The Liberated Voice

STEWARDSHIP
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Timothée Chalamet does not wish to work in a field propped up on life support rather than sustained by the love and support of enthusiastic audiences. Neither do the rest of us.

Lɪŋk in θə kɑmːmɛnts.

It is extraordinarily difficult for artists to feel heard and appreciated in fields that remain dependent on the patronage of the wealthy & cruel.

“The Menu” satirizes the snobbery of fine dining culture, but those of us who embrace creative and service professions know how rare it is that our devotion feels truly valued.

My blog post this week grapples with the challenges of finding the serenity to accept the prevalence of this dynamic in order to making art and providing services that nevertheless feeling meaningful to *us*.

Serenity Don’t assume things can be swiftly changed just because it seems obvious that they ought to be. But also don’t assume that things can’t be changed, just because the prospect feels overwhelming.

SERENITY
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Why are Katherine Needleman, The Menu, and a Satanic framing of the Serenity Prayer all in my essay this week?

klɪk θə lɪŋk ɪn thə kɑmmɛnts to find out.

The well-wishing mantras that appear throughout my blog post this week are drawn from my version of metta practice, also called loving-kindness meditation. You say or think the words, and notice what arises within you in response to them.
https://blog.liberatedvoice.studio/empathy/

Spoiler: what arises within you in response to the words is not always a feeling of loving-kindness. When it is not, see if you can experience empathy—the ability to feel into your own state—with whatever comes up.

EMPATHY
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“Empathy” is a word that has lately been receiving rather casual treatment in public discourse, like we’re all in agreement about what it means… but perhaps we aren’t.

Lɪŋk ɪn thə kɑmmɛnts.

BO***GE
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Artists are, by and large, progressives. We believe in equal rights for women, civil rights for LGBTQ individuals, and fair representation on our stages. Saudi Arabia’s rulers do not, and Metropolitan Opera artists should not be compelled to perform for them.

Lɪŋk ɪn thə kɑmmɛnts.

Pictured: Rosenkavalier is a good example of an opera that the Met will likely not be presenting in Saudia Arabia.

COMPLICITY
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My thoughts on Westworld, predation in Opera World, and how to combat the dehumanization behavior of the Black Hats in the Real World.

Lɪŋk ɪn thə kɑmmɛnts.