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1 July 2003 (Tuesday)

gift of sight

If I had a deity to be thankful to, I'd be thankful for that corner of my brain that occupies itself with noticing. Today consisted largely of moving boxes up and down flights of stairs, on about three hours of sleep, but what I remember most about it was that bit of ocean chill, catching me right on the cheek as I came out of the building, a breeze of perfect strength and temperature. The box-hauling went on into the night, and as I headed down the street to unlock the car, a bus pulled around the corner, the reflected green of the traffic light sliding fuzzily across its windows. Red and orange and white lights dotted the rest of the scene, against a backdrop of tree shadows and deep, deep blue sky.

I suppose the talent of an artist is to notice, as I do, but then also to express, to recapture in some other form: gesture, word, paint, pitch. The translation process is a mystery to me. How does sight become sound? Movement become clay? Sometimes I think I'd like to understand that more than anything else in the world.

posted by enjelani @ 11:41 PM PST [ link ]