Inside the Box

The other night at dinner a family was eating and talking next to us. One friend of that family a teenage boy was talking next to me. Yes I was listening, okay.

In over hearing his conversation I was shocked at how closed minded this child was. He was interested in designing guitars but had an aversion to other art forms and didn’t want to classify himself as being ‘artsy’. To him that meant he would focus on a certain discipline and ignore other forms of art and didn’t want anything to do with fine art, drawing and paintings, such as visits to the museums.

I could not believe what I was hearing. His friends and the other adults at the table tried to tell him that all artists are ‘artsy’ and he would not listen. While some disciplines and genres deserve respect as their own category one form of art can help the other in unexpected ways.

For myself I have had an improvement in my writing since I have been going to my Belly Dancing class. The thing about inspiration is that it comes from all sorts of places and you need to be open to in, in order to benefit from it. Also I have always thought of art as a way to open doors not close them.

Hearing this kid being so closed minded, in a way that only teenagers can be, was killing me. I wanted to hit him upside the head or shake him by the shoulders. I didn’t do either.

As that party rose to leave I tapped that boy on the shoulder and motioned for him to lean in and then I said, “The more you keep yourself open to all types of art, the better your own art will be.”
To which he said, “Thank you.” He left with the rest of them.

I think the others were asking him what I had said. I just had to. Now try to think outside the box buddy.