I'm back from Seattle. For those of you who don't know, I've got a son going to school there (Cornish College of Art) as a theater major. The purpose of my trip was to see him in his latest play.
Well, cutting to the chase, he was AWESOME!!! AMAZING!!! FABULOUS!!!
No, really, he was. I know I'm his mom, and all, but I swear, when he was onstage I completely forgot that we were related. His performance and the play itself put me right where I love to be when I see art: in a different world.
For me, that's what defines a great performance, a great piece of art, music, whatever. When I forget the world around me and have a true emotional response to a piece, I figure I've just stumbled across genius.
I think this is very hard to do, but worth the effort. I also believe that the best way for an artist to achieve this result is to forget about trying to achieve this result. Complete immersion in the work and having the work create an emotional response in you, the creator, is the best way to create that in your audience.
It's hard to forget the audience, but worth the effort. Work for yourself only, and only when you love the work. That's big. That's huge. That's happiness.
That's ART!
