Seeds of Pleasure

CHAPTER I

We seek mental, physical and emotional wellbeing through holistic, religious practices, extreme sports and all sorts of relaxing techniques, but the true potential and effect that the arts in general may have on our daily lives is not properly assessed.

 I grew up in a multicultural home where I was lucky to be exposed to many, as I would call them now, sources of pleasure. My parents instilled in me the taste for nature, for science and technology, for music, for sports, among many things where talent and creativity were underlined and never taken for granted.

So many circumstances shape our lives where accomplishment of a task is sometimes so difficult to achieve. Our days are usually filled with MUST DO’s . They can be cumbersome, unpleasant, sometimes achievable, sometimes not…..but we have to face them. They are usually external factors.

But we have a very resourceful tool in our hands. We have the amazing power to introduce the “WANT TO DO’s” as a short breathing space and source of enjoyment. What a relief it is in these very complex times to squeeze in a couple of moments of pleasure. It is all out there.

I will get to some of these sources in the next few blogs.But do bear in mind, that we have the power to “edit” those moments that will make the “Must DO’s” a bit more pleasurable.

Film,Theater and Art Festivals , Fairs and Sport Events have a transforming effect on people.We prepare  ourselves for those events :the Olympics, the Hay Festival, Champions League ,the Art Fairs,  Biennials, Jazz Festivals, Opera Seasons just to name a few.These two years made the lack of them even more obvious of how we seek to be exposed to them, as a “source of pleasure”. It highlighted the need and importance of entertainment as a breathing space and alternative activity in our ever so hectic life. It is an enriching experience involving a multiplicity of “genres” and performances.

Above all, it underlines human talent and creativity.It is challenging for its creators and performers and so very demanding. 

Let’s take for instance Music. We take for granted the complex development of music. Try to visualize for a moment the invention of all the different instruments and their development throughout centuries with new materials and improvement of sound. The search for the perfect surface and form to enhance the acoustic. And now, imagine for a moment that you are sitting in front of a blank sheet of paper and trying to create a Symphony, or even “just” a piano Sonata. Once done, let’s have a performer play the piece.He must have undergone many years of painful discipline and sacrifice to excel in his performance and be lucky enough to have been chosen for it. Let’s go even a bit further in this line of thought.

The opera is perhaps even more demanding. It requires a masterful organization, voices, orchestra, scenario , synchronized and intertwined in one of the most rigorous forms of  performances. 

In short, the power of sound must be assessed on a wider dimension . What is fascinating to me is that sound is impalpable but it manages to stimulate and unchain so many emotions.

Numerous scientific studies have proven the stimulating effect that music has on our brain.

Rhythm, melodies, songs ,all have the power to evoke joy, melancholy, sadness or associations of certain moments in our lives. We take for granted the power of music and it is worthwhile to take a moment and think what it does for us.