both classical and jazz piano, as well as a smattering of the clarinet.

I have read both Kafka and Sylvia Plath and enjoyed it.

I have a favourite Keats poem and Van Gogh painting, as well as an appreciation of more modern iterations of prose (slam poetry) and art (oh those gorgeous prints on etsy)(and then Regretsy)

While most operas are not my favourite, I will always be a sucker for La Traviata and wish I could be a song writer like Hawksley Workman.

Thanks to years of drama, I have my Shakespearean (Drama: Lear Comedy: Midsummer Night's Dream) and modern favourite play (George F. Walker's Problem Child) and over all

love of the theatre.

I got to go see 'Romeo and Juliet' last week, and while it had its issues (clogging showdown between Ladies Capulet and Montague was a little confusing), just being in a theatre and being taken into the story is a wonderful moment for me. I wish at times I was the one ON stage but just being there is enough.

I feel really lucky to have these things in my life. Part of it, mainly music, is from my parents who kept me in piano until I did indeed damn well like it. My grandmother used to take me to the National Art Gallery. I also had access to wonderful teachers in all these disciplines. It makes me sad that there are people, and children, out there who have not been so lucky. I feel bad at times that I do squander it, and don't get out to enough events, watching TV rather than a new fringe show. I am resolved (this won't be a New Years Resolution because those don't work) that now that I am more settled, I will make more of an effort to appreciate and enjoy the artistic experiences which are available.

Nothing wrong with the first step being tickets to:

(Review to come in December. ;)

(I may be more excited than I was for Christopher Plummer in the Tempest, eesh.)

(I will start reading Ayn Rand soon I SWEAR.)