boosting my creativity with The Element

The subtitle of Ken Robinson's book inspired my purchase - How finding your passion changes everything. It was an impulsive airport buy, but within two weeks, I had watched both of Ken Robinson's TED talks - one in 2006 and the other in 2010. This man has an academic and a consulting background and he moved from England to live in Los Angeles around 8 years ago! I think knowing something of the author helped me to better appreciate this book. It does also span self help and popular academic publishing. Ken proposes early on, that current education systems are similar to fast food in that they produce undifferentiated education that does not necessarily inspire passion or develop creativity. He supports this argument with a range of interviews of highly successful people like Paul McCartney, Richard Branson and many others - education failed them! So he then proposes a series of steps to promote individual creativity through similarities he has identified in the creative success stories he documents. It makes sense to think differently to identify a core passion. He describes needing to find your tribe, asking for help and getting started - it is never too late. It was an enjoyable read, and I hope has started me thinking about my passion for writing in a different way...

Reflected in You - Sylvia Day

an enjoyable, exciting and engaging read... I picked it up at the airport without realising that it was in fact the second in a series! I am not sure I will go back and read the first book - Bared to You, but I will read the third, when it is realeased early next year - Entwined with You. It is an erotic romance, about obsession and power - but both believable and escapist.

art on a wet day in Monterey

I had planned to visit Monterey because of its artistic connections, as rain was forecast for the whole weekend. My plans were confirmed on two levels - in a chat with a great jeweller in her lapidary studio at Cannery Row, Tempest told me that Monterey had been a hippie hangout, then the wealthy at Carmel had spread out and there was now a mostly healthy synergy between them both - sounds a bit like Byron Bay to me...It seriously is a naturally beautiful place, so it makes sense that both the artistic and the rich want to enjoy it!

Anyway I decided to visit the Monterey Museum of Art - initially in the downtown gallery, where I enjoyed seeing hundreds of miniatures, in a variety of styles and media. The urban life photography was impressive - black and white photos really emphasise facial expressions in a way that colour cannot.

But the biggest surprise for me was the exhibition of Chuck Close's Works on Paper, that was displayed in the La Mirada house and gallery complex. This man has a learning disability including prosopognosia and he draws amazing portraits by superimposing a grid on a face and drawing within each segment -

up close, each work looks like a grid of interesting colour and design, but at a distance the portraits are totally amazing...He also uses a whole array of printing processes, which are equally impressive. Here is a very popular American artist that I did not know, and it was an impressive discovery regarding his art and his life as a whole... I am open to learning lots more about him...

Tomorrow, when the war began - reading 'Australian'

Julie and Donovan gave me this book for Christmas. They commented on the different sort of english used by the australian teenagers. I barely believed it until I started reading - there is a glossary, but that is hardly enough - there is a unique langauge represented here, that is definitely based on english. This is the first of a seven-book long series and it has been made into a film, and I am very captivated already! Seven teenagers are caught out in a world that has been turned upside down and they are faced with the challenge of trying to save their parents! It sensitively and honestly explores themes of courage, maturity and emotional intelligence, amidst the australian bush. John Marsden writes to engage, but in a colloquial way. It reminds me of growing up in Australia!

winter walking in Yosemite

I drove in to Yosemite over snowy and icy roads - and began with enjoying my classic panorama from Tunnel View - it really highlights El Capitan on the left, Half Dome in the middle and the bridal veil falls on the right, with a massive valley and so much more in between! Today was cloudy, there was a weather warning for an afternoon storm, which likely would indicate a significant snowfall.

So I decided to check out the walking paths on the way up to the base of Bridal Veil falls - it is amazing how there is falling water amidst ice falls. Every few minutes you could hear a chunk of ice falling - just like the glaciers in the Khumbu region of Everest! Feeling confident about the state of the roads and walking paths, I set out to walk up to Mirror lake - at the end of the valley. It was a luxury to be able to drive so freely in the valley - the roads were heavily gritted, but not icy, given it was now a few degrees above zero (or at least 33' according to my car's temperature gauge).

It was an easy walk up by Tenaya creek to the manmade Mirror lake - and it was such an impressive reward. The giant vertical face of Half Dome loomed omniscent on my right - and the classicly shaped North Dome on the left. It was fun to explore this lake, and wonder why parts were totally frozen and others still liquid - guess the flowing stream is a reason for some liquidity!

