creative forces

 Blog # 171...November, 2025                                                                                            

 As I keep my eyes and ears open to the art around us, I'm starting to find the art of survival capturing my attention...so many challenges in so many places. And I'm reminded of something I read about the activity and growth that occurs along the banks of a fast moving body of water, far from the rush of the mainstream. I think of that when I hear about a small creative initiative happening on the margin, like a small plant surviving in the rich soil and protected calmness at the edge of the rushing stream.

Artangel, located in the UK"produces extraordinary art in unusual places". In his book Mad, Bad and Dangerous, Colm Toibin takes us to an Artangel production in Oscar Wilde's cell in Reading Gaol to hear the prisoner's voice read De Profundis, his polemic directed to his former lover Bosey and the English upper classes. How's that for extraordinary and unusual!   Toibin's book explores the lives of Wilde, WB Yeats and James Joyce in the context of their time and families, particularly their fathers. If  you share my luxury of time and love of Irish literature, this book is a joy to read, as are two others by Toibin, The Magician,and The Master about Thomas Mann and  Henry James respectively. 

This morning, I heard Zita Cobb express her philosophy of connective tissue which she employs at Shorefast, her charitable foundation that operates the Fogo Island Inn off the shore of Newfoundland. Her example of a small community united by a small but  successful business is an encouraging example of  connective tissue, a concept close to Cobb's heart.  Makes me think of  the music initiative in Powell River, ready to pick up the pieces when the local mill closed..

Toronto hosted a music event recently that was a collaboration between a couple of unlikely partners. Dan Brown, in between best selling thrillers, has created a book for children featuring animals that's been made into a musical,  produced by actorViggo Mortensen. The performance appeared at the World Congress of Music, bringing children from different parts of the world together to perform, listen, learn and make friends.

I'm remembering Robert Redford and all the support he gave to indie film makers with the Sundance festival,,  He was also a pretty good actor, I'm re-watching some of his films. his last one All is Lost is amazing, made when he was almost 80, doing all his own stunts!                                                                                                      I'm congratulating Sarah Mulhally, first woman to be Archbishop of Cantervury. And. I'm sending kudos to all the Toronto artists who make Toronto's Nuit Blanche such a spectacular event year after year.

I discovered the cause of the underlined website connections mentioned in the last blog and dismissed it.   And I've decided to change my attitude about all the  changes that appear on internet sites, you know when a button you always use in the bottom left corner disappears and after searching for 10 minutes you find it under 3 dots in the upper right cornnr. I'm going to consider it a chance to sharpen my wits. 

                Halloween on Markham Street, created by our neighbour Spencer,                                                                  photo by John Bilodeau

That's all for now, as the dark part of the year begins, keep looking for the cracks where the light comes in.  I'm posting a bit early to send good vibes out on the airways to the Blue Jays let's wrap it up tonight.     Go Jays!