April = Poetry Month

One of my favorite things about spring is that the month of April is National Poetry Month. A whole month to celebrate and explore poetry. If you have followed my blog you are aware that I enjoy writing and reading many types of poems.

Poetry, like art, is a soul to soul conversation. I would like to share with you some of my favorite conversations, (poems) that have touched my soul.

THE WATERFALL

Orb-weaver shivering
among the filaments: how many
fibers generated from within
transect the air?

How many hirsute, sightless
gropings anchor
these redwood trees, suffuse
the flowery traceries

of the oxalis? The veining
in this hand, these
eyeballs, the circuitous
and scintillating

leap within the brain—
the synapse,
the waterfall, the black-
thread mane of fern

beside it—all, all
suspend, here:
everywhere, existences
hang by a hair

By Amy Clampitt from ARCHAIC FIGURE

The Following untitled poem is by Emily Dickson.

My friend must be a Bird—
Because it flies!
Mortal, my friend must be,
Because it dies!
Barbs has it, like a Bee!
Ah, curious friend!
Thou puzzlest me!

Poem by Mary Oliver from “When I am among the trees”

When I am among the trees,

especially the willows and the honey locust,

equally the beech, the oaks, and the pines,

they give off such hints of gladness…

I am so distant from the hope of myself,

in which I have goodness, and discernment,

and never hurry through the world

but walk slowly and bow often.

Around me the trees stir in their leaves

and call out, “Stay awhile.”

The lifht flows from their branches.

And they call again, “It’s simple,” they say,

“and you too have come

with light, and to shine.”

I hope that you have a chance to explore some poetry this month! Please comment and share some of your favorite poems and poets. 

Coffee

Have you heard the phrase, “coffee snob?”  I have.  It is supposed to relate to people who are very particular about their coffee.  I get it.  I have a friend that is into whole bean dark blends that he grinds himself and drinks it black.  A pot at a time.  Other friends add cream.  Some prefer sugar and no cream.  While others add both.  And I have a couple friends who don’t drink coffee at all.  I like dark coffee with a teaspoon of sugar in the raw and a tablespoon of whole cream.  The raw sugar adds a hint of caramel that is enhanced by the real cream.

Coffee is very much a part of my life as it is for many people.  Do you remember the television show “Fringe?”  In the alternate timeline linked to the main timeline there was a coffee shortage.  I felt very sorry for the people in the alternate timeline. Not being able to have a coffee every day, I am sure would be very hard for me.  There were many scary things in this show, but to me, the coffee shortage was the scariest!

Yesterday, I watched the movie “The Good House” starring Sigourney Weaver and Kevin Kline.  It is listed as a comedy/drama.  There are comedic parts, but I would say that overall it is a serious film.  At one point, Sigourney Weaver’s character is in a fancy coffee shop trying to order a plain cup of coffee.  She says to the blank faced barista, “A plain cup of coffee costs four dollars.”  The barista nods and says yes.   Sigourney’s staunch New England character decides against the four dollar cup of coffee.

A friend, who works in law enforcement told me a story about coffee.  He meets with prisoners who are released on parole.  At their first meeting, He always makes sure that they have a really good cup of coffee with an option for adding sugar and cream.  The idea behind this in his words, “Coffee in prison is vile, at best and one way of welcoming them back into society is to make sure that they have a good cup of coffee.”  He then laughed and said that one really good cup of coffee doesn’t stop them from falling back into criminal behavior; but he hopes that it makes them feel better.

According to an Ethiopian myth, coffee was found when a shepherd noticed that his goats would become energized and unable to sleep upon eating the beans of a certain tree.  When he returned to his village, he spoke to an Abbott at a local monastery.  The monk used the beans to brew a beverage.  The affects of the beverage allowed him stay alert during evening prayers.  Just like that, Coffee began changing the world.

The idea of sitting and drinking coffee in public houses started on the Arabian Peninsula.  Patrons of the “Coffee House” would drink coffee and engage in conversation.  They would also listen to music, watch performers, play chess and keep up on the current events.  Coffee houses quickly became an important center for the exchange of information.  Because of the “ideas” they would brew, they would be called “Schools of the Wise.”  Not so different from the coffee shops of today.

Of course, coffee spread to Europe, the new world and around the globe.  The demand for coffee grew so great that coffee plants were introduced throughout the world.  There is a story about a seedling that was introduced to the island of Martinique that not only thrived but is credited to the spread of over 18 million plants!

So where is this blog going?  Why all the talk about coffee?  How does coffee relate to creativity?  Coffee may be the beverage brewed from the beans of one plant, but it is as unique as each person who reads this article.  I’m sure that I am not the only person on this planet, who would be very sad if coffee became an exotic, expensive drink of the rich.  While four dollars may be expensive for a plain cup of coffee…. how many of us pay more than that for a fancy latte, cappuccino, espresso, macchiato, etc.  Coffee can act as welcome.  Coffee came from humble roots, discovered by a shepherd.  Changed culture with the coffee house by sharing and spreading knowledge and ideas.  And now is found everywhere on this planet.