So my final walk for the day, was the first half mile of the Mist Trail - heading up towards the Vernall Falls. The rain was holding out, so I could keep walking. This is a major trail, that heads straight up, with views of frozen mountains and snowy gullies at every turn. I crossed the first bridge, but could not get up to the Vernall Falls, as the path was closed for winter! So I had to enjoy the snowy rocks in the creek and head back to my car. There was time before sunset, the storm and the onset of freezing roads to enjoy a coffee before the drive back to my motel room...

an up there skiing experience at Heavenly

I feared the name would be over-rated, but with great weather and powder snow it really wasn't! I wanted to ski at Lake Tahoe and I chose Heavenly for its name and the southerly location - only 8.5 hours drive from Los Angeles. Facetiously I did not believe in such a great experience. I booked everything on line - I got a super deal to stay at the spacious wooden Lakeside Inn and Casino, just over the border in Nevada. But the ski shuttle came to the front door and made the morning commute hassle free.

It was also super easy to book lift tickets and ski rentals online - all the resort staff were consistently helpful and enthusiastic, whether helping me take my ski boots off, taking my skis and placing them in the gondola for me or giving helpful advice on lifts and ski trails when I looked and felt a bit lost! I was even able to leave my skis and boots overnight in the shop by the gondola so I did not have to haul then back to the hotel room!

But the most impressive were the skiing and the views. It is a massive resort spanning the state border - apparently in California, you can always see the amazingly blue Lake Tahoe, while in Nevada, you are looking out to a massive u shaped glacial valley. It would be difficult to ski the whole resort in one day, but very possible in two days - I also had time to repeat some of my favourite runs. I particularly loved the Big Dipper, starting at the top of the Dipper Express.

The Little Dipper was a slight pun as it was a black mogul field directly under the Comet Express. It was also great to get up to 10,040 feet at the top of the Sky Express and choose a combination of black and blue runs on pistes and in between the trees! I even felt the effects of altitude and hope that I have been able to grow more red blood cells to feel fitter for the next 10 days! I so loved the powder snow underfoot and it felt soft and gentle on my knee - proving that I can ski without my anterior cruciate ligament. And the trees were so white and fat with snow everywhere...

an American history lesson - Lincoln

There is something about America that I don't understand - how did they turn on their own during the civil war, all for the freedom to employ other humans as slaves? and there seems to be some resonance with the recent massacre of school children in Newtown around the ultimate freedom to have as many high powered guns as they like because it is a right, embodied in the second amendment! There seems to be something about freedom to act, as shaped by the ruling class, without consequences, or consideration for anyone else in the population - there seems to be an arrogance that those in political (and economic) power know best, and are best able to determine their own freedoms...

it was a snowy afternoon and I could not get up to the ski slopes easily, so I opted for an educational movie. Directed by Steven Speilberg, and with Daniel Day Lewis playing Abraham Lincoln in a very believable way, I expected to learn something about American history. Well sort of, but I was not convinced that the civil war was about slavery - and if so, why was it so brutal? It seems it was not that simple! Anyway the film was an extended courtroom drama and although it seemed to be a historical story, I remain completely unconvinced. It was more about politics, money and male egos of fat men with very limited world views. I initially believed that Lincoln wanted to free the slaves because of a commitment to racial equality - then I realised that he would only get this amendment through his own republican party who did not embrace racial equality (although many dependend on slaves and some had intimate relationships with them!) by promising an end to the civil war - so he manipulated to extend the war and underhandedly paid for the votes of disenfranchised Democrats. Then it transpired that they did not vote for racial equality and I really was suspicious about Lincoln's moral backbone... perhaps he was just another skilful politician in a nation that is eminently capable of holding opposing views at the same time. And on the other hand, I guess Steven is after a few Oscar nominations as well!

a giant organ in Walt Disney Concert Hall

I totally enjoyed my christmas treat from my local cultural guides, Julie and Donovan. We approached this amazing building directly from the carpark through the bright foyer. There was time for a quick and tasty snack at the ground floor cafe before winding our way up several sets of stairs, between curved landings and balconies - it seems there is a clear absence of horizontal and vertical lines throughout this whole building!

