We make up a story about how a painting of a fireplace ended up in our living room.
We had fun making this episode!
The week of Thanksgiving, we had some people over. After dinner we sat around the fireplace to chew on a question. How did this painting end up in our living room? We began by describing the painting. Then we introduced an artist, Helena Susan Adams. By the end of the evening, we pieced together the history of the painting, what had inspired it, where it had been and how did it ultimately come into my hands. Various characters popped up, of course. So I thought it would be fun to interview some of them and add their voices to the mix. I love the mix of reality and fiction. We start in one place and end in the other.
Who painted this picture of a fireplace that inspired our story?
Searching for a mystery artist
We are looking for the real artist who made the painting that inspired our story. You can help us find this person by sharing this picture on social media.
Can we recognize a city by its sound, sort of like recognizing the sound of a mother’s voice? This is one day in Chicago after the 2016 Podcast Movement conference.
Sometimes Chicago sounded like a casino. Other times a war zone with its relentless wailing of sirens and the whirring of helicopters that hovered almost within reach of the crowds at Millennium Park. Black Lives Matter is trying to get our attention.
Sometimes Chicago sounded like a carnival. Sometimes a church. Mixed in there were the street musicians playing for change, reminding me of the time I got lost in Brussels looking for the Sleep Well. This is not Saint Paul or Minneapolis. It makes me wonder if a person would be able to identify their hometown based on a recording, sort of like the sound of a mother’s voice.
People talk and I record them. This is not Chicago any more than the pictures I saw people taking of the Trump Tower would epitomize the city. It’s just a snapshot of a particular time and place. I wish I could have done more. I missed a lot, even the rumbling of the “L” from overhead. I’d like to go back.
Thank you…
Greg, our mailman and a fellow Red Sox fan.
Cory Mottaz, On Air Personality/Voice Talent.
Autumn Day Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
References
In the name of free association, coincidence and curiosity here are some show links.
Ross, Max. (2016, July 16). A family undergoes renovations at Walker Art Center. Star Tribune. Retrieved from http://www.startribune.com/ Taking pictures of people taking pictures of art takes Brian’s observation to a new level.
I’m uncomfortable with how comfortable we are with our growing preference for the company of robots over people. I wish everyone would read this book.
The TV screens that plastered the walls of the hotel restaurant flashed from one crime scene to another. Baton Rouge. Saint Paul and eventually Dallas.
In the meantime, a group of Black Hebrew Israelites were preaching…
After a brief encounter, I wondered who their audience was.
I do not have nor want a smart phone and other reasons I’m concerned about the disappearance of taxis…
When my neighbor showed me his Uber app and raved about how great the service is, it’s hard to argue with the genius of the idea that connects drivers to those needing a lift. Yet I’m not convinced that we have thought this through.
To Brian’s point about taking pictures of paintings: “Stella recalls showing his Black Paintings in Baltimore in 1973. Ever since, they’ve been rarely shown. ‘What people know about the Black Paintings is the idea,’ he said. ‘They know something from reproduction, but the reproductions of the paintings are brutal. They don’t really photograph.'”Sayej, Nadja (2015, August 1). Frank Stella: ‘If you get into art to make money, you’re deluded’. The Gurdian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com
A great dinner experience on Michigan Avenue in Chicago
Bandera – We count on an exceptional meal at some point in our travels. The last time we were in Chicago it was a place in Chinatown. This time it was Bandera. Wow!
What are the barriers to being grounded in a culture filled with distractions and how can we separate the signal from the noise to get grounded?
Being grounded means that you’re self-aware, don’t put on personas, are down-to-earth and solid but open and probably kind. You have confidence (but you’re not cocky), which means that you’re not prone to taking things personally. You’re comfortable with making meaningful decisions because you have figured out how to separate the signal from the noise; being grounded means that you focus on the important stuff.
You’re generally calm. Above all you are present! You’re living in the moment! You are not judgmental, but accepting of imperfections, including your own. This puts people at ease and that’s just one reason why they like you. Why can it be tough to be grounded in today’s world? What can we do to filter out the noise of smart phones, war drums and looping commercials that take us away from ourselves? Meditation, walking, yoga and even taking an improv class are just some ideas suggested.
