Artists, poets, and prophets can help us make sense of the craziness that we experience in the world.
My favorite artist is Regina Spektor.
When I first encountered her music, before I knew where she was from, I felt a hint of influence from Vladimir Vysotsky, the famous Russian singer.
Vysotsky used music and humorous and clever lyrics to make powerful political and social commentary without being arrested and jailed by Soviet leaders.
When I found out Regina emigrated from Russia at age 9 and had all of Vysotsky’s recordings, I was proud (as a Russian major in college) that I had sensed a connection there.
Two of her recent songs brought me to tears when I first heard them.
“The Trapper and the Furrier” is the most powerful art decrying greed that I have ever experienced. For me, it evokes the horrors of slavery and the cruel consequences of unbridled, greedy capitalism.
“The Light” fills me with emotion, transporting me back years where I told my kids bedtime stories and sang to them at night.
In this interview Regina beautifully describes her journey of becoming a singer-songwriter instead of a classical pianist.
I use this clip to illustrate the joy we find in life when we embrace our strengths and become who we were born and designed to me.