We had seats clinging to one of the side walls - the view down over the lone and large organ was impressive - everything was built of light wood and every piece of wood seemed to be curved in some way. The organ pipes looked like none other I had seen...in the middle was a brass porcupine and the big pipes either side were curved and square... The ceiling looked as if fabric was draped over some high wires - except it was also wooden and it almost looked as if it had been tiled...we had a superb view of the audience and the entire stage.

David Higss served as both the organist and the evening's MC - he had a great instructive style and he clearly enjoyed playing the organ and demonstrating his unique skill set. I loved the way he taught us to sing along to the first carol, Joy to the World. He introduced us to the Sporano soloist, Lisa Christine Thelen, for her debut performance at this venue. She was a recent PhD student from USC and has a great voice and am impressive future. I also loved the way David demonstrated a foot pedal solo to Bach's prelugue and fugue in D Major - this was totally amazing, not only does he have 4 complete keyboards but he played a full keyboard with both feet! He also demonstrated how he used the stops to play up to 4 different octaves for each note at the same time. Perhaps my favourite piece was the delicate way he played the Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy from Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker. What a superb introduction to my christmas holiday!

Impressions of student life at USC

It has been an amazing experience, living 'on campus' at the University Park Campus of the very prestigious and very private University of Southern California. My first impressions on looking out from the 9th floor of the Radisson were of the impressive eucalyptus trees.

They were everywhere, almost as prolific as the bright coloured range of fixed wheeled bicycles - the predominant colours were blue, green, pink and purple - and they all had white walled tyres and super wide, U shaped handle bars. So it was great to see so many bikes being used as the main form of transportation, complemented as a close second by skateboards and the occasional pair of rollerblades!

I loved being part of America's young and smart future... this campus is very multicultural, and I saw groups of parents being guided round with their eager sons and daughters ready to start soon...There is a real mix of architecture - I suspect most of the buildings are built to include impressive examples of old architecture. The other big difference is the lack of alcohol - everyone is drinking coffee and water - not a bad introduction to adulthood!

Modern art in downtown LA

I decided to take advantage of free Thursday nights at MOCA - the Museum of Contemporary Art - thanks to the sponsorship of Wells Fargo! I started at the Grand Avenue gallery, almost opposite the very curvy Walt Disney Concert Hall. It was great fun to see a room of Rothko paintings and a larger than life Giacometti couple. I then walked through the Destroy the Picture exhibition. Initially, I was looking for the aesthetics, but I was confused - there was not much to engage me - so I looked for the significance - apparently it was about the motivation and the process of painting! Then I decided to walk 8 blocks downtown, along 1st Street and through Little Tokyo to the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA on Central Avenue. There had been a transformation of an old warehouse. The major exhibition Blues for Smoke was a mixed bag of paintings, installations, movies, tapes about blues music and something about the lives of black Africans in America. I found the exhibition by Taryn Simon - A living man declared dead a little more accessible - but still rather challenging - not sure about her choice of families to document members in fairly dour portraits, but there is something obsessive about the photographs of rabbits from Inglewood in Queensland!

Engaged with art at LACMA

I arrived at midday, having caught the Metro 20 bus from downtown, stopping at almost every junction of Wilshire Boulevard along the way! I was greeted by the classic Urban Light exhibition (by Chris Burden) which includes rows of 202 cast iron antique street lamps. I had considered planning my visit through the website for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and had been slightly overwhelmed by the number of exhibitions that were interesting to me! So I decided to be flexible and let my visit evolve.

As it happened, I thought I was going to see the Carravagio exhibition first, but ended up catching the elevator up to the third floor of the Broad Contemporary Art Museum. I was sad that the fog made it impossible to see the Hollywood sign from the landing - but that has been the theme of the last week... Anyway I became entranced by the Surrealist drawing exhibition on the second floor. Having enjoyed some recent encounters with the Surrealists beginning last December in Vienna, I was keen to see the lesser known drawings. I loved the concept of automatic drawing, letting the pen flow and I really loved the way Joan Miro personified his squiggles - this was so liberating for me...perhaps I can be more inspired with my doodling!

However, one of the treats of this exhibition is that I found surrealist drawings of some of my favourite artists, of course I expected to see some Rene Magritte, but I was impressed to see a small Rothko, a tiny Giacometti drawing and several drawings from Louise Bourgeoise. So after this little indulgence, it was almost time to attend the free Docent Lecture about Caravaggio and his Legacy.

