With things like Playtstation and iPods to compete with, parents may have a devil of a time getting their kids excited about visiting an art museum or partaking in a multimedia presentation. Interestingly enough, it is just this sort of exposure to the arts that children need. While a musical instrument is still something that parents will endeavor to have their kids learn (and subsequently put away in pursuit of “real jobs”), art and multimedia showing attendance by children and teens is dwindling. We could of course blame technology, which makes entertainment far too passive and mind numbing but that would be a bit disingenuous - after all, it is the parents who buy these items for their kids. Parents most often opt to take in a family movie at the theater before purchasing a ticket to an in town art showing as well. When the guardians of these children do such things they start missing the bigger picture. While owning a Nintendo or a Wii is not evil, it cannot be the only form of entertainment that we allow our children to have. Lets not forget, fun pastimes can also be educational.

Indeed, visual and auditory art can stimulate the mind and unravel creative impulses allowing kids and young adults to exercise their own innate talents. When this occurs, you begin to shape and mould a child into an individual who appreciates all aspects of life and knows a bit more than the names of current pop stars. So, just how do we renew modern interest in artistic disciplines? Quite simply, we expose our youth to them. Take them to museums and multimedia shows that have deeply spiritual or moving messages behind them. Take them to centers where kids can learn how to create little masterpieces of their own. Speak with them about the many revolutionary men and women who made their mark in the artistic worlds. Share with them the wonder of the creative process so that they yearn for more than simulated car wrecks on a television screen. Will exposing kids to art make them turn away from video games and movies? Probably not, but it will give them another choice in how to spend their time, and perhaps, enable them to grow into well rounded individuals who continue to embrace various aspects of art well into adulthood.

Anatoly Podkopov

Ylotana Project

www.ylotana.com

There is software available to modern day music makers that takes the collective data of hundreds of hits and suggests arrangements that follow these trends. For people without an ounce of creativity or skill, this can seem like a real Godsend; however, anyone with a natural affinity for songwriting is surely having nightmares! The reaction is valid since using this kind of software is akin to stealing, a kind of spiritual plagiarism. While one could argue that the music created is a new incarnation of a popular style, one can also say that the act of using this type of software cheat is like absconding with an individual’s muse and using it for oneself. Can we envision for example, someone creeping into Jim Morrison’s dreams and taking what they see there to write their own songs? While physically impossible, one could say that taking the rhythms and ideals of the artist who preceded them is a very similar act and can leave a new musician truly soulless and devoid of his or her own personal inspirations.
Artistic endeavors should come from the personal reflections and experiences of the person who is creating. When we use cheats we rob the world of unique and interesting perspectives that can aid us in evolving as a race. Now, some would argue that pop tunes do not have the same kind of importance as revolutionary music and can be given some leeway. To an extent we agree. There is a time and a place for fun music, especially when the world is at its bleakest, darkest moments. However, a fun and lively muse can form this melodic art and doesn’t necessarily have to come from a “can” so to speak. What is the solution? To cultivate a real love for actual songwriting—to encourage those with promise to write from the heart and be honest about how they see the world. If we can do this we restore the muse to her rightful place in songwriting realms. Although technology is a good thing, there are certain areas that it should never touch. In regards to equipment that makes the recording process easier, innovations are always welcome, but when it comes to the very soul of what makes music powerful and human, technology should leave this aspect of the muse alone.
Anatoly Podkopov

Ylotana Project

www.ylotana.com

While it is true that a special breed of intellectuals can greatly appreciate the intricate delicacies offered by multimedia there is a relationship established between the artists and the viewer that is hard to articulate.
Upon close examination however, it is not difficult to ascertain the wondrous captivation that multimedia creations have with appreciative audiences. All things considered, it is really a no-brainer. First, you are taking the most pivotal and emotional aspects of well respected disciplines and adding them together. It is akin to finding a wonderful clothing ensemble all in one place just in time for an important event. Everything joins to create a wondrous joyous whole. Likewise, multimedia art engages the primary senses of sight and sound. The mind is also employed, especially if literature accompanies the art, guaranteeing a complete experience. Cleverly placed components can also jar these senses, forcing watchers to face the concepts the artists are displaying.

