So today (technically yesterday) was a day full of studying-- but it was a great day too! I took an hour-hour and a half study break and went to the Norton Simon Museum, which is an art museum. There were a lot of sculptures and paintings that were just incredible. I am sure the names Picasso, Degas, Monet, Vuillard, van Gogh, Braque, Matisse, Bonnard, Rousseau, Diego Rivera, and Andy Warhol might ring a few bells. It was amazing. I am always so in awe of people that have the gift of art. I wanted to be a painter when I was a little kid... until I realized I was not that good... but the dream still holds a fond place in my heart. I think it is just amazing how these painting and sculptures that people have made decades and even, for some, hundreds of years ago still have such an impact on people today. Some of the artwork literally made me tear up. Could you imagine leaving a legacy of something that still evokes emotions and feelings in people hundreds of years later? What kind of legacy would you want to leave? Would you help them to cope, to laugh, to smile? Would you bring them through heartache or feel misery? Clearly I am trying, not only with this blog, to leave a legacy of love, but I can't help but feel awe for all of the emotions that these artists have left us with. I am so glad that so many of the artwork evokes feelings of beauty and hope. I think the most incredible pieces are those in which the artist was going through an extremely tough time and still managed to paint messages of hope. I feel like that is a lot of what I am trying to do myself-- show love even when I don't necessary want to. Show kindness when I am having a bad day myself. I think that is the most impactful message that there can be... because showing love is worth is no matter how you are feeling inside.
I chose to show love today by paying for audio sets for a family at the museum. They were only $3, but after paying for admission, the family couldn't afford to rent the headsets for the audio tour. It was clear that the whole family wished they were able to afford to rent the headsets, so I rented them for them! I just asked that they use their ID to "reserve" them so that they could keep using them after I left because I knew I would not be able to stay there for long. Hopefully they enjoyed them as much as I did! I hope that they were inspired by the artwork and that they felt the message of love that I was trying to send for them. I hope they remember this trip to the museum... because after seeing all those famous artists and pieces-- I know that I would!
With that-- I leave the post with this:
This picture was one of the most beautiful ones that I saw while I was there. It was painted by Vincent van Gogh. It had so much life and so much hope and beauty in the piece-- even though van Gogh was suffering himself. At the time he painted this, he had cut off his ear and entered the asylum at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. Then he painted this magnificent piece. Less than eight months after his completion, he committed suicide. It was really tragic and sad to think about. But to see that he was able to paint something that, years later, could give me so much hope and inspiration... that was incredible to me. I am so glad that he did--it was one of my favorite pieces. I hope that I can leave a similar legacy--even amid any turmoil I might face, I'd like to be able to still inspire and give others hope.
dannnnng. just look at all that paint! So thick! So amazing!
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