Making Art in an Unpredictable World~Teaser Tuesday

Hosted by MizB at should be reading.

Here's how to play:

*Grab your current read,

*Open to a random page,

*Share a few “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page,

*Please no spoilers!

*Share the title and author.

"One day, particularly discouraged about the global environment, I asked my friend the playwright Charles L. Mee Jr., 'How are we supposed to function in these difficult times? How can we contribute anything useful in this climate?' 'Well,' he answered, 'You have a choice of two possible directions. Either you convince yourself that these are terrible times and things will never get better and so you decide to give up, or, you choose to believe that there will be a better time in the future. If that is the case, your job in these dark political and social times is to gather together everything you value and become a transport bridge. Pack up what you cherish and carry it on your back to the future.' 
"Near the end of the twentieth century, the Dalai Lama was asked if he would want to return to the earth in another century, even though it is certain that poverty, pollution, and overpopulation will make the planet a miserable environment to inhabit. 'If I could be useful,' was his response."

"...In order to 'make the music more intense,' you must first examine your intentions. If the motivation for action does not transcend the desire of fame and success, the quality of the results will be inferior. If your aim is intense engagement rather than self-aggrandizement, the results will be richer, denser, and more energetic. The outcome of an artistic process contains the energy of your commitment to it." 

From "And Then, You Act: Making Art in an Unpredictable World" by Anne Bogart.