As I study my family history, I wonder about the questions unanswered. I find myself speculating on why people made one choice or another. In some cases, I believe my speculation is quite right and in other cases, I'm not sure and I wish I knew more. Recently I found myself pondering artistic interest and skill passed down through generations. I'm wondering about where that love of art began in a family and how particular members of the family were inspired to invest their time and energy into artistic study and skill. Perhaps every family has multiple art threads, and perhaps this a question that can be asked of all families.
Theater
One great great uncle was a theater enthusiast. His friends were actors and he spent a lot of his free time involved in the theater. Specifically it appears that he was active in vaudeville shows. My mom remembers attending a vaudeville show with him one time. He was a very good student in high school, but did not go on to college. He was a well loved member of the family. A few other cousins since then have been involved in theater at the high school level, but no one yet has been involved beyond that. A number of relatives, however, have been involved in political theater in the past.
Music
Old photos show family members singing, and a couple of relatives have made it big in the music industry. Their music is very different from one another, and in both cases, their dads who were not very musical are the ones related to me so it's possible that the musical talent and interest came more from their mom's family lines.
Visual arts and writers
There are a good number of artists and writers throughout our great big family. In fact, we have many of their drawings and paintings throughout our house. Many cousins write as well, and most of that writing is informational text not fiction stories or poetry.
Almost every member of one of my friend's families makes a living via music, writing, and the visual arts. I remember visiting her house when I was young and I was amazed by the number of musical instruments and art materials throughout the house--it was like entering an artists' studio. Clearly her parents encouraged an artistic home.
A recent review of another friend's family history demonstrated a clear commitment to encouraging the arts in society. Someone in that family long ago made a commitment to the arts in such a way that their commitment affected large numbers of people in the community over years. How does a commitment this deep and great begin and continue over time?
I'm a fan of the arts. I believe the arts bring out the best of who we are and help us to live more meaningful, connected, good lives, and as I think about this, I'm thinking about how we can elevate the arts in our lives in ways that better the lives we live and the culture we promote. Thoughts?