Author Archives: CJ Powers

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March 9, 2015

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Media & Society, Thoughts and Ideas

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The Heart of an Artist

Artist DefinedThe Artist is a powerful creature who makes a difference in our lives. He creates for us beauty from ashes, the oil of joy for mourning and the garments of praise for the spirit of heaviness. He makes us laugh in spite of our dire circumstances and brings a tear to our eye when we need to be reminded of our humanity. The artist is a healer of our soul and one who inspires us to be our better selves.

I’m giving an inspirational talk tomorrow night to a group of business people on the topic of artistry. It’s my hope that those in the room who have mastered their craft or developed great business acumen will consider how they might bring heart into their workplace.

Revealing heart through one’s art is a risky venture, especially for those who have been abused in life. However, I can also tell you that being accepted for who you really are is far more valuable than being accepted for who you might pretend to be.

The opposite also rings true. To be rejected for who you pretend to be generates an unprecedented level of bitterness, while rejection based on who you actually are tears the heart, unless you’re confident in who you are – then it doesn’t matter.

The amount of power we find within ourselves when we fulfill who we were made to be is tremendous. It makes me wonder if those who fear the strong are the ones who program society with the hope of achieving some form of a safe haven, without any divergence. The fearful are rarely strong enough to be themselves and hide behind a cloak of societal pressures and political correctness.

It’s therefore the artist’s job to bring awareness to the masses in hopes that enlightenment might grip the heart, mind and soul of the downtrodden. To that end, all artists who choose motion pictures as their venue of choice must find new ways of expressing themselves to bring insight and hope to those around them.

Artistry isn’t black and white, but millions of colors. It takes on different forms and may even be misconstrued at times. I remember one person shared her feelings after reading one of my short stories. She was so spiritually touched that she suggested I become a pastor. A man told me after seeing one of my patriotic works that he’d vote for me if I ran for office. A teenager who felt empowered by one story suggested I become an advocate for women.

The great thing about art is that it opens minds to consider things of the heart. These people weren’t impressed by my stories and films, but by what already resided within their own heart. My art just helped them to see the one thing they held deep within themselves. It only took a spark to fan into flame their dormant passion.

The day will soon come when the people who watch or read my art will no longer suggest I become that thing stirring within their hearts, but instead will embrace their own passion to make the world a remarkable place. For its art that brings each of us to the place we need to be in order to make life-changing decisions that will touch our communities.

Copyright © 2015 by CJ Powers
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February 26, 2015

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Stories

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The Wonders of Fresh Fallen Snow

The Wonders of Fresh Fallen SnowI woke up this morning feeling like an eight-year-old boy. It was a simple feeling generated by the fresh snowflakes falling past my window. I stepped outside onto the crunchy packable snow with a childish grin on my face.

There was a peculiar stillness in the air that caused me to look around and notice the dark contrasting trees. Splat! Smashed my snowball against the dark wet tree. Splat! Another snowball hit, and another. Soon an image emerged of a rabbit with six-foot ears and its paws outstretched, as if it was trying to cross the finish line before the tortoise.

After laughing at my artwork, I flipped over backwards into the snow. My weight drew me closer to the ground, as I heard the snow crunch beneath my large frame like a musical score from my boyhood. I lifted my arms above my head and spread my legs apart, and then I returned to the position of a toy soldier. Back and forth I did it again, forming the perfect snow angel.

I felt large fluffy snowflakes fall on my face and stuck out my tongue for a taste. The sound of little footsteps approached through the crunching snow and stopped by my shoulder. I turned to see a little four-year-old girl standing in a pink snowsuit with fur surrounding her face. She looked down at me with a quizzical look suggesting it was time to play.

I rolled over and got onto my knees to look into her eyes. Reaching down, I swooped up a scoop of white flakes and packed it into a snowball. I handed it to the little girl and watched a big smile form on her face. She tossed it a few feet and it rolled into a slightly larger ball that gave me an idea for a bit of fun.

