Fear and Love

Right now, on this Friday night, I am doing what any other college girl with no plans and an absent roommate would be doing.

I am singing my heart out to the Frozen soundtrack, of course!!!

As I enjoy the vast riches of the Deluxe Edition of the soundtrack on Spotify, I think back and ponder the finer points of this film.

Above all, I feel a complete overwhelming awe for how GREAT this movie is. In seemingly every way. My question for tonight:

What REALLY makes Frozen so fantastic?

In my pondering, I'll discuss a few points that I find personally moving.

1. The Music

Can we just say a big "duh" here? Yes, yes, I know. The music is so good that the songs are stuck in all of our heads from dawn till dusk. It's so good that beginning today, movie theaters nationwide are re-releasing the film in sing-along form. 

We all know that any time somebody says the words "Let it go," we are melodically transplanted into Arendelle. We get it.

But do we really? 

Disney once again made a masterpiece with Frozen's score and songs. Why is this music SO transporting to us? 

The score is full of sounds recorded straight from traditional Nordic instruments. The introductory choral celebration is recorded by Cantus, an all-female Norwegian ensemble, and the piece itself is inspired by traditional Scandinavian folk music. A very traditional vocal technique from Sweden called "Kulning" is featured in many of the score numbers. In case you're at all curious, check this out here . 

In short, these songs are AUTHENTIC. To a degree that this music strikes us American listeners as exotic, foreign, and very, very intriguing! 

         2. The Star

Let's not forget to mention the star. Idina Menzel has long been my favorite musical theatre actress since debuting the role of Maureen in Rent. I could write a book on how much I love her voice. 

I didn't know much about the movie Frozen when I first went to the theater. I hadn't researched who was in the cast, or even what the story was going to be. But when I heard those first notes out of Elsa's mouth, I nearly cried. 

Disney picked IDINA!!! Praise the Lord. 

This is all I can say. Idina makes the movie. Her vocal ability shines clearly from the soundtrack like a beacon of hope for all future Disney endeavors. Kristen Bell... Mandy Moore... ok. But in Idina Disney found a true and experienced vocalist. 

The voice truly makes all the difference. 

           3. The Beauty

Disney outdid themselves with this one.

Scandinavian fjords are some of the most beautiful locations on this planet, incorporating beautiful waters, mountains, and skies. Personally on my bucket list is a tour of some of these beautiful places. Even seeing the location in animated form nearly gave me chills.

In case you're curious again about the authenticity of Disney's portrayal, check this out.

Yes, it really IS that beautiful over there. Maybe I'll get to make a trip up to Norway during my study abroad next fall? :)

Also notable is the beauty of the characters themselves! Elsa and Anna are both of course very beautifully animated, with incredibly detailed eyes, faces, hair, and costumes.

Pause on the hair aspect for a moment. Go to youtube and feast your eyes on the vast infinity that is "Frozen hair tutorials." I include myself in this obsession! Some of my inspired designs below.

Disney gave us animated beauty that is so real, we long to see it in the real world.

          4. The Moral

In case nobody noticed, being so far baffled visually and aurally by the gorgeous work of art that is Frozen, the film actually has a very profound moral.

And no, I am NOT talking about Elsa's (and Disney's) conviction that "You cannot marry a man you just met." Cue an eye roll toward all the victorious memes out there.

The profound lesson that I paid close attention to, especially the second time around, was the contrast between Fear and Love. Yes, that is the final realization that saves the day.

However, I find way more interesting the fact that Anna and Elsa throughout the film embody these two traits. They speak them into reality. They each live their conviction toward one or the other, and yet... neither of them quite understands consciously what force is ruling their everyday existence.

This struck home for me, as I contemplated what might be the driving force behind my life (that I might not even notice). I won't go into it here, but this was a great springboard for some super introspective journaling.

What inspires YOU to act? To take risks? What drives you to run away, and what drives you to run toward your goals?

Elsa and Anna helped me realize the importance of having a loving understanding of your whole self-- including all your limitations, weaknesses, and triumphs. Only then can you begin to truly understand the reasoning behind your biggest decisions... and only then will you have the power to change them for the better.

Peeking Into My Art Journal

Yesterday evening, I realized  an unbelievable fact. I had before me a completely free evening. No plans with friends, no night classes, no rehearsals, no homework, no obligations... How in heaven's name did I come by this treasure on a Thursday of all days?

I am still baffled.

In any case, I journaled about my sheer excitement over having my first ounce of "free time." Why is this a big deal, you ask? I'll tell you. Because people always ask me the typical 'What do you do with your free time' question, and I always laugh and reply ironically that I don't have any.

I can finally answer that question in a positive way!!! That night, I had before me three completely free hours with which to pursue whatever activity my heart desired.

I spent a long twenty minutes just contemplating what I would most like to do. Should I take a long bubble bath? (BAD IDEA with a halfway-working water heater that ended up producing the most disappointingly lukewarm bubble bath I have ever experienced.) Should I spend the time reading my lovely Anne of Green Gables, which I have been so enjoying? Should I blog? Should I play Final Fantasy X on my Playstation 2? The list goes on. You can see why this took me twenty minutes.

I finally decided to spend the evening in creativity, with my Art Journal. If you've never heard of Art Journaling, check out an explanatory article here. Or, just google it. I dare you. :)

One of my favorite art journal pages from the past 

Thursday night, I spent all of that time art journaling. Messing around with pen, doodles, watercolors, and words... basically just expressing the creativity within me in whichever ways it decided to present itself.

Why do I love art journaling? A list.

