While the immortal William Shakespeare may have written, “The eyes are the window to your soul,” I beg to differ. For while we can hide within even the most direct of glances, the voice doesn’t lie. This is something that I have been thinking about in recent conversations with my friend Vickie, who is dipping into the realm of author’s reading their work (her book is coming out on June 1, so more of that anon).
Where does your voice live in your body? Is it something that you give much thought to? As a former theatre actress, I most certainly have in my day, for it is the most expressive tool in our art. And yet, my voice has changed enormously since moving to France. It took me a few years to realize it, actually. I would only drop back into that deep alto on visits home to the States. The rest of the time my pitch was nearly an octave higher as I questioningly tested words and verb tenses. Gone was that reassuring flow. And it stayed that way for many years as I learned and struggled and stumbled with a very difficult language. And today? Well, I suppose that my voice has settled with time and the confidence that comes with age into somewhere in-between. It seems like there is a lot of the in-between in my life these days and that too I have to assume, to be more sure (for when are we ever 100% certain of anything) and listen keenly to another voice, my inner one.
All the better to see you with, my dear.
As for artistic voices? To live a creative life is fascinating and challenging with many colors that blend seamlessly into one another. It takes enormous courage to put yourself out there over and over again, sometimes only to be repeatedly dealt the brutal blow of rejection. But such a life is not chosen, it chooses you. This is why I have such enormous respect for those who endure. I was incredibly inspired by an article on Flavorwire featuring “10 creative women over 80 you should know.” I thought that you might be too.
These women are not bogged down by the cult of personality and none of them are afraid of their vision, their voice. The windows to their souls are dazzlingly clear.
Ah yes, that is most certainly a Hattattesquian stance if ever there was one!
My goodness, it is hard to imagine being friends with all of those incredible women…I think that I would be happy just to unite them all at a dinner party and sit silently in the corner.
How much do I love the image of joyful song floating through the Budapest or Brighton rooms? It makes me smile just to think on it.
Beautiful Sister, I know that cloudy window all to well but – speaking of fighting – you have fought so hard to get where you are today and be true to yourself. I have so much admiration for that and for you! Because you are trying to distinguish between those inner voices and wow am I not capable of that when I am angry. And I hear you about your speaking voice – I know that in tough times for me mine always gets rough too. It is our body trying to tell us something!
Hooray, N! I love this! Oh my goodness. "Artists are the real warriors." Thank you for that. It certainly feels like it. Most of us have so little certainty in our lives too. We are fighting fuelled on hope alone…
'But such a life is not chosen, it chooses you.'
I was on the verge of tears, throat salted and tight, as I read your words, H. Then I got to that sentence and surrendered.
I love you. (Can you imagine what sounds like?)
I do it because I have to do it….these words speak from an inner attitude and I can hear her absolutely confident voice . Voice, eyes, body language all these shows our real feelings and you can nobody mislead with words, no matter what great story you tell. Each influence have an impact of our voice and body language as well.Let's say we are an open book for somebody who can read it?
Gorgeous and amazing photos, Heather and such good questions! After writing for others for so many years and trying to live their voices, it's been a joy to be able to explore my own voice on my blog – and in paint!
Agree that an audio version of your blog would be fantastic.
Here's to being creative well past our 80s. I wonder what our voices will sound like then!
XOXO
It would be interesting to listen to your audio edition of your blog. Is that a dimension you consider? How about Ben and Kipling barking as an opener or your camera clicking away?
I keep telling myself I will do that on my poetry blog when I figure out well enough how to use the computer's recorder. Hearing my own voice is a weird experience. I don't think I sound like me. What would readers turned listeners think. There are so many aspects to consider.
I hope you'll consider an audio version to some posts on your blog.
Darling Heather,
What an interesting question you pose here.
We do agree that the voice can be a giveaway as to general well being. Indeed on the happiest of days we are prone to singing out loud (usually hymns ancient and modern) regardless of the fact that the pitch and tone may be rather distressing to those of a nervous (or musical) disposition!
The eighty somethings are treasures to be cherished. How. We wish that they were all our friends! What delicious conversations and debates we could have. As one woman of advanced years (her name completely escapes us) was recently quoted as saying "more is more and less us a bore"…… a woman after our own hearts.
Hmm – methinks all of my voices are a little muddled at the moment! Lately when I'm speaking on the phone I feel a little choked and scratchy; had to end a conversation early last night because of it. And my inner voice? I notoriously can't distinguish which voice is true when I am angry – the voice telling me that everything is hopeless is pretty convincing! And not sure of my artistic voice these days; I guess creativity comes out in my teaching, but no songs are being written or necklaces made. Sorry to be Debbie Downer – I love this idea of voice being a window to the soul and I think this troubled time for me is showing up in my cloudy window!
When I see my friends who are artists – they are certainly busier, more stressed and yet in short spurts much more fulfilled than those who work in the city. I must say that almost more than creativity it seems one needs strength. I have come to realize that artists are the real warriors – none of that wolf of wall street business hype for me!