Little colorful mittens pressed up against the snowball to help me roll it into a larger ball. We watched the snow roll off of the grass and form another ball larger than the first, leaving a carpet of brown grass in its wake. The little mittens pressed next to my gloves, as we rolled the biggest ball of all.

I strained to lift the midsized ball onto the big one and watched the little girl try to lift the snowman’s head. With a little bit of help she was successful and we quickly placed it on the snowman’s body.

The sound of a sliding glass door was heard and we both watched in amazement, as the girl’s mother walked out in her blue fuzzy bathrobe with a carrot in one hand and a box of raisins in the other.

With approving eyes looking at me, I took the carrot and fashioned it into the snowman’s nose. Then I watched the happy woman place clumps of raisins in each of her daughter’s mittens. After a quick squeeze, her mother took the small packed clumps of raisins and placed them in the snowman’s belly forming a line of buttons for his vest.

The little girl reached high to place the remaining individual raisins into the snowman’s newly formed smile, while I grabbed a couple fallen branches and stuck them into his torso for arms.

Standing back and looking at our snowman, the little girl’s mother took the belt from her robe and wrapped it around the snowman’s neck like a scarf. I added a final touch by placing my hat on his head and we all admired our handiwork.

As we stood in silence in the freshly fallen snow, the little girl reached out her hand and gave mine a loving squeeze. After a warm smile from her mother, I watched the two disappear back into their townhome, which reminded me that it was time for breakfast.

Taking time to be a child on a snowy morning did wonders for my heart, so I took a moment to make some hot chocolate, sat by the fireplace and typed out my morning blog to share the wonders of fresh fallen snow.

Copyright © 2015 by CJ Powers
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February 23, 2015

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Filmmaking, Media & Society

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“Birdman” Oscar Wins Reveal Hollywood

birdmanBirdman took home Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Cinematographer. None of which were a surprise to me due to the current condition of the industry.

Hollywood was taken over by marketing and business years ago, which led to the increased production of sequels and hero films based on existing comic books. This movement generated large box office dollars due to the economy and Americas’ need for hope to survive. Unfortunately, it was at the cost of creativity.

The industry is filled with creatives who are desperate for something new and unique. They want to take artistic chances and explore their craft, but always fall short by being put on films that regurgitate the same stories over and over again.

How many times can they reboot Spiderman? Sony is working out the kinks on the third version with yet another actor at the helm.

Only 15% of the top 20 films last year were original movies. The rest were either sequels, adapted from books or superhero stories. For a group of creatives that thrive on making their own stories, three films out of the top 20 is a far cry from what would satisfy an artist.

I can’t imagine what it would be like for a painter to spend the majority of his day painting ad campaigns and only 15% of his time expressing his feelings on canvas. Nor can I picture a writer penning marketing copy for most of the day and only write a handful of words to fulfill his need to express himself within a novel.

But, some how people in the movie industry have become slaves to the business and marketing teams who have no need to express anything creative.

It’s no wonder that the past three years the top Oscars have gone to stories about the industry and the pains or the forced draught of the artists themselves. Birdman speaks volumes about the desperation for a story that is new, creative and risky. It’s a revelatory film of artists’ desperation in the new Hollywood.

Film is not about money. It’s about story and artistic exploration. Yes, some have turned it into a moneymaking factory, while others have forced it to be about political messages, but in reality it’s just another art form of heartfelt expression.

This awkward set of circumstances is what drove the majority of filmmakers to create independent films rather than studio films. It’s also what is driving filmmakers to macro studios and away from Hollywood. Even the best writers are leaving film studios for independent television projects that will be released in non-standard venues.

Today, if you want a great star to be in your movie, all you have to do is come up with a risky story that’s never been done before. If it has a character that has great depth and unique qualities, you’ll be able to get any true artistic actor to sign on. After all, Hollywood is bored and desperate for something new to explore.