The Arts in general :)

This is why I talk about film and not, like, nail polish or boys and kissing or like, shopping and Gossip Girl, lol...



I like to talk about films, and books, and music, and art, and I'm sure you've noticed that. I created this blog as a way to get all this kind of stuff out of my head so in real life, I can talk about real things, like the American Presidential campaign or my five year plan. I'm actually kidding on those last two because I don't particularly enjoy politics, and I don't really like talking about my five year plan (I have one though! It involves a lot of India and sunshine and ice cream). BUt regardless, I could talk about any kind of entertainment without end, and I have several reasons why. Since I don't ever plan on talking about my personal life (by this I mean family, my boyfriend, things I'm struggling with - stuff I'm not comfortable broadcasting to computer monitors instead of faces. I may talk about school because I talk about a lot of blog stuff at school instead of listening) I figured I should share a little bit about my passion for artsy stuff with you (if 'you' exist. Does anybody read this?).

Art is the biggest thing in my life because it's the only thing that's lasted my entire life. Ever since I was a toddler (my mom talks about this all the time!) I was drawing or painting and it's still something that I love to do. Currently, I do a moderate amount of painting when I have time - I love old Hollywood faces and the occasional modern oil piece. I also sketch, mostly when I'm at school, and I do a lot of street art. Street art is something I've only been into for the past year or so, but please don't hate me for vandalism because it's not like that. I like wheatpasting (putting an image on paper and then pasting it somewhere with a paper-mache type mix) because it isn't permanent and it's quick. I've also dabbled in stenciling (like it sounds - but with spray paint) but it's messy. The only places I'll do street art is at the ND skate park because my friends skate there and underneath the 72nd overpass in Delta because it's a nice pick up for people walking their dogs in the rain. I would NEVER do street art anywhere else because that's someone's property and they probably don't want it there. When I start going out again when the weather's warm I'll post photos of some of my stuff. Im heavily influenced (if not in image, then in mind) by Salvador Dali, Leonardo DaVinci, Andy Warhol, and Kurt Halsey.

Music is something I don't talk too much about even though it's a pretty big deal. I was practically raised on country and Supertramp, but I listen to just about anything except heavy metal. Most of my CDs are indie rock and probably have titles that most of you wouldn't have heard of. I like a lot of female vocals (think Regina Spektor, Feist, Kate Nash...) and I'm extremely big on wonderful lyricists like Ben Gibbard (of Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service) and the gentlemen of Pink Floyd. I also have an affinity for hip hop, but I'm picky. The cds I have on heavy rotation like a washing machine are: Death Cab, Nada Surf, Bloc Party, Pink Floyd, Queen, Bob Marley, Kate Nash, Lily Allen... you get the point.

Books are pretty obvious because I'm an English major. I have a huge book collection (my brother had to make me a shelf and it's already full!) and I love anything that makes me feel full of life. When I was a kid I'd read by my night light and that's probably the reason I have glasses now, actually. In my opinion, books are one of the easiest ways to change someone's life. My favorites (in a short list) are: The Power of One, Trainspotting, Stargirl, Life of Pi and the Chronicles of Narnia (my dad read them to me as a kid - I've probably read the series 10+ times). I also LOVE Yeats, Shakespeare and Eliot as poets.

Film is probably my biggest hobby (I spend more time with it than art) and I love to talk about it. I'm big on old black and whites, foreign films (especially French) and anything that makes you think. I don't like to waste time with most blockbusters because to me, film is an art, not something that should be sold out for money (I walked out on Legally Blonde 2, I found it mind numbing and offensive to women - we're better than that! Why would we need to watch that kind of garbage?). That said, I do appreciate a good Will Ferrell flick! I'm not as stuck up as I probably just made myself sound. My film collection is interesting because my brother loves the classic comedies (think Kevin Smith or Animal House...) and zombie films, while I love the indie flicks or anything really well put together (kind of like Marlon Brando's face! I love him.). Some of my favorites are: Citizen Kane (!!!), The Godfathers, All About Eve, Midnight Cowboy, No Country for Old Men, Fight Club, Big Fish, etc.


So basically the reason I just wrote about all of this is because it seems as though a lot of people think entertainment schtuff like this is trivial and unimportant and would rather be talking politics or five year plans. And yeah, I'm sure Death Cab or Citizen Kane couldn't solve world hunger or AIDS, but that doesn't make it trivial. The way I see it, storytelling is what mankind has been surviving off of for as long as we've been around. It's the only way we know our history, and it's the only way we can escape it. Think about how important Ancient Greek theatre was, how well known the Mona Lisa is, or how badly Jews wanted radios in the second World War. So yeah, these things aren't going to solve our problems, but they're going to flesh us out and make us feel alive as the world around us is bringing us down. And let's face it, nothing will solve world hunger or AIDS, at least not within our lifetimes. People are born to die, so we might as well stop scoffing at the less serious things in life because they're all we have to prove we were alive along the way. And even if this doesn't convince you that what I love IS important and ISN'T trivial, that's fine. I'm the one who's going to have fun going down!