"Blowing Through the Dream"
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| Bubble Man (c) Noelle Clearwater |
I took this photo of The Bubble Man at this summer's Solstice Parade in Santa Barbara. He was not a parade participant but rather a creative onlooker, imbued with the imaginative spirit of the dream. As the parade was passing by, he did not watch but instead closed his eyes, dipped his wand and focused on blowing the perfect crystal sphere into the air beyond him. If he had done nothing else in his entire life but this, I would have been satisfied, so intent was he on making it happen. I was mesmerized by him, and I missed a portion of the parade just trying to get the perfect shot of his uplifted face encircled by light as he "blew through the dream. He was a bubble artist.
I tried to think of someone else like him who had given his life to his art by "blowing through the dream." The man who came to mind was Louis Armstrong, "Satchmo" whose horn and singing voice remain legendary to this day. Here he is singing, "Dream a Little Dream of Me." Take it away, Louis!
Dream a Little Dream by Louis Armstrong
I love how you captured his intention, his concentration, his delicate use of breath. I also love the way you captured the shimmer on the surface of the bubble -- such a tricky thing to do.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about art and poetry as healing paths. Writing, making art and taking photographs have been my life vest so many times. I think the thing about painting, in particular, is that it so totally absorbs your right brain that intrusive left-brain critical, obsessive thoughts are disabled.
And thanks for your comment yesterday. It was a gift! At some point, I'd like to have your email so I could respond personally, as your comment came with a "do not reply" return address.
Thanks for your kind words Meri. Coming from you that means a lot! Yes, your point about painting is well-taken, I once bought my mother a book called The Artist's Way with which you may be familiar. She was afraid to express herself through drawing or painting and it helped her a great deal. Years later, when she had Parkinson's it painting became a restorative and emotionally healing therapy for her.
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