subject: The Artists Have Always Gotten Passion! [print this page] The Artists Have Always Gotten Passion! The Artists Have Always Gotten Passion!
So What Is Passion Anyways?
We all probably have a pretty good idea of what passion is. The dictionary describes it as "a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for anything, such as a passion for music." I like that description because when I think about where passion is often exhibited, it is often in the arts.
The artists have always gotten it!
Beethoven said, "To play without passion is inexcusable!"
Martha Graham was an American dancer & choreographer regarded as one of the foremost pioneers of modern dance, whose influence on dance can be compared to the influence Stravinsky had on music, Picasso had on the visual arts, or Frank Lloyd Wright had on architecture. She said, "Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance. Great dancers are great because of their passion."
Van Gogh vowed, "I would rather die of passion than of boredom."
The Japanese actress Midori Komatsu said it this way: "Passion is what drives us crazy, what makes us do extraordinary things, to discover, to challenge ourselves. Passion is and should always be the heart of courage."
Surely we have all seen the differences between the musician who plays with great passion, the actor who embraces his role until it consumes him or the painter who pours her very soul into the canvas. While certainly all of those talents include a great amount of the sciences and mathematics, it is the passion with which the performer acts that draws us in, that compels us to live the story unfolding. It is never satisfied with just going through the motions.
Find passion in your life! For some, it's a career. For others, it's giving back to the community by donating time, money or talent to a worthy cause. For still other, it is some form of the arts, perhaps music, dance or theatre either professionally or community. Many find their passion in establishing a family and raising their children.
The key is not the WHAT that you are passionate about! It is that you spend every day doing what you love to do, throwing yourself in to it with all the love and passion it deserves, as though it is the very thing you live for! It should be!
