Reflections: On Being Brief…
“Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit, And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes, I will be brief.” William Shakespeare
Reflections: On Being Brief... The Persistence of Memory by Dali...
Do you ever long to be brief? Are there moments in your life when you don’t want to add anything more to a conversation? You’ve said enough… What I love about art is that we can all look at a painting, a sculpture, an artistic piece, and see worlds we created in it… What else do we see in Salvador Dali’s The Persistence of Memory? (Fair use rationale below)
“I shall be so brief that I have already finished.” Salvador Dalí
Reflections: On Being Brief... Lennon by Oleg Shuplyak
Sometimes, it is best to say less. While viewing the remarkable work of Oleg Shuplyak above, we can see images within images; we can create representations of what we see and use words sparingly.
“This is not a letter but my arms around you for a brief moment.” Katherine Mansfield
Reflections: On Being Brief... Las Visiones del Quijote by Octavio Ocampo
When I visit a museum to enjoy the creative genius of works like the piece above by Octavio Ocampo, I don’t want to stand next to a group, a couple or an art aficionado debating the aesthetics and complexities of the piece… Set the mental masturbation aside… For now, let us just enjoy the work and talk later… More below! 😉
“Life gives us brief moments with another…but sometimes in those brief moment we get memories that last a life time…” Anon
Reflections: On Being Brief... Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963–1995 by Tracey Emin
Maybe we can create pieces like Tracey Emin’s Everyone I have Ever Slept With and be done with the need to have a lengthy conversation… Even with art, we can choose to be verbose or brief, no? What are your thoughts? Do you ever long to be brief? What do you do when words fail you? Do share! Thank you. 😉
Positive Motivation Tip: Sometimes, it is best to see more and say less…
Related articles
- Look again, there’s more than initially meets the eye: The intricate oil paintings that hide remarkable double images (dailymail.co.uk)
- In Presentations, Learn to Say Less (blogs.hbr.org)
- Less and Fewer (dailypost.wordpress.com)
- 1941 Dizzy Dali Dinner (cakeheadlovesevil.wordpress.com)
- This One Time Bob Hope Went to A Party At Salvador Dali’s House (thefrisky.com)
- Sleep – Salvador Dali (manonmona.wordpress.com)
- Short stories: Margaret Drabble and Katherine Mansfield (guardian.co.uk)
- Who wrote Shakespeare? (whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com)
PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All Photos The Persistence of Memory by Dali, Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963–1995 by Tracey Emin via Wikipedia, John Lennon by Oleg Shulpyev via Daily Mail.uk, Las Visiones del Quijote by Octavio Ocampo via beinart.org and/or via Flickr
Fair Use Rationale for Non-free media data Applicable to all art featured on this post.
Description: Salvador Dalí. (Spanish, 1904-1989). The Persistence of Memory. 1931. Oil on canvas, 9 1/2 x 13″ (24.1 x 33 cm). © 2007 Salvador Dalí, Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Source: Image taken from About.com
Portion used:Entire image
Low resolution? The image is a low resolution copy of the original work of such low quality that it would be unlikely to impact sales of the work.
Other information: Work held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York
Non-free media use rationale for The Persistence of Memory
Article:The Persistence of Memory
Purpose of use: The image is only being used for informational purposes.
Its inclusion in the article adds significantly to the article because it shows the subject of this article and how the image depicted is familiar to the general public.
The image is readily available on the internet.
Replaceable? There is no alternative, public domain or free-copyrighted replacement available
Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet
Great Entry my friend 🙂
TY Jake! This was triggered by museum visit, and the endless chatter going on around me… 🙂
Pure and simple I talk too much! Not in a chatty way….I can go hours without saying a thing to anyone, but I have recently thought that I repeat myself when i don’t think I’m being heard and understood. I think that if I say it “again” and just say something differently it will land with great applause. Sometimes I need to just say what’s on my mind, and only once, and if it isn’t picked up by someone else it is just okay. You’ve got me thinking, Elizabeth! Brief is a good thing! Debra
I do too… sometimes. I’ve been feeling the need to hibernate, slow down a bit and say less… 😉
happy day dear friend away.
Thanks for the nice translation … you’re too kind!!
I came back from a few days but I’ve forgotten 🙂
Have a nice day.
PS: your posts are always fascinating.
Read them carefully.
kisses
wind
TY! It’s good to see back again. I enjoyed that poem you wrote… Yes, the translation was challenging too 😆
I love your comment “mental masturbation” it sums up so much in two words. That’s brief!
I have a couple of sayings (can’t quote the source)
“Less is more”
“Least said soonest mended”
Adore the pictures. That is ART
Reflections: On Being Brief… Lennon by Oleg Shuplyak
Reflections: On Being Brief… Las Visiones del Quijote by Octavio Ocampo
Thank you PiP! I love your sayings too… less is more. 😉
whoa this is AWESOME ! tHE PICS / QUOTES…. hey am not just saying : Am JEALOUS :))))))
SO GLAD YOU FOUND YOU ON THE NET .. worth it, uh ? All the time we spend hammering away at our insides ; life’s only beautiful when you find like minded insanely precious spaces between others.
