By Sian Lindemann
Arts & Entertainment Editor
How many remember the television show from the late 1950’s, early 1960’s, titled “To Tell The Truth.”
It was a game show where the panel of participants all claimed to be the same person, and it was up to the panel of judges to determine WHO was lying.
I was always attracted to that show. “To Tell The Truth,” the title, was what always captured my attention. Perhaps it’s the way the host said the Title name at the introduction to the show, but once I heard “TO TELL THE TRUTH” spoken out loud, I was captivated, however not long enough to maintain my interest in the actual program.
I don’t remember the contestants, and I don’t remember being able to tell who was lying.
I just remember “To Tell The Truth.”
Now 40 years later, I am compelled to share this story with TNNW readers.
It may appear completely “off topic” that I am speaking about this reference to “To Tell The Truth,”…however the very essence of my consulting work opens with an inquiry as I ask my clients to define their “core ideology.” Its the first question on a document of 15 questions. I always give an example of what I mean by “core ideology,” the “why” you do what you do as it relates to a specific art form. WHY do you do it? WHY do you paint? WHY do you sculpt? WHY do you write, etc?
The “why” you do what you do, has to have an authentic answer. The response cannot come from a shallow place in one’s being. It’s the thing that grabs you, wakes you up in the morning, moves you into action, and is, ultimately your reason for being. You might do it unconsciously but the “core ideology is what, ACTUALLY, drives your every action during the day.
When I answered these questions for the first time, I wrote 4 pages filling my notebook with “the answer” until such time as I discovered that my answer had only two words…
Truth, first….then, beauty. What I realized after much analysis, per my own perceptions, speaking the truth, is “for me” the highest form of beauty. It can take an active role in creating art, but the art, is even so much as the simple expression of the words. Speaking authentic, ruthless, truth.
Truth comes to me naturally, and per some who know me well, I have been, most often, referred to as “always a straight shooter.” My delivery has been described as a little hard to handle, but the content is always recognized as authentic.
The subsequent outcome of this expression, and it is certainly almost never a comfortable perspective to be expressing….it seems my view has always been slightly off, off center to the rest of the world’s perception.
What I have come to discover, more profoundly, is that the expression of “my truth” often turns the head of everyone in the room, which has been more frightening than I could endure for most of my life, so I just did not speak up.
Now, with the onset of human desire to be more awake, lets call it the 80’s, more self-aware, more “spiritual”….I realize, now, that I was born with this gift.
I was born with the ability to see through the veil, or for some, a better choice of words…more authentic, less esoteric, is the ability to see through the “bullshit.”
I’ve been aware of it since as long as I can remember being aware of my existence…which the earliest memories are around age 4. I know they are age 4 because, of course, the family photos, demonstrate and capture photographic renderings of times that I can cognitively remember. Mom, of course, told me how old I was….so yes, I wasn’t actually aware of my age, just the moment of awareness, itself.
And what I remember is that I could always “see.” I remember that people talked, but what they said wasn’t what was in their hearts, I could “see” it.
I can’t describe how I could “SEE” it, but there was an awareness in my being, that even being as young as 4 or 5, I was thinking to myself, and I knew it was my “higher” self, that what was being said was complete non-truth.
And I remembered thinking, nearly all of my life, “I can’t wait until I grow up and I don’t have to deal this anymore.” Little did I know that it was not just going to be a unique source and phenomenon of “just” my parents. It, the lack of authenticity, awareness and presence was everywhere. It was like all humans were living in a fog. And I was the only one who was not in the fog.
Now I never had the courage to express these things…out loud. It’s funny to me that I “went along” with the status quo, and then suddenly in 1990 people starting having an overwhelming desire to go to self – awareness trainings.
I was elated, because for the first time in my life, I “felt” that beings were finally meeting beings, and were willing to be the authentic “being” self…it was short lived.
People only remembered for what seemed the time frame up until the end of a week long “intensive” forum, or at most a few days beyond the “intensive,” until such time as their normal practices took over their day and conveniently had them forgetting the authenticity of last week’s work.
OH well.
