Fred Johnson's blog

It's amazing. If we just allow ourselves to be present, so many lessons can be gleaned from listening to and watching children in their innocence, discover and Be. Below is an audio recording of a wonderful unfolding that I witnessed while on the train. I hope it speaks to you...

"You've got to be perfectly taught" are lyrics in a song from the movie and musical South Pacific. These words refer to the fact that children must be taught to hate, distrust and fear another. It is not an instinct that they adapt on their own, they learn this behavior most often from an adult, often from a parent or other relative.

It's a glorious day and I'm excited to share with you my very first Arts at the Intersection audio blog. It's a chance to share some creative thought about how we can create a bridge between our thoughts and our emotions or put another way, create an intersection between the head and the heart. So I'll share some thoughts, some stories and some profiles of artists in the world who have become a part of Intersections’ commitment to redefining the role of art and creative expression in the journey to manifest change in the world. Click below to listen to the audio:

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I wanted to share some thoughts about some interesting conversations I have had in the last two weeks about schools and art. This weekend I had a wonderfully engaging conversation with a dynamic lady who is a dance and music instructor for children with special needs at a school here in one of the boroughs.

I'm encouraged. It is true that troubled times bring cherished opportunities. These past couple of months have been for me very difficult. I have agonized over the  climate of fear, anger and discontent voiced so loudly in the media and on the street about Islam and its' Muslim believers. Being Muslim myself and being active in the quest to bring all humanity to a place where we can honor and respect all religious pathways and not judge many for the crimes of a few grossly misguided, I found myself almost emotionally paralyzed when faced with the scenario that in this day and time a congregation of people would propose to burn a sacred text publicly and represent it as an act of unity and patriotism. This proposal drove a stake into the heart of this patriot who served his country honorably, fighting for the right to be faithfully Free to proclaim In God We Trust. I was devastated. 

In the midst of news and narrative about what appears to be amazing chaos in our world, I am reminded that as an artist, each day I call upon my inner file of creative openness to guide me to author some essence of art that will hopefully inspire the heart and mind of the listener(s) to awaken the energy of joy and peace within them. Some days this call is easier heard than others, but I heed the call because I believe in the transformative power of sharing hope, beauty, joy and creative enthusiasm.

"The longest journey traveled is the distance on the path between the Head and the Heart". This is a quote I heard at a conference of thought leaders I attended two weeks ago. Boy, is that a commentary on where we are as a nation and as a global community at present.

It is always amazing to me and an inspiration when, at the time of crisis we come together to help those in need. This speaks to the quality of our human understanding and the inner wisdom to acknowledge that but by the grace of God, go I. Greater still we give ourselves permission to FEEL like a family. One wonderful phenomenon is that often artists come together to both inspire financial support and in their own way “Re-tune” the energy of our hearts to FEEL a connection, celebrate the value of life and aesthetically awaken the reality of our human vulnerability and the sanctity of living. This is one of the benchmarks of our Arts at the Intersection initiative.

As we celebrate the coming of a new year I am once again moved to say that we really need to “Wake Up”. Again we find ourselves engaged in a media swirl of he said’s and she said’s that has at the root of it’s controversy, perceptions and dialogue around the issue of race and cultural insensitivity.

The first weekend of November marked the beginning of our 2009-2010 “Conversations as Melodies” series. As a part of our vision to re-define the role of artists and creative expression as an integral part of the growth, healing and transformation of our world on a personal and global level, Intersections is introducing a creative initiative called “Arts at the Intersection” of which “Conversations” is a part.