Hanging Over Our Heads

 

“Perspective is everything.

Depending on how you angle it,

What your expectation is,

Male or female, although that one is up for grabs,

Creative or Neanderthal .

Oh, did I just say non-creative people are less intelligent?

Whoops! But that too is how you look at it.

Creativity can be a snare.

Creativity can make a person see too much,

Think too much,

Send a person down passageways of ‘what if’s’.

A creative mind sees past the obvious; sometimes gets lost.”

“Or it can make junk like that!”

Above them the abstract art of a broken place setting.

“Point taken.”

PHOTO PROMPT © Jennifer Pendergast

“Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder” a phrase I learned along the way that has never left me. (It gave me comfort as a teenager that all I needed was to find some half blind guy who thought I was beautiful ). It also reminds me of the Twilight Zone episode where the beautiful woman is trying to get a procedure done to smoosh her face like all the other ‘normal’ people around her. But let’s not be deceived, there are universal truths, things that no matter how they are spun, they are not good, not beautiful, altogether terrible (not talking about art). That is not being hard-nosed to call those things out. That’s being honest about our vulnerability to pain and destruction. Some things hurt us all and they should not be overlooked as ‘live and let live’. Unfortunately, the discernment of that line these days is twisted up into a mess of politics and opinions. It’s a little more work to both appreciate beauty in something different and understand when the view is harmful to the human soul. As for me, I’m willing to make the effort.

All this brought to you by the insightful photo prompt at Rochelle Wisoff’s Friday Fictioneers. Check out her blog where you’ll find just how varied perspectives can be from one picture. Live on, live well! And yah, don’t forget to write my writer friends! Best, Clare.

27 responses to “Hanging Over Our Heads”

  1. Creativity and design can certainly be over rated. Nicely done.

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    1. Thanks!

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Some people definitely take creativity to another level 🙄. Nice one. 🙂👍

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Oh lovely
    I always say context is everything. So I agree with your sentiment here… point of view is also important. Great piece to get you thinking

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    1. Many thanks for your kind comments Laurie.

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Like Lisa, I didn’t see the broken plates before. A very “creative” tale and beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder. 🙂

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    1. Thanks Brenda!

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  5. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder or in the pretension that we “get it.”

    There is definitely something different in the creative mind. That’s why so many of the people we label geniuses have so many issues.

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Creative or Neanderthal?
    To me, these are antonyms not synonyms.
    Thought provoking story.

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    1. Thanks!

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks! And welcome to my blog.

      Liked by 1 person

  7. The first words of your footnote are spot on! They do say that one person’s trash is anothers’ treasure.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Art is art is art… that said, no way can we all like the same things, eh? I think my favourite part of art is listening to others wax poetic about what they see as you look at it and go… ummm nkay 😉 As far as centre pieces go? This one is a tad much! This was fun, Clare.

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    1. It is a great photo prompt though!

      Liked by 1 person

  9. Clare, both the story and the afterword are beautiful and wise writing. You articulate the concept of creativity in its twisty biscuit very well. I didn’t realize those were broken plates until reading this.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Many thanks ‘m’ and glad to have you as a follower.

      Like

  10. My attitude to modern art is Neanderthal, if that’s what meant by only liking art that doesn’t have to be explained to be understood.

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    1. Actually the “Neanderthal “ was toward non-creative people not necessarily those who don’t appreciate modern art…but also just the character’s POV. I personally believe intelligence comes in many forms and we need them all however that intelligence manifests.

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  11. Appreciation of art has always been tricky for me. I think modern art can be harder because it often doesn’t seem to radically differ from something one could make oneself. I imagined your piece being a musing between two people at dinner. I’m not sure I’d want to sit under this particular creation but then again, maybe the skill is making something permanent look fragile!

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    1. It certainly provokes thought, doesn’t it? Thanks for the comment.

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  12. The eternal argument over modern art – which of course is a sign of great art – that it creates debate.

    Liked by 1 person

  13. Dear Clare,

    I’ve learned from experience, the creative soul feels things more deeply than the “average.” I was told that is so we can convey the emotions to others in dance, acting or visual art.
    Well done verse.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

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    1. Thanks Richelle! The concept in that chandelier is mind blowing!

      Like

  14. Can’t help but point out you suggested Neanderthals were less intelligent than homo sapiens. But your message is well taken

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    1. Very good point to make! Thanks Neil.

      Like

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