Even when the ideologies are lighthearted, multimedia art can touch the hearts of the masses, especially in times of national distress. Those who have said that laughter is the best medicine truly understand the power of a multimedia exhibit that is designed to amuse or simply entertain. All these things aside, the biggest thing that multimedia art brings to the table is the ability to combine elements of creation together in a masterful and precise way. When done well, this mixed art presentation can be especially fascinating, leaving a lasting impression on aficionados who live for these unique and specialized types of showings. In a world that is continuously suppressing the purest forms of craftsmanship, the last refuge for art could possibly be found within the multimedia trenches. Perhaps it is this knowledge that also excites and titillates art lovers, who thirst for what remains of true expression. In fact, when all is said and done, multimedia artists will perhaps pave the way back to a place where skilled creation was indulged for the pure joy of the exercise. And this perhaps leads us to the biggest reason why multimedia art will forever entrance audiences. Multimedia work always comes from a real place, striking a chord within those seeking a sliver of emotional reality in a time when that commodity is in short supply.


Anatoly Podkopov

Ylotana Project

www.ylotana.com

Parents who try to think in terms of helping their children become well-rounded individuals should seriously introduce them to various artistic mediums. Unlike sports activities, which are team oriented, introducing a child to multimedia concepts like music, illustration or writing can help them develop their self-expression and adapt to new concepts and ideas. Children can also obtain self-esteem via the finalization of multimedia projects, which will afford your child the opportunity to see just what their strong suits are. Some kids may find they have a strong proclivity towards painting while another may enjoy crafting poetry. In a handful of cases, a child can display talent in two or more artistic disciplines. Cultivating multimedia related talents in a child could also lead to a lifelong passion that evolves into a promising and fulfilling career. An example of this is animation, where music, art, and computer graphic skills all come together to craft something that can be educational, socially enlightening or simply fun and entertaining.

Multimedia study can further expand the minds of kids by helping them connect with social aspects of art history. For instance, a study of old painting masters and the various subjects they painted can tell an individual a lot about a certain time period and how art impacted it. If so moved, students of multimedia disciplines may use this education to provide society with creations of great value to the public and perhaps the entire world. In other words, multimedia studies opens up a cornucopia of glorious possibilities for a child. Even if they don’t make art a profession, they can take with them the knowledge of how creative projects are structured a paradigm that can be applied in another industry. Enlightened parents know that cultivating art appreciation in their children has very little to do with staring at old paintings or listening to Mozart, and more to do with enriching their child’s lives. These wise and forward thinking parents will also be giving their offspring something of great merit than can positively influence them and their world perception, forever changing it for the better.

Anatoly Podkopov

Ylotana Project

www.ylotana.com

The mind is an amazing entity. Even the world’s fastest computers cannot mimic the lightening fast speed in which the human brain processes information. Everything we take in, see, feel, learn or reason is because of the fascinating and complex entity called gray matter. Considering the fact that mankind only uses 10 percent of our brain capacity, the amazing creations we consistently pump out with great frequency is astounding. Indeed, the creative process itself is staggeringly mysterious and intriguing, so much so that researchers have tried, with limited success, to understand and map it. What we have managed to learn however is fascinating. For instance, we know that people who have strong cognitive abilities like memory and comprehension skills tend to develop strong artistic talents. In a nutshell, memory seems to directly affect creative ability. Indeed, it is from our experiences that we tend to draw inspiration, which is why so many artistic masterpieces have hints if the psyche of the creator in them. For this reason, the hippocampus, the part of the brain where memories are thought to be stored, may directly influence some aspect of creative formulations even though it may not be the actual seat of this process.

Creativity itself is said to reside in the “web of consciousness” or more specifically in microtubules called (MT’s). MT’s is a housing of neurons that reside within nano filaments called cytoskeletons. These MT’s contain proteins that provoke consciousness. This provocation can turn on other neuroprocessors that lead to the recognition and achievement of creative ideals. The continued mystery is why some people seem to be born with the ability to access creative talents while others do not. There is a strong indication that these talents may be inherent, as individuals who are creative tend to produce creative offspring. Maybe the mystery shrouding the true processes of the creative mind is a good thing. If man were able to tap into the aspect of his brain and manipulate it for his own purposes will he not mitigate the beauty and relevance of art itself? Some things need to remain in the shadowed realms of consciousness, leaving creativity with its mystique and thereby making it special.

Anatoly Podkopov

Ylotana Project

www.ylotana.com