Reflections on Aesthetics

I just finished up my first course in my last semester. At times frustrating, at times very rewarding, I think I can leave this course being able to put into words a bit better, why an aesthetically obedient life is of value.

I am not an artist, dare I say, much of my creative juices can be traced back quite easily to a few influences in my life. And I am quite content with that. Yet, I realize that even though I don't produce works of art or create groundbreaking ideas regarding aesthetics, I do feel that part of my life is closely tied to enjoying the richness of goods creation, and accordingly cultivating that richness where possible.

There are two themes that have really stuck with me from this course. First - take time. Take time to enjoy a cup of tea, take time to become aware of the places you reside daily, take time to recognize the abundance of goodness in God's creation and act accordingly. Two - surround yourself with those willing to learn. While there are aesthetic and artistic leaders present around me, most of the people any of us know, are not that different from us. Which makes it even more crucial that we surround ourselves by those who are willing to learn, experiment, challenge, and engage some of the peculiar things that a playful aesthetic life opens up. Surround yourself by friends, family, somewhat familiar "experts" on culture and listen.

To finish this post... Here are some links to some artistic leaders or worksAn close to me or in the broader community which are worth following.

Dr. Suess
Simon & Garfunkel (Currently loving Wednesday Morning 3 A.M.)
Sigur Ros (His newest album Med Sud I Eyrum is simply amazing)
La Sagrada Familia (The Sacred Family by Antoni Gaudi, construction began in 1882 and will hopefully be completed in 2026 - Gaudi said "My Client is not in a hurry" here is a floor plan, with the significance of the towers and architecture - I am slightly very exited to visit thisplace in May)
Annie Ling

sporadic ramblings

It is mid February. I must be honest in saying that I have not longed for summer this much before in my life. I am tired of the dark and cold days. I do not enjoy being confined to four walls for most parts of the day. I honestly crave the opportunity of enjoying a meal outside on a patio, I long for the long evenings where the sun doesn't seem to hurry to get to the other side of the world, I desire to go to places randomly and not having to worry about frost-bite.

I also think that is probably the saddest and dreariest way I have ever started a blog. After all things are actually quite well in my life right now. I am listening to Beethoven's Piano concerto No. 4 in G Major and while I don't really know what that all means, it is very soothing. February 2009 means also that I am rapidly approaching my graduating date. This semester has been filled with many responsibilities and opportunities, however, has been cast under a shadow of a significant lack of motivation to achieve the best I can. While being challenged in my classes and even more so in conversations with friends outside of class I am struggling to push myself to critically engage a lot of the big ideas floating around.

Currently I am interning at Cardus (A Public think tank with a comprehensive view of changing our world) for course credit, and it has to be the most interesting course I have partaken in. My official "title" is research intern, which means that I get to assist in the research projects Cardus has going on. For me the most exciting part has been to partake in the Stained Glass Urbanism research. It is hard to describe in few words what I get to do - most simply put, however, I get the chance to research what the role of the church as an institution is within the urban context. How does a church relate to its city, how does it cultivate and nurture a healthy relationship with urban life in the city not just its Sunday worshipers. That kind of stuff gets me going and accordingly I am enjoying this internship quite a bit.

Back to the summer, there are many things to look forward to. The most obvious is my mom's wedding and being able to see all my family and loved ones and having all of us together for the first time in a while. However, that alone doesn't make me excited about the summer. I greatly anticipate living with many of the same guys as last summer at the Catacombs, numerous other weddings, being done school, and going to Holland and Barcelona (Lord willing).