The reason I bring it up now is that, its HERE again. There is a resurgence in the desire for individuals to expand upon what they learned in the 1990’s. Thank God, I am lucky again to be reminded of that little 4 year old who could remember why I am here. I remember why I came to earth, and I remember that I had a job to do, and I remember that I was going to have wait a really LONG time to finally get to DO what I came here to do.
Isn’t that funny?
To know why you have landed here on earth, but never to have had the full permission to live it out until nearly 45 years later.
I must really have more patience than I think. LOL
Anyway, back to the topic and the reason why I had to explain all of the previous content.
Today, I watched a YouTube Video today, which brought me to tears.
It brought me to tears because I know the man, and I know the Eagle, Challenger, and I know the story of how ART impacted this man, to change his life, immediately 20 years ago, and I know the story of what he did with his life since then, which is the content of the video I viewed this morning. The authenticity of passion, commitment, love, and devotion pour forth from this video content. The love between man and bird is tangible, makes emotion rise, and brings forth tears. It moves us. It moves me.
This is what art SHOULD be. http://www.eagles.org/aefsplash/
Anything less is just “doodling,” you know, “daydreaming.”
MOVE yourself, and I mean literally…let yourself be “moved” by the work you are engaged in. Let it move you into creation. Let that depth of emotion “move” the force with which the paint brush is applied to the canvas.
Selling the work no longer becomes a monumental task. The “movement” becomes a force that attracts your support, your patrons, your buyers, because they, too, wish to be a part of something that is “real.”
Anything less is annoying. And denying this force within oneself, is even MORE annoying, and MOST annoying to me, who “sees” it, and who has to wait for you to realize it.
Take the model, of Al Cecere, and The American Eagle Foundation. Al Cecere was a student and film maker. He was “moved” by a photograph, eagles that had been shot and were left to rot, on a beach somewhere, and were poached for their talons, beaks and feathers. The image was so impactful that he decided to make it his life’s work to save these majestic birds from annihilation.
Steve Metzner / Wildlife Photographer
That kind of passion moves this man, and he is always “on the go, and unlike most conservationists who “talk” about saving something, some kind of wildlife, or water, or something...Al did something different, Al succeeded.
The American Bald Eagle was recently removed from the endangered species list. Now his work is in the development of an endowment, one that will preserve the protection of this species forever.
Pretty powerful work, I would say. What is YOUR “core” and what is the MOST authentic use of your skills and talents as an artist.
Do NOT deny it, and for the preservation of my sanity, Please do NOT wait until “someday.” Do it NOW…and boldly go where no man has gone before…and please, TAKE us with you. Let me see, feel and hear your passion. It’s the only thing, really, that is worth the effort, after all. And if you hide the work in your studio for the rest of eternity, you deny the world the opportunity to feel what I expressed about Al Cecere and his work with The American Eagle Foundation.
The only thing that keeps you ‘hidden’ is fear, and to some degree arrogance. Denying humanity the gift of “authenticity” is selfish. You were given a gift. It’s not just for you. And besides, it is not a gift, until you give it away…(and I don’t mean FOR FREE)
Now, the only question you might ask is HOW do I discover the deeper realm of what is percolating within myself that will reveal my given talents. As you know, there are SO many classes available in regard to self discovery. The only thing I can share with you, is if you are willing to dig to the bottom of your toes to discover your true passions, the teacher or guide who can take you there will show up. Mine, showed up at my door and invited me lunch, now 20+ years ago. I promise.
Lastly, what on earth does any of the content of this article have to do with “networking?”
Al Cecere is, by far, one of the BEST networkers I’ve ever met. He gets the job done, by mingling, asking, and encouraging your support to his agenda. It works, HE works, and the job gets done. The pursuit of one’s passion is WORK, but I would imagine, like the video content here, the MOST fulfilling and inspiring agenda in which one can engage.
(The purchase of the Limited Edition print, Eagle over Oxbow, offers an ongoing % of revenues to The American Eagle Foundation. You may purchase it from my website, http://www.siandesign.com/ CLICK on Portfolio to order)
Thank you for your support, I look forward to “seeing” you.
Sian Lindemann
June 2008
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To Tell The Truth…
