"Where silence is, man is observed by silence. Silence looks at man more than man looks at silence. Man does not put silence to the test." - Max Picard
In her book "Ordinary People As Monks And Mystics: Lifestyles For Self Discovery", Marsha Sinetar dedicates a chapter to the use of silence as a tool for deep internal introspection. The subjects of her book have removed themselves from society in order to whatever lifestyle they feel best lends it's self to their spiritual development. They came from all kinds of backgrounds, but they all sought one thing in common: Silence. Why? Why is silence so important and why does it matter to you, the creative? As the famous conductor Leopold Stokowski once said " A painter paints his pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence." While has, at the time, speaking of the respective roles of the musician and audience at the time, there is a far deeper thought within the idea of "painting pictures on silence". It's not hard for musicians to get this concept, but what for the rest of us who aren't musical in our expression. I submit to you the idea that we all paint our lives on silence. Think about it. In fact, do that right now. Stop what you are doing and just be quiet. Just listen to the noises around you. What is your environment like without your input? Now, realize this. Everything...and I mean everything that comes next, whether it be sounds, phrases, words spoken in positivity or negativity - are all generated by you. What you speak, how you speak, actually effects the world around you in a far deeper way than you could imagine. Sit in silence and think, "What, in the most profound way, do I want to write on the wall of no sound with my life?" Then, ever mindful, move to make that a reality. Will it be a message of boredom, displeasure and dissatisfaction? Will it be hollow pandering for the approval of others? Or will it be something more real, more profound, more honest? Just a guess, but I'd bet that we all would agree that the world needs more creators, not more critics. Remember the silence.
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