Lost Music

Lily Lane

This morning one of my former students ask facebook to answer 'have I inspired anyone?' (this was suggested by her boyfriend- not her).  I am one of the first to see this post, and I had to reply: " You inspire me- always- because you were never afraid to be fiercely individual, express your loves and hates, wear your 'art' on your sleeve.  I am inspired now by your learning and adventures, the art that you make, the life that you lead.  You inspire me because *you are an artist*".  And every word of that is the solid truth.

When talking about school, education, teaching- in the general public and while being trained as teachers, as teachers among ourselves, we give each other the reassurance that we make a difference in the lives of students, that we inspire them, that we are a nexus for their evolution of self. Or at least we add to the spin- good or bad.  Sometimes we acknowledge the students as inspirations because they overcome huge odds and adapt and thrive- or even just survive- and not to discount that, but that is a different kind of inspiration.  More almost like parental pride (and I have that type of pride in Lily as well, because she has had her challenges, made good and bad choices, managed to live through all of it).  But then there is a different kind of inspiration- that which shines.

Lily shines for me.  And I'm finding it hard to explain, but she is one of those people who are born artists.  We are not talking talent (though she has that in abundance), or creativity or imagination or even passion- rather all of these things, and intellect, and work, and emotion, and individualism and such a unrelenting drive to live and express with all of her being.  Her art - shown is one of the more traditional works- takes her into all sorts of strange experiments, horrific and lovely, but somehow all part of the song.  Sometimes she pushes it to far- the painting above no longer exists because as she kept working on it the surface disintegrated and fell apart- but that doesn't matter.  It was made, and it lives still- like most art, no one will ever actually see the original, 

and that doesn't matter either.  What does matter is the magic in the making, the joy in the work that comes through, that incredible shine.  *That* inspires me, and I wish her well.