:)))
( did try to be brief, but ..)
TY for your enthusiasm and I’m glad I found your blog too. I enjoyed my visit … lots of gorgeous art! 🙂
error : ” So glad I I I found you…. ” / I only tumble when am happyyy
( though technically, U FOUND U might begin to make sense, introspectively, I found me… ).
Nuff said, Love yr blog!
TY so much and I love your blog too… mutual admiration societies are alive and well everywhere. 😆 Thanks again! 😉
We are so blessed by the high level of artwork you have posted here. I love the Lennon one. Brevity can indeed give us a lifetime of inspiration. Concentrated juices always sweeten better than dilutions stretched out into transparent thinness giving little succour.
Well said Granbee! I love the Lennon piece too. 🙂
It’s hard to have the time to be brief – someone – Seneca or Cicero or Blaise Pascal (??) – anyway someone said, famously – “I would have written you a shorter letter but I didn’t have time.”
though Seneca or Pascal understood the topic very well – the quotation “I would have written you a shorter letter but I didn’t have time.” comes from Johann Wolfgang Goethe
“I would have written you a shorter letter but I didn’t have time.” The quote is attributed to Mark Twain. 😉
I understand the sentiments… It is hard. 🙂
a photo is brief.
It is a perfect example of brief… I love photos. 🙂
More and more recently, I’ve longed to be brief! I feel like I’ve issued so many words over my my life–on and off the job–that there’s great joy in a message conveyed in few words.
I agree and I’m feeling that way of late…. less and less for me it seems. 😉
Loved the painting of John Lennon. Very interesting!
Pretty remarkable isn’t it? If you follow the link, there are many other examples of Oleg’s work… TY! 🙂
Love being brief. I can be wordy in my personal life but at work I have become more succinct and brief….hmmm maybe I will try it at home too:)
Good for you that you have mastered the art of brevity at work. 🙂
Honestly? i would like to be LESS brief!
😆 Then say more or do more… I enjoyed your last blog post… it wasn’t brief. 🙂
Great post! I love the pictures you chose to illustrate the point. I have a tendency to be less than brief, so today I will practice “less is more.” Thanks!
TY and I am making effort to do same. 🙂
That is why I love photographs and nature. Worlds exist in them and we don’t need more.
B
Exactly… I need to develop my photography skills so I can do more photo-blogging. 🙂
Nice 🙂
TY! 😉
When I write, I tend to be brief and get straight to the point, without meandering about, hither and yon.
Unless I’m painting pictures in a poem. 😀
And you sure do… I thought about you when I wrote the post. TY! 😉
I long not only to be brief, but also to be succinct, laced with kindness and love. As you can see I have a long journey ahead.
We all do… and it is an uphill battle for the verbose like me 😆 🙂
When I speak, I tend not to be brief. When I write however, I’m very conscious of it.
I like looking at art in silence. It’s like communicating with the author/artwork. Ditto the movies.
Excellent and keep it up… so many Hemingway’s around here 😉
I love to be brief in writing but sometimes it is just not that simple. Great writing as usual. Have a delightful day Eliz.
Yes, I agree with you that it is not always simple… and so we keep at it. TY Jackie! 😉
That’s why I have a photoblog–pictures say so much . . .
They sure do; especially when we take beautiful pictures like you do. 🙂
My favorite quote here is:
“I shall be so brief that I have already finished.” Salvador Dalí
Sometimes being brief, especially in the company of verbally clever and witty chatter boxes, makes a social event end sooner than expected due to pockets of awkward moments…saved by the brief bell! 🙂
Hey, you have a point there… it has its merits after all. 🙂
Brevity is something that seems to elude me at the most inappropriate times. I wish I could master the art.
I also think of the smart come-backs well after the conversation. *sigh*
Definitely watch movies in silence (InsideJourneys) I cannot stand people talking through movies, drives me insane!
I speak up and then move when I’m around chatter boxes at the movies… extremely annoying. I’m not so brief either! TY! 😉
Love the artwork. And the reflections on brevity, not usually one of my strong points. However, I am learning the “less is more” philosophy, and attempting to live life and say more with less.
It is part of my mindful living plan for 2012… Not so easy, I agree. TY! 🙂
Less is more, as the saying goes! Our life is now so full and overwhelming… there is always too much, we always want more… But in the end we will come to realise that what we should seek are the simplest things… our simplest needs: love, friends, family ^^
The simplest things are the richest … well said. 🙂
I’m practicing brevity this year in the form of small stones, and that seems to be carrying over into other things. Lovely post. 🙂
Good for you Robin and thanks for your patience! I’ve noticed the small stones project. It looks great! 🙂
I like brevity.
*giggles*
TY dear! 🙂
Same! 😉
Many thanks for your motivation tip. I have to reflect on it.
Oh Thank you! I love your family history and insights on your blog too. 🙂