The Troubadour Podcast

We were happy to have author Don Watkins on the show for our summer finale.

The topic this week was "struggle."

As always Luc chose a painting and Kirk selected a poem.

Don is the co-author of the best selling books Free Market Revolution and Equal is Unfair.
He's the host of the show Liberty Unlocked and he teaches communication skills at donswriting.com

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Shortly after the recording of this episode, Luc Travers posted this to the facebook group: 

"Oh man, that episode recording was a wild, emotional ride!

I went from warm nostalgia, to eager hope, to anxiety, to confused anger, to relief, to relative serenity in the space of 45 minutes!"

Kirk agrees. This was an intense episode that dealt with a very heavy topic. What is social harmony? On this episode, you'll hear a variety of different answers, including two radically different approaches by two different artists.

Special thanks to our voice recording volunteers: 

Alexandra Hartline
Heather Schwarz
Mike Dartt

Not only did Luc and Kirk discuss the topic of romance, but they discussed rom-coms, read some Shakespeare, talked about literature and of course were surprised by the painting that Luc chose and the poem Kirk chose.

What do you think is a romantic spark? When does it happen? How does it happen?

Special thanks to our voice recording guests
Patrick Reasonover of justaddfirewater.com
Emily Meer from the Surprised by Art Facebook Group
Hillary Romero from Hilco Homes

View the painting here: https://www.troubadourmag.com/post/surprised-by-art-5-romantic-spark

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This week Luc and Kirk delve into the religious concept of revelation. Does revelation refer solely to the divine? How can revelation be brought down to earth? How is it relevant to our day-to-day lives? In painting, revelation is a very popular concept. The same is true in literature and poetry. What do you think? Does revelation have to be divine? Can we attain secular revelation? And what would that mean?

Special thanks to our voice recorders
Kelly Bowers & Sean Doherty.

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Today Luc and Kirk are joined by sculptor Kelsy Landin. Make sure to follow her on Tiktok @landinart where she has become very popular creating videos of the sculpting process. Instagram she is @landinofficial and youtube Landin Art.

Luc chose a spectacular statue to surprise us with. All three of us discussed various aspects of the sculpture as well as its artistic meaning. At first, it was not obvious how it fit into the topic of "Self-creation" but after exploring the work with Luc, we saw a very unique and important aspect of creating the self that many of us do not consider.

The poem showed a contrary view to the idea of Self-creation, which gave the three of us much to contemplate.

Enjoy this special episode of Surprised by Art, and visit https://www.troubadourmag.com/post/surprised-by-art-8-self-creation to view all the of artworks from different angles, and to read the poem.

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A reading and discussion of the poem "Easter, 1916" by WB Yeats. This poem is considered one of the most powerful political poems of the 20th century.

Easter, 1916
BY WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS

I have met them at close of day   
Coming with vivid faces
From counter or desk among grey   
Eighteenth-century houses.
I have passed with a nod of the head   
Or polite meaningless words,   
Or have lingered awhile and said   
Polite meaningless words,
And thought before I had done   
Of a mocking tale or a gibe   
To please a companion
Around the fire at the club,   
Being certain that they and I   
But lived where motley is worn:   
All changed, changed utterly:   
A terrible beauty is born.

That woman's days were spent   
In ignorant good-will,
Her nights in argument
Until her voice grew shrill.
What voice more sweet than hers   
When, young and beautiful,   
She rode to harriers?
This man had kept a school   
And rode our wingèd horse;   
This other his helper and friend   
Was coming into his force;
He might have won fame in the end,   
So sensitive his nature seemed,   
So daring and sweet his thought.
This other man I had dreamed
A drunken, vainglorious lout.
He had done most bitter wrong
To some who are near my heart,   
Yet I number him in the song;
He, too, has resigned his part
In the casual comedy;
He, too, has been changed in his turn,   
Transformed utterly:
A terrible beauty is born.

