Stay Awake

Growing up, my sister, brother and I were notorious for becoming obsessed with a particular movie. I've now learned that this is not uncommon. Most kids love watching their favorite movie over and over again.

For us, Disney's "Mary Poppins" was the favorite. We watched it so many times that we broke the VHS tape. Conveniently, our parents found a way to avoid replacing it, however the impact of the movie on my childhood memory was set.

Composers and brothers Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman composed such beautiful melodies for Disney films, especially those featured in "Mary Poppins." I thought of the song "Stay Awake" from the film when I saw this sculpture. It is a lullaby using reserve psychology and a soothing melody to coax unwilling children to sleep. It is one of my go-to lullabies to sing whenever I babysit little ones.

That's the power of music and memory. I'm not sure which comes first, whether music creates memories or memories link itself to music. But, what I do know is that both are inexplicably linked in my life. One day, I'll sing "Stay Awake" to my children and hopefully, it will create, or link, itself to their memory as well. It will be a wonderful tradition to pass along to the next generation.

Earth Without Art

My sister posted an interesting quote on her Facebook page today: "The Earth without 'art' is just 'eh'." Well, isn't that the truth?

I derive so much pleasure and joy from the arts and it is an essential part of my life. Last night, I watched a performance of Les Miserables at the Kennedy Center. It's the third time I've seen the show performed live, but I've listened to the music soundtrack countless times. There are so many artistic elements of Les Mis to appreciate -- the music, the lyrics, the vocals, the staging, the costumes. It's a blending of so many artistic mediums into one beautiful masterpiece.

As public schools struggle to keep academic programs going and keep more teachers in classrooms, K-12 arts programs are often first on the chopping block for budget cuts. It breaks my heart to think that future artists, writers, composers, singers, musicians, and designers might miss their opportunity for greatness and pursue a career of expression, because access to free arts classes was unavailable to them.

A world without art sounds intolerable and soulless. Now that I can afford it, I try to financially support local art galleries, programs and performances to help pave a way for future artists, like sculptor Richard MacDonald and the composers of Les Miserables, to delight art aficionados like myself for years to come.

Bullwhip

I spent a lot of time studying Richard MacDonald's "Bullwhip" sculpture. Even while photographing it, I could not determine if the subject was feeling defeated or powerful.

Because of his stance (feet apart and firmly on the ground) and he is depicted holding a whip would lead onlookers to conclude that he was a powerful figure. However, his head is also lowered, leading me to think he is sad or feeling defeated.

Art that makes me stop and ponder is my favorite kind. Just beautiful or attractive art has its place, but I prefer art that makes me think and question. Although I would not include art that is incomprehensible in this category. I prefer art that makes a statement or shares an emotion without needing a translator or a Ph.D in the visual arts to understand and appreciate it.

Smelling the Roses

Hello again. I know it's been a while. Between travel and work, there just hasn't been time in the past week to get back to daily blogging. Even when a blogging moment arrived, I just stared at my computer screen, not clear about what I wanted to write.

Then this morning, I had a moment of clarity. Instead of waiting for time to be available to update the blog, I needed to just take time. Remember the saying, "you must stop to smell the roses"? Well, that's my new mantra for the blog.

Life is busy whether we're career gals, moms-on-the-go, or God help us, both. Funny enough, I find it easier to blog while on vacation than during a regular work day. Why? Well, when I'm vacationing, my brain is prepared to allow for breaks and respites. We're conditioned to make time for activities that interest us when traveling.


In light of that fact, we won't be able to do the things we enjoy unless we carve out time from our schedules and "buy a ticket" -- as my friend Liz says -- with ourselves to pursue our interests and hobbies. If you purchased a ticket to an event, you would go out of your way to make sure you could attend, right? Now, my blogging will be a ticketed event I can't cancel.

When I was visiting Las Vegas a few weekends ago, I took a few minutes to explore this spectacular sculpture exhibit at the Bellagio. Located in the theater where Cirque du Soleil performs their water-themed show, O, sculptures by artist Richard MacDonald line the entrance. Inspired by Cirque performers and professional ballet dancers, the bronze figures were so enthralling and expressive. My iPhone couldn't keep up with how many photographs I wanted to take.

