In a world torn by political, ethnic and religious conflict, only art has the power to unify, inspire, elevate, and heal. Our institutions make claims on our attitudes and loyalty; it is intrinsic in their nature to direct our energies towards fulfilling their collective goals. They are self-perpetuating. By limiting our perspective, they often divide us from each other. At the extreme, they may even split us from our deepest and most authentic selves. Though serving in many cases, a positive purpose, institutions are agenda-driven. Thus they may steer us away from self-knowledge and personal responsibility when emphasis on image, hierarchy, dogma or power, overrides more constructive human concerns.

Art, on the other hand, both the making and the viewing of it, encourages us to view the world in new ways, as well as to look into ourselves. A world without art would be intellectually and spiritually barren. Imagination makes all things possible, and art is the most profound outgrowth of the human imagination that is not subservient to external purposes (though of course, there are exceptions). Therefore, even in its all its confusing flux and diversity, art is perhaps the “purest” phenomenon among human endeavors.

On a personal level, the richness and mystery of life have intrigued me since I was a child living in rural Pennsylvania. I reveled in the sensuous beauty of forests and rolling hills. Read the rest of this entry »

If you are interested in movie making tips, there is a good chance that you have a lot of drive and ambition to make your production the best out there. However, when you are getting started, you’ll find that there are a lot of things that you can keep in mind, and if you are at a point where you are thinking about getting started, there are some facts that you should remember. For many people who don\’t have a lot of backing or might be doing this in an amateur fashion, make sure that you think things through!

1.Watch lots of movies.
No matter what your chosen genre is, make sure that you watch plenty of it. Even if you are planning something totally new, take a look at similar examples of what you are trying to do. As many people will tell you, you need to know the rules before you can break them, so have a thorough understanding of the medium that you will be working on.

2.Think about your movie budget Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re creative then crafting your party decorations on your own should be fun for you, not to mention the fact that it is also cheaper. However if you happen to be short on time, then it’s better to check decoration supply stores or online discount decoration supplying sites.

Now technology has made things real easy. You even have celebration rental services that bring their own actors, party embellishments and theme backgrounds at a price. You can set your budget and choose. There is something for everyone.

The first step is choosing a party theme. Now theme party decorations would depend on whether it is an adult party or a kid’s party. So a cocktail party decoration will be very different from a children’s party decoration. Some popular adult party decoration themes include, luau party decoration, circus, western, Hollywood 1950s, Roaring 20s, costume party decorations, safari, disco, sports, space, pirate, Las Vegas, Mardi Gras, Arabian Nights, Spanish fiesta, medieval times, rock and roll, futuristic and many more. You name it and they are sure to create it.

Whereas kids generally enjoy comic character and popular culture themes like, Pokemon, Spiderman, Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, American Idol, Bob the Builder, Finding Nemo, Dora the Explorer etc. So if you are planning a birthday party decoration or baby party decorations or 1st party decorations then these are great ideas to start with. Read the rest of this entry »

Etiquette for guests are important. A formal affair is when this is of dire importance. However, with a causal party or event there are still some information a person needs to know. With every style of party, an individual needs to be on their best behavior so each guest can have a fun and amusing time. The host has various parts of the event to worry about. An unruly guest should not concern the other guests or host. There are simple measures a person can take to have fun and enjoy the surroundings. Almost every person has been taught some form of etiquette for different styles of events. There are simple procedures that a person can take to enjoy themselves and still be on their best behavior.

Invitations are sent out a few weeks in advance. It is polite to acknowledge these invites. Call the host or write a letter explaining if you can make the event or if you cannot. When the host is expecting a certain amount of people and half of those individuals do not show, time, food and entertainment is wasted. Let the host know as soon as possible if the individual is planning to attend. When the person calls and tells the host they will make it, ask if they can do anything for the event. It is helpful to the party if guests make a contribution. Most of the time the host will tell an individual everything is taken care of, however if something is needed be sure to accomplish this. Read the rest of this entry »