Hearts with one purpose alone   
Through summer and winter seem   
Enchanted to a stone
To trouble the living stream.
The horse that comes from the road,   
The rider, the birds that range   
From cloud to tumbling cloud,   
Minute by minute they change;   
A shadow of cloud on the stream   
Changes minute by minute;   
A horse-hoof slides on the brim,   
And a horse plashes within it;   
The long-legged moor-hens dive,   
And hens to moor-cocks call;   
Minute by minute they live:   
The stone's in the midst of all.

Too long a sacrifice
Can make a stone of the heart.   
O when may it suffice?
That is Heaven's part, our part   
To murmur name upon name,   
As a mother names her child   
When sleep at last has come   
On limbs that had run wild.   
What is it but nightfall?
No, no, not night but death;   
Was it needless death after all?
For England may keep faith   
For all that is done and said.   
We know their dream; enough
To know they dreamed and are dead;   
And what if excess of love   
Bewildered them till they died?   
I write it out in a verse—
MacDonagh and MacBride   
And Connolly and Pearse
Now and in time to be,
Wherever green is worn,
Are changed, changed utterly:   
A terrible beauty is born.
Notes:
September 25, 1916

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is there a difference between aloneness and loneliness? What are the benefits and drawbacks to being alone? Our two artists today have very different things to say about being alone and loneliness. You may be listening to this alone. But are you alone with Luc and Kirk in your ears? There are times when it is important to break away from others and be by yourself. But there are times when connection is a strong desire. 

This and more is what we explore on this episode of Surprised by Art!

*Note to parents. Kirk uses one swear word in this episode!

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In this episode Luc and Kirk explored the idea of the role of a mentor in ones life. To what degree should we revere them? How personal does the relationship have to be? What value is there in a mentor? How can you be better mentor? What truly does a mentor do? How is a mentor different than a teacher?

Luc shared a wonderful sculpture with all of us and Kirk chose a poem (stole might be a better word! From a talk by Lisa VanDamme, "Life Poetry and Keats.")

This podcast is a conversation one that will certainly surprise you with the inherent truths in great works of art. You do not need to be a scholar to approach these podcasts. Luc and Kirk provide approachable ways to make art more meaningful in your life.

Special thanks to: Lisa Vandamme for her reading of the poem. You can follow along with Lisa's literary readings and commentary on her Read with Me App.

Painting Voice Recorders:
Adriana Carlson - Author of the young adult novel Penelope and the Hob King

Molly Johnson - Esteemed member of the Surprised by Art facebook group!

Jake Rivas - of Jake of All Trades, a financial podcast for millennials

Here's the poem:

Great Spirits
By John Keats

GREAT spirits now on earth are sojourning;
He of the cloud, the cataract, the lake,
Who on Helvellyn’s summit, wide awake,
Catches his freshness from Archangel’s wing;
He of the rose, the violet, the spring,        
The social smile, the chain for Freedom’s sake:
And lo!—whose steadfastness would never take
A meaner sound than Raphael’s whispering.
And other spirits there are standing apart
Upon the forehead of the age to come;        
These, these will give the world another heart
And other pulses. Hear ye not the hum
Of mighty workings in the human mart?
Listen awhile, ye nations, and be dumb.

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A discussion of the new show, Andor on Disney+

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*To view the full painting visit: https://www.troubadourmag.com/post/surprised-by-art-3-childhood-wildness

On this episode you get to hear a fundamental disagreement between Luc and Kirk regarding the interpretation of the poem.

This was a wild ride of a show. You'll get to experience a wonderful painting that most people pass by. It's a hidden gem rife with meaning, despite its minimalism. Luc and Kirk discussed the nature of wildness, bravery, thrill seeking and more with this painting.

WIth the poem, Luc and Kirk got to experience a knight's tale, from a very unusual and unexpected location.

We wanted to give a special thanks to our voice recording volunteers! They did a wonderful job describing the painting. Deanna Hekkinen of Piisan Academy, Rachael Rivera, and Jason Letman