While I only spent 15-20 minutes appreciating the exhibit, it was one of the highlights of my Vegas trip. I need to start taking those 15-20-minute breaks daily to feed my creativity and my soul. If not, Crystal becomes a very unhappy camper and this blog remains silent for too long.

Blue Sky Morning in Paris

Please don't let this post's title fool you; I didn't visit Paris, France this weekend. Unfortunately, I have yet to make it across the Atlantic to finally visit Europe. It's on my bucket list.

Luckily Las Vegas, Nevada developers have tried to bring the best of Europe to the Las Vegas Strip. During my recent visit, we stayed at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino which is right next door to the Paris Las Vegas Hotel which features replicas of the Eifel Tower and Arc de Triomphe. Walking back to the hotel from the Bellagio which is just across the street from the Paris Hotel, I was able to capture this beautiful French-inspired panorama with the bright blue desert sky as its backdrop.

Vegas is such an imaginative city. One day, I'm going to plan a trip there just to photograph it. I'm guessing that I could spend hours just walking in and out of hotels and casinos and capturing photographs of the most incredible sights and subjects. Like visiting Europe, a Vegas photo excursion is also on my bucket list.

Unexpected Sun

One of the biggest lessons I've learned so far about photography is that you (and your camera) must always be open to the unexpected. While you might arrive to a photo excursion with ideas for the types of photographs you would like to capture, chances are you'll walk away with more photos of unexpected moments than your planned ones.

When I was leaving the MLK Memorial, I turned toward the ugly chain link fence surrounding the memorial for one last glimpse of the Tidal Basin. To my surprise, I saw this composition and knew I needed to take out my camera again -- it had been put away by this point -- to capture the rising sun through the silhouetted Cherry Blossom trees and the sun's reflection on the water. By this point in the morning, I was already done, but my location has other ideas.

Like the Boy Scouts, photographers too must always be prepared. Photographic moments can happen anywhere and at any time. They are fleeting, so it's important to be able to get your camera or cell phone camera ready quickly to not miss it. Even when you think your done, another composition may present itself. In my experience, photography regrets due to missed images or photo mistakes are the worse, and should be avoided at all costs.

In Line with Imperfect Greatness

Where the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial is situated on the National Mall, it is directly in between the Thomas Jefferson Memorial and the Abraham Lincoln Memorial. From the air, these three memorials create a straight line. In today's close-up photograph of the side of the Stone of Hope, you can see the Jefferson Memorial in the background.

The MLK Memorial's positioning between Jefferson and Lincoln was deliberate. Organizers wanted the tribute to King to be connected to the existing memorials to civil rights leaders on the National Mall. As Jefferson was the author of the United States Constitution which was the basis for King's call for equality for all Americans, proximity to his memorial -- the second on the National Mall -- is meaningful. King delivered one of his most important addresses from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. At the time, the Lincoln Memorial was selected for this occasion as symbolic nod to Lincoln, who a hundred years before King's "I Have a Dream" speech had signed the Emancipation Proclamation giving millions of slaves their freedom in 1863. It;s poetic the linking MLK, Lincoln and Jefferson here in the nation's capital through the placement of these national memorials.

Another commonality between these three great men besides their contributions to advancing civili rights was that they were not perfect. We hold our leaders to a much higher standard than we often hold ourselves, a standard that is difficult to meet. I don't know why we expect them to be perfect. While we should expect leaders to be honest and strive to live by a higher moral code, we shouldn't be shocked and disillusioned when they make poor choices. Lincoln may have freed the slaves in 1863, but he wasn't against the institution of slavery necessarily. Issuing the Emancipation Proclamation was more of a military tactic than a moral statement. Thomas Jefferson advocated for the equality of all men, but he lived as a slaveowner and even fathered slaves. And while nothing has been proven, rumors of plagiarism and infidelity have circulated for years about King.

No one is perfect. To expect perfection from anyone, especially ourselves, is foolish. But, imperfections do not have to diminish or limit our greatness. Look to this line of leaders celebrated on the National Mall for inspiration. They prove that ordinary, imperfect people can accomplish grand, impacting change in our world, change that can last for generations and beyond.