A Soulful Journey

People need big dreams, expansive horizons, large challenges, stretching ambitions.  Faith gives birth to these "from-a-distance thoughts".  -unknown Dream away.  Dream large.

Maxie Dunnam tells an interesting story about the great Canadian photographer, Yousef Karsh. According to Dunnam, Karsh only took one portrait of a person’s back, that of Pablo Casals in a French abbey in 1954. Karsh writes that as he was setting up his equipment, Casals began playing by on his cello. Karsh was so enthralled by the music that he almost forgot why he was there. He took his portrait of Casals with the little baldheaded man bent over his cello, frozen in time against the plain stone wall of the chapel.  Karsh said that he took it that way to capture the loneliness of the truly great artists and the loneliness of exile. Years later, when the portrait was on exhibition in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, another old, baldheaded man came day after day and stood for long moments at a time in front of the portrait. The curator of the museum noticed him and, when his curiosity got the best of him, went over, tapped him on the shoulder and asked why he staye...

When the artist is alive in any person, whatever his kind of work may be, he becomes inventive, searching, daring, self-expressive creature.  He becomes interesting to other people.  He disturbs, upsets, enlightens, and open ways for better understanding.  Where those who are not artists are trying to close the book, he opens it and shows there are still more pages possible.  – Robert Henri , “The Art Spirit” We are all artists as we imagine how life can be different than it is presently.  Every time we conjure up a new way of doing things we are crafting a new art.

On vacation with his family, Dr. Edwin Land’s small daughter complained that she could not see the picture her father just snapped.  Within one hour, Land had the solution in his head, which eventually became the Polaroid Land camera.

“There are no guarantees. From the viewpoint of fear, some are strong enough. From the viewpoint of love, none are necessary.” ~ Emmanuel In the memorable story of the Wizard of Oz, the Cowardly Lion with his friends approached the Wizard to obtain what they most needed. While Wizard was a sham, what he brought about from the Straw Man, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion was genius. The Wizard said to the Lion, “You have plenty of courage, I am sure. All you need is confidence in yourself. There is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces a rue danger. True courage is in facing danger when you are afraid, and that kind of courage you have in plenty.” The Lion could not accept the Wizard’s words. He did not believe he had such power in him. The Wizard then took another approach. Placing before the Cowardly Lion a vial of green liquid, Oz commanded the beast to drink it. “What is it?” queried the lion. “Well, if it were inside you it would be courage. You know, of course, t...