• It takes a significantly short amount of time to create a beautifully "complete" artwork-- perfect for my busy schedule!
• It's the perfect short-term outlet for daily creative work.
• Inside my art journal, it's perfectly alright to experiment with colors and techniques. There is no such thing as "messing up."
• I love looking back on all my pages and seeing the incredible variety.
• It is an art form that includes one of my other favorite personal disciplines of all time-- journaling!
• In short, Art Journaling is FUN!

A Zentangle, start to finish!

I also love Art Journaling because it gives me an opportunity to create side-by-side with those I love.

Sawyer and I frequently have Art Journal "parties"-- don't even get me started on how inspiring it is to see her creativity explode in her pages. I've always admired her eye for color, shape, and the profound meaning she gives to all her work. Just one example of how Art Journaling can bring people together, in a deep way!

I'm not sure that I could as easily sketch or paint a canvas with a friend... I would be much too focused on making the perfect piece of art.

That's not what this is about.

Art Journaling is one of many ways in which I am learning to be the keeper of my own flame. And fulfilling that purpose, friends, is exactly what I choose to do with my free time.


In case you're interested,

Some of my favorite Art Journaling links:
Absolutely gorgeous zentangle/watercolor inspiration from Alisa Burke
One of my favorite Pinboards featuring Art Journaling techniques-- Colleen Sullivan-Blake
A creative "art journal prompts" list-- BlacksburgBelle.com

Enjoy creating!

An Afternoon In Love

Yesterday afternoon, I went on another hiking excursion. This time, I fell in love.

Oren and I spent the afternoon walking the Greenbelt Corridor trail of Ray Roberts State Park, in the most perfect weather anybody could have imagined.

Words can hardly describe how I felt, walking the miles on this gorgeous forested path, quietly away from all distraction, with only the occasional bicyclist or dog walker for company.

Even in the winter months, the heart of the "dead" season here in North Texas, this place was beautifully green. Pictures hardly do it justice. The bare trees left room for sunlight to reach the forest floor and provide nourishment for bright green grasses to flourish and provide a beautiful emerald carpet throughout the acres of country.

 Looking up, every now and then, we caught a glimpse of bright white Aspen trees, growing tall and strong, swaying gracefully in the breeze.

We sat on perfect tree stumps and imagined forested tea parties that could take place. We climbed on dead logs and walked along the river. We ran for a stretch and enjoyed the sheer beauty we passed by. We took a rest on a little grassy area and saw hawks flying silently and calmly overhead.

I hugged the largest trees I could find and adored feeling their strength.

I imagined bringing my journal and Bible out there for a quiet afternoon of meditation, and relished the thought of taking a picnic out to one of the perfect little clearings just off the path.

I imagined placing a grand piano in one of those clearings, and playing beautiful music in the sheer center of the gorgeous forest.

As I said, over and over, I could spend my life out there. I could go there daily and never get bored. I feel that my soul was renewed, one step at a time, one tree after another.

I have no doubt that I need the natural world, especially after being so fulfilled by an afternoon spent in rapturous beauty.

As Richard Louv puts it so well,  "a reconnection to the natural world is fundamental to human health, well-being, spirit, and survival.” 

I can't wait to go back! 

I thank you God for this most amazing day, 

for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, 

and for the blue dream of sky 

and for everything which is natural, 

which is infinite, which is yes.

- e.e. cummings

New Year's Update

Beware: this post is decidedly late. But I thought I would love to update everyone on my gorgeous New Year's events! So enjoy :)

 Oren bought Trans Siberian Orchestra tickets for my big Christmas gift this year. The concert was fantastic! Although, I am pretty sure Oren bought himself his own best Christmas present-- he loved the concert a million times more than even I did!

Isn't this a fabulous family photo? :)

One night of the New Year, my parents took the family down to Fair Park in Dallas to see the Chinese Lantern Festival! I loved seeing everything all lit up. It was gorgeous. Quite cold, but very appropriate for seeing such beautiful outdoor lights. Sometimes, around the holidays, I think it just might be alright for the weather to be frigid. :)

Oren and I thought these pandas were so adorable! 

 Later, my best friend Sawyer and I went out hiking on a nature preserve in Sherman.

Such a delightful idea turned into a real beast of an adventure when we got seriously lost on the unmarked trails and oil service gravel roads of this backcountry. The sheriff may or may not have been called for help... and may or may not have driven out in the reserve to rescue us after dark. Moral of the story-- parks should mark their trails, gosh dangit!

Anyway, we fun spending time together, and I witnessed a moment of submission as we recognized the power of prayer in the middle of our panic.

Finally, Oren and I took a trip to see the Dallas Symphony Orchestra perform Dvorak's Symphony for the New World (and Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 2 in Bb).

I absolutely LOVE going to see the symphony, and I try to go pretty often due to our close proximity and the fact that we get $15 student tickets! This is a little known Dallas fact that I try to reveal to anyone who will listen. Check it out here.

My favorite moment of this performance of the New World  Symphony came in the Largo movement, which is usually everybody's favorite. It's not usually mine, because to my mind once you've heard the 'Going Home' theme once, you've heard it a million times. I usually prefer the first or last movements over the Largo.

However, this time, the DSO under Jaap van Zweden surprised me. They performed the last statement of the lyrical theme with deliciously placed rests that extended the cadence-- an interpretation I have never heard before. It was the kind of silence that was surprising, shocking, and yet simply delightful. The entire audience held their breath, waiting for the fall of the conductor's baton marking the highly anticipated final notes. The emotion was tangible in the concert hall.

I can't remember the last time I was surprised by an orchestra, and certainly not in such a profound way. At the end of the night, that was the phrase that I wrote on a slip of magenta paper and tucked into my gratitude jar. (More on that another time).

 I hope that all of you-- anyone stopping by-- is celebrating the start of this new year with moments as joyful and meaningful as mine have been. Happy New Year!

“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.”  — Ralph Waldo Emerson