Think about it.  Something as simple as a cup of coffee has the ability to do so many different things.  Welcoming… missed… expensive…. rich…. shared…. spread…. enhancing… simple…. complex….. and many more adjectives.  Instead of thinking outside of the box, I want to be creative like coffee.

Unexpected

One night at Beginning Acrylic Painting Class, I was wearing a concert t-shirt from the band U2.  One of my students, Paul, arrived at class.  He was setting up his area and when he saw my t-shirt he exclaimed.  “I saw them,” meaning the band U2.  Several of the students in class said that they had seen them in concert.  I have had the great good luck myself to see them twice in concert and can say that U2 provide an excellent performance.  Paul said that yes he had seen them in concert but one time he actually got to talk to them.  Several other students asked him how did he get to meet them.

Paul shared his story with us.  He was in Hawaii serving in the military.  If my recollection is correct, it was a fairly new post and housing wasn’t ready or his furniture had not yet arrived, for whatever reason he was staying in a hotel.  He got in the elevator and hit the button for his floor.  At the next floor the elevator stopped.  The members of the band U2 stepped into it.  One noticed Paul’s uniform and thanked him for his service.  They then visited as they rode the elevator.  I can’t remember if Paul said he got out of the elevator first or that they did.  That doesn’t matter.  What matters is the experience.

Paul said that the experience was a bit surreal.  The last thing he expected, or even thought was a possibility was meeting Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr.  His words, “it was so unexpected.”

Unexpected.  The Oxford dictionary defines the word unexpected as “not expected or regarded as not likely to happen.”  It is an adjective which means it is descriptor word or modifier.  Unexpected.  What an amazing word.  Think about it for a moment.  Unexpected.  Five syllables filled with wonder and surprise.

So much of life is expected.  Pay your taxes, go to school, go to work, eat your veggies, brush your teeth, go to bed, get up the next day do it all again.  Day in and day out.  Following the same routine, life can become expected and predictable.

Have you ever noticed that unexpected often happens when we need it most.  Some might call this synchronicity, getting exactly what you need when you need it.  Maybe you have had this kind of experience.  A friend of mine put on a jacket that he thought he had lost.  In the pocket was a $20 bill.  He was at a place in his life that finding $20 was a very pleasant unexpected surprise.

Unexpected reminds us to be open to possibility.  That we don’t always have to know what will happen.  It allows us to be filled with the wonder of being alive.  It teaches us to flexible and have hope.  I hope that you get to experience the joy of something wonderful and unexpected in your life today.

Vacuum of Emptiness

blank canvas, empty container, sheet of blank paper, vastness of space, empty gas tank, acres of snow without a single foot print, the dark water of the ocean…..

We all have those moments where we just don’t feel fulfilled.  Or even like there is anything inside us.  I call these days the vacuum of emptiness days.  On days like these I feel so empty that there is nothing left for me to give, nothing left for me to share, and I don’t want anything from anyone.  I just want to be left alone.

You, me, every person on this planet… we are not going to feel great or be on the top of our game every single day.  It is unhealthy to expect that.  It is reasonable to expect that we are not going to have days where we feel empty and are not at our best.  At these times, it really helps me to move forward if I take care of myself.  Plenty of sleep.  Eating healthy food instead of junk.  Setting boundaries so I can have time for myself.

canvas on easel, glass half full, words on paper, looking at the stars, pulling up to the gas station, snow angel in the field, standing on the beach looking at the ocean….

Other things that I can do during these times of discontent and emptiness, is to do something special for myself.  One student in a creativity class would buy herself flowers when feeling empty, sad and unable to give.  She said that coming into her home or from a different room and seeing flowers on her dining room table always made her feel happy.    Another friend said he would buy blueberries and make fresh blueberry pancakes.  It made him think of happier times and remind him that things would get better.  What simple thing can you do for yourself that helps you feel better?

When I recognize what is happening and allow myself the time and space to get through these moments they are usually brief.  As I said earlier, everyone has these types of days.  No one is happy all the time.  There are ebbs and flows in all things.  Helping me identify when I feel this way, taking care of myself and even doing some small special thing helps me through these tough times.

painted canvas, glass full, poem or story completed, knowing the names of the stars and constellations, full tank of gas, large snowman in the field, swimming in the ocean…

Just Three Pages A Day

I was looking through some articles I had saved for reading later. One was on making room in your life for books and reading. This article was not about the articles, documents, copacious amounts of emails and blather that we have to read for work, day jobs, school or to surive as a human being on this planet. This is about reading for enjoyment. The one key statement that I took from this article was when the author stated that if you only have time to read three pages a day, you had time to read.

