Hearing and Feeling and Playing and Doing a Life of Art

When You’re Missing One or More of the Above…

c. 2020, Linda Moran. In progress; “Thank You, Dr. Hubble.” Marbled art fabrics.

I can sing -

but I can’t tell you the notes or match a harmony.

I can be on a stage-

but I can’t be sure of my spatial sense as to where I can and can’t move.

I can hear music -

but I can’t match any of the harmonies or recreate them in the correct key.

However, I can’t dance -

but I can move in my own way to the music.

I can’t paint the human figure -

but I can recognize its beauty when I see it.

I can’t play the piano by ear -

but I can enjoy listening to my favorites by Rachmaninov and Mozart.

It’s a question of balance. All those gerunds in the title most of us can experience pieces individually, and maybe occasionally in twos or threes. I join those of us who envy individuals who can do them all at the same time.

But the balance is that we can enjoy large and small pieces of the arts that make life beautiful without having to recreate everything to appreciate it for ourselves.