Nourish and Inspire

The body is a device to calculate

The astronomy of the spirit.

Look through that astrolabe

And become oceanic.

Maybe it was because I was sitting in the doctor’s office when I read this fragment from Rumi.  It really struck me.  Summer has been a time of indulgence: vacation, catch up lunches, visioning the future, dodging earthquakes, hurricanes and other splendid distractions.  The physical body is something we so often forget in the madness of arts marketing and corporate programming.  And yet it’s what connects us to everything else.

I recently attended a show at Manhattan Theatre Club–the incredible MASTER CLASS by Terrence McNally featuring Tyne Daly in a masterly performance.  She was part of our Broadway Roundtable this past spring, where we gather corporate friends and share the delights of theatre in a private lunch hosted by UBS.  And I worked at MTC during the early 90’s, when the incredible McNally plays were an almost annual tentpole of our seasons.  It was thrilling to see him back at MTC, especially in their new Broadway house, The Samuel J. Freidman Theatre.  But what really made my night was the unexpected surprise of a pass to the Patron’s Lounge and two free drinks.

It’s silly that something so comparatively simple gave the whole evening a fresh new edge.  We always talk about recognizing and thanking our donors and supporters, but experiencing the other side of the table reminded me how magical this actually is.  I remember attending a local orchestra with one of their supporters, and how she quietly beamed every time a staff member crossed the lobby to greet her.   She was the least pretentious, most humble person, yet this handshake gave her confidence that her gifts were not only recognized, but placed in the hands of people who could carry on a conversation, a relationship, and of course even an artistic program.   Competent execution of this small gesture is more than quenching a thirst or finding a chair.  It inspires confidence in the entire enterprise and in one’s role in it.

The tricky part is that this is not about robotically “showing up, showing face”.  This has to come from a genuine place, personally and organizationally.

When you look through your astrolabe, what do you see?  Are you oceanic, generous, thorough and trustworthy?  Or are you feeling the pressure of daily problems and having a hard time looking up from your piles?  Is art inspiring your life with a spirit of generosity, or grinding you down under these challenging circumstances? If the latter, what can you do about it?

We’re looking into this at the upcoming Innovators Forum, a lovely event we do every year that’s part of Advertising Week.  It takes place this year October 4.  Stand by for more.

I hope your summer was a good one for your body, and may your fall be astronomical.