It was wonderful to have the real Caravagios demonstrated on slides and hear the stories behind them all, while learning about the defining features of a real Caravaggio. I do love the way this young artist rejected making the classical paintings that were expected of him at the end of the 1500's. He painted with such reality and clarity that it was like enhanced photographs with light either emphasised or selectively withheld. I learned a lot about the challenge between the holy religious world of classical painters and the reality of brothels and card dens.

It was great then to see the actual exhibition and compare the real Caravaggios with the other Carravagio inspired artists who painted similar classical scenes of the betrayal of Peter, Christ throwing the mercenaries out of the temple, and the placing of the crown of thorns of Christ's head. And then I enjoyed the pottery sculptures of Ken Price, also displayed in the Renwick Pavillion. This man's blobby sculptures are so impressive in style, colour and texture.

So I walked out of the Renwick Pavillion past the Walter de Maria "The 2000 Sculpture", which is comprised of hundreds of white wooden blocks positioned on the floor. By now it was time for sunset drinks! Then I had time to visit the operational Metropolis II, also by Chris Burden. This reconstructed city was populated by toy cars on constructed freeways and functioning toy trains; totally mesmerizing. So by now I was running out of time. I had missed seeing the outdoor installation of the gigantic Levitated Mass. I was confronted by Robert Mapplethorpe's XYZ black and white photographs - his artistic and sexual expression of black men! I just had enough energy to enjoy the very interactive and very LA Stanley Kubrick exhibition. Sadly, I realised that I had not seen any of his classic films, but this did make me want to revisit that...

Finally, I had to leave as they closed the museum. It was good to catch the express bus Metro Rapid 720 back downtown, to then catch a train back to my hotel...what a day, what a plethora of cultural experiences!

a space experience at the LA Science Centre

I remember hearing that the final journey of the space shuttle Endeavour was through the streets of LA, after trees had been lopped and telegraph lines and poles temporarily moved. So I was impressed when I realised that the new home of Endeavour, the LA Science Museum, was less than 5 minutes walk from my hotel. Being awake early, I did not need to queue for very long to book my timed visit. We were ushered through an interactive display, and encouraged to watch the video of its journey through the streets before being allowed into the giant 'shed' housing this monster. I was impressive with how educational and interactive the displays were and there were lots of proud parents sharing great stories with their children.

Later I decided to visit other areas of the Science Centre - loved the living kelp forest. A giant aquarium filled with fish and several divers. One diver was having an educational chat with a staff member outside the aquarium, eagerley watched by lots of children! The classic walking tunnel under this aquarium meant that you could see a small shark swimming above you!

And i really loved the flourescence of these jellyfish - there were so many educational exhibits...impressive

Interpreting mexican food in Los Angeles

I guess it is logical that most offical signs and public announcements in LA are in English and Spanish. There seem to be a lot of people who have strong connections with neighbouring Mexico. This is also very evident in the number of Mexican restaurants. It seems that mexican food can be served fresh in a similar process manner to that used by Subway for its freshly made rolls.

Last night I visited the rather hip Freebirds World Burrito eating house just by the USC student village. 60's psychedelic decor, groovy music, hip staff and more choices than I usually make in a typical week shopping for food! So I had to brush up on my knowledge on different tortillas - and then having chosen a quesadilla, I could choose between plain, spinach and tomato. I opted to try the very green spinach and quite enjoyed the eating experience. I then made a direct contrast with another chain Chipotle, who claim to be a gourmet grill for mexican food. Their decor is certainly clean and crisp and their range of choices much more reasonable - they seem to concentrate on burritos and tacos, which makes it much easier to order!

Loving the intimacy of Amour

This film had great reviews, together with slight warnings about its emotionally challenging content. Both strengthened my resolve to see Amour. This was no classic love story - in fact it showed the deeper intimate side of love that is rarely seen in films. An educated and elderley couple were having lunch together in their Parisian apartment, when Anne had her first TIA. As statistics would suggest, she had one and then another stroke. We see Georges caring for her basic daily activities and continuing to manage their household. He agrees to Anne's desperate promise to keep her out of hospital, but at a great cost to himself and without the support and understanding of their only daughter, Eva. The film spirals downwards and inwards, with all activity in the darkened apartment, and often focussed on the bedroom. Despite Anne's expected frustration, Georges is amazingly attentive and respectful of his wife. There is no way this film can have a happy ending, but it is one of truth and integrity which really fits in with the depth and complexity of this insightful movie.