The German word "Lebenskünstler" - which literally means "an artist in/of life" - has no real equivalent in English.
The dictionary offers me "hedonist" and "spiv" and "person who makes the best of things" - but that's not quite "IT".
Well - here you see one of my neihbours (no privacy intruded) - he is a real "artist" in life, meaning he works in varieté and does many, many surprising things with his body (walking on a high rope is only one of it).
And he kows how to live his life in the most creative and happy way.
He does not own much - but he has ideas. Sees chances - and grasps them.
A year ago he put two chairs into the wildernis of our Hinterhof (our absentee landlady does not permit to use it or make a garden out of it).
Then one of the chairs (if you stare hard you might find it at the left side) became what I will call "the poetic idea of a chair", a mere quote, because it misses the important part of a chair: the seating surface.
It is very Zen-like, very Buddhistic, this chair!
But our artist used it the other one today - the second chair, which still is sort of ok - and as we have the third day of summer in Berlin (28°C! in mid.May!), and he, different from us, has no balcony - uses the wildernis in a very creative way.
And, as you might have noticed:
He follows the sun!
You're lucky to have an artist in your life. Knowing an artist uplifts and gives one the opportunity to see things in a new way - opens a window or a door where there might have been a (previously good-enough) wall.
ReplyDeleteIt's good to hear from you!
Dear Pondside, thank you! I am so happy that you are in blogland again. missed you for a long time.
DeleteYes, the guy is fun - and I like positive people.
Perhaps we would call him "a bit Bohemian": unconventional, free spirit. Hello to you, not seen you for a while! xx
ReplyDeleteDear Rachel, yes, he is a Bohemian, that hits the nail on the head.
DeleteAs not being seen for a while: I was in the Netherlands for a while, and studies here mean hard working. But I bought an i-Pad and hope to develop a new routine on commenting - meaning: one day a week for instance - though I read a lot of your daily posts and enjoy them! xx
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ReplyDeleteIt sounds as if your neighbour is artistic in every aspect of his life Britta ..... and the best thing that anyone can do is to surround ourselves with positive people. Sounds as if you are very busy Britta ..... a good way to be. XXXX
ReplyDeleteI felt a sadness at the bottomless chair, Brigitta, as though it was not meant to be sat on. But now I think there are memories in it that the artist wishes undisturbed --a spirit, a soul, with whom he communes. I suspect there is humor in it too, and love.
ReplyDelete