As I pondered this article and reading three pages a day, I wondered was the author reacting to modern life’s catch phrase, “I don’t have time.” This phrase can be applied to anything…. eating healthy, exercising, seeing friends, writing a letter, mowing the lawn, journaling, reading a book…. literally anything. Being busy is the badge of modern living.

It sounds very sensible. To schedule a time in one’s day and read three pages. Continue this practice every day until you’ve read the entire book.

An author from another article said that we all have time to read. He stated that “everyone has enough time to read a few pages, here and there.” He also added that if one is reading the right book, a story that you connect with and holds your attention, the reading will inevitably speed up.

The more I thought about reading and reading three pages a day, I began to wonder if the act of reading had more to do with one’s reading style than actual time. I confess that I go through periods of voracious reading, five or six books in a week, late to bed because I want to read one more chapter, forget other projects until the book has been read, etc. And then go for weeks of being unable to focus myself enough to read. Not even three pages.

If one enjoys reading, are they more likely to read more pages at a time? Does the three pages a day equal out if one reads six books in a week and nothing for the next three weeks?

Does the subject matter of what you are reading determine how quickly you read it? I was in a book club that we all put a title of a book in a jar. There were twelve of us, twelve book titles, one for each month of the year. January was a Scottish philosophical story by an author that I was aware of. It was okay. Took me two weeks to read it. February was a Jodi Picoult novel. I hated reading it and it took me the entire time to read it March was a classical novel. It was okay (chunky language) and took the entire alloted time to read. April was a novel by Anita Shrieve. Tolorated it slightly above the the February book. Again took forever to read. May was my book. Nonfiction travel book that I read in two days. When I saw what June’s book was I tried but I couldn’t finish it. July was the same way. I quit the bookclub shortly thereafter. I’m sure that reading the books by authors I would not have read in any other way were building my character. But they were also torturing my soul and I was not enjoying them at all. If you enjoy or like something, reading goes a lot faster.

My thought is this, if I don’t have to read something for a grade or day job, and it is on a subject I am not interested in, it won’t happen. I won’t read it. Reading for pleasure should be reading for pleasure. Not hard work.

If you have followed my blog, you have seen posts on different books that I have read as well as my great joy of reading. What kind of reader are you? Do you schedule time? Do read every book in series that you can get your hands on? Do you stay up late for one more chapter? Are you in a book club? What kind of books do you read? Do you go through cycles of reading a lot and then nothing at all?

Pondering

Early childhood development experts tell us that the formative years of a person are when they are very young.  Basically, children aged 2 and 3 years old.  It is said that the template for the person you will become is made during this time.  I am not going to argue with experts, but I think there is more to it.

I think that even if the template is made at that time, that we are still becoming the person we are meant to be.  This is the idea that we are evolving and changing constantly.  The experts can argue against this, but according to one of the basic laws of physics, change is the only constant.

I too am constantly changing. I am always hoping to be the best person that I can be.  I am sometimes more successful at this than at other times.

This means that I am also always evolving as an artist. My creative process is changing as well.  After having several conversations with a friend about my creative process, I decided to write about pondering.  You see, when I am asked a question about my creative process or the feelings behind a particular artwork I often say that I am pondering it.

The word ponder means to think about something carefully.  Especially before one makes a decision or reaches a conclusion.  I like that the word ponder is a verb.  Verbs are action words.  The act of pondering is thoughtful consideration.  Not taking a thought or action lightly.  Pondering.

This is very true in my creative work.  In a collage, I pull out papers and lay them out to experiment how the work together and contemplate combinations.  I feel like my collage is conversation with the viewer and to that effect I want the words (images, colours, text, etc.) that I choose to have meaning.  What am I saying?  Will the viewer understand the statement?

In life, the act of pondering has allowed ideas or thoughts forgotten in hidden passages of my mind to make themselves available at opportune times.  Ever have a song, poem, conversation or something you have seen play over and over in your mind?  I believe this is my mind pondering over something.  Trying to make sense of it.  This is especially helpful when creating art.

What do you ponder?  Do you consider the act of pondering to be part of your growth and creative process?  I request that you take a moment to consider the act of pondering.

Do You Really Want to Change?

Now that it is summer and teaching art classes are finished until fall, I like to think about the classes I have taught and any unique experiences from the classes.  In one particular class I had an interesting experience with one of my students.

During the first class, I take role call and ask that each student tell me why they are taking the class or what attracted them to class.  There are some standard answers: to learn a new medium; to get better at this particular medium; try something new, and meet new people or to take a class with my friend or friends.  On this particular day, one of the students said that she was “stuck in her style.”  She said that she wanted to change but didn’t know how and thought that my class could help her.  I