About

petermaxmindbard

WELCOME to The Mindful Bard— a context in which to explore creativity, the creative personality, and work as a compassionate response to suffering!

We recommend books, music, and film that inspire good art and social transformation. We also publish interviews, ideas, and poems that teach and inspire social consciousness, creative thinking, and authentic creative production. Submissions welcome!

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Mindful Bard Selection Criteria

A music recording, movie, or book qualifies as a Bard pick if it manifests at least two of the following qualities:

It’s authentic, original, and delightful;
It poses and admirably responds to questions that have a direct bearing on my view of existence;
It stimulates my mind;
It harmoniously unites art with social action, saving me from both seclusion in an ivory tower and slavery to someone else’s political agenda;
It provides respite from a sick and cruel world, a respite enabling me to renew myself for a return to mindful artistic endeavor;
It’s about attainment of the true self;
It inspires an awareness of the sanctity of creation;
It displays an engagement with and compassionate response to suffering;
It gives me artistic tools;
It makes me want to be a better artist;
It gives me tools of campassion, enabling me to respond with compassion and efficacy to the suffering around me;
It renews my enthusiasm for positive social action;
It makes me appreciate that life is a complex and rare phenomena, making living a unique opportunity (Cybiont).

THE MINDFUL BARD MANIFESTO

I will strive to remove all impediments to my creativity and to take whatever measures necessary to stimulate and feed that creativity.

I will live a contemplative life, not holding any beliefs or opinions that have no resonance with my personal knowledge and experience.

I will respond with interest and compassion to every being that crosses my path.

I will seek the deepest well-being of others, of myself, and of the earth in all my endeavors.

I will facilitate my own healing by laying aside my ego and finding my true self by participating in something good, true, and beautiful.

I refuse to sacrifice my art to dogma.

I refuse to sacrifice my humanity to my art.

I will acknowledge— by being— that all is connected and that the total is more then the sum of its parts (Cybiont).

 

 

 

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27 thoughts on “About”

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  23. Hi – I’m based in the UK and have only just read your feature on Sam Baker which is very incisive. I am a huge fan and he has a great following over here. We are all looking forward to his September tour.

    Noting that you are looking for recommendations (which fit your criteria) I’d like to suggest a forthcoming CD release ‘Heat, Sin, Water, Skin’ by BettySoo. I attended SXSW Music, Austin in March and she was my new discovery. I was fortunate enough to be given an advance copy of the CD and think it wonderful – I hope that you might share my enthusiasm for it.

    Check out http://www.bettysoo.com and http://www.myspace.com/bettysoo

    I’d be interested in your thoughts

    Jela

    Jela Webb
    Lindfield
    West Sussex
    England

    Like

    Reply

    1. Thanks so much for your kind words, Jela. Sam was one of my more amazing interviews. The real discussion didn`t really start until after my questions were done and Sam shared some of his insights. Yes, he is much better known in the British Isles than he is here in North America.

      And thanks for the recommendation. I`m listening to BettySoo right now and she has the most expressive singing voice. I had never heard of her before. I`ll certainly be contacting her for a review copy and an interview.

      Like

      Reply

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