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From the editor Breathing space our games - a n d everything w e d o is a g a m e - w e sift through experience a n d fit it into patterns. Think h o w tirelessly children play in a s a n d b o x . They move things around, c h a n g e t h e m , make a seemingly infinite series of small adjustments. They are f o l l o w ing a blueprint w h i c h is h a r d w i r e d into the m i n d . Perhaps t h e blueprint actually is the mind. W h o knows? Artists f o l l o w it, too. In fact, that's all they d o - play w i t h colours or musical notes or m o v e m e n t s or w o r d s o n a screen, assessVajda, t h e subject of this issue's cover story. " P a i n t i n g gives m e t h e time t o u n c o n sciously process all t h e other stuff. W h e n I re-emerge I have a different perspective o n it. It's like t a k i n g a v a c a t i o n . Or a m e d i t a t i o n in w h i c h y o u ' v e received s o m e insights w h i c h , even if y o u c a n ' t articulate t h e m , make y o u feel better or more confident that the w o r l d is g o i n g t o g o o n . " H u m a n beings are w o n d e r f u l l y resilient creatures. W e are p r o g r a m m e d t o survive. In ing t h e m , feeling their heft. W e can't all b e c o m e commercially successful artists. But w e can all f o l l o w t h e inner promptings of the blueprint. "There is n o final perfection, no idealistic, nirvana-like s t i l l p o i n t , " said A l l e n G i n s b e r g (see page 22). There's just t h e process of f o l l o w i n g t h e contours of t h e blueprint, in w h a t e v e r kind o f artistic activity calls us. Everything changes, t h e B u d d h a said, a n d n o w it seems t o be c h a n g i n g faster t h a n ever. The events of t h e past f e w m o n t h s have m a d e t h e w o r l d a tenser a n d m o r e anxious place. O u r ideal of a liberal, c o m passionate society is not just at risk from people w i t h a fanatical hatred of t h e West. The extent t o w h i c h our e m o t i o n s a n d actions c a n be m a n i p u l a t e d by our o w n m e d i a is equally dangerous. Perhaps, in t h e long run, it's even more so. It's certainly more insidious. O v e r w h e l m e d by t h e constant b o m b a r d ment of information a n d desperate t o make sense of it a l l , w e cling t o simplifications. But life is not a simple business. It's not m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n that w e need in order t o understand it. It's breathing space. " W h e n e v e r I'm sad or w r e s t l i n g w i t h things like September 11 it's f a b u l o u s t o be able t o paint, because my m i n d stops a n d I'm in t h e w o r l d of that p a i n t i n g , " says Jody Michael Boxall Simply Captivating Kids Crafts! Captivating Kids Crafts Saturday, Jan 5, Feb 2, 9 Noon - 4 pm in front of Lewiscraft Capilano Mall a n d Lewiscraft are J o i n us f o r Winter Kids Crafts o n Jan 5 a n d Feb 2 a n d m a k e a v e r y s p e c i a l Valentine Craft o n S a t u r d a y , F e b 9. p l e a s e d t o o f f e r FREE K i d s C r a f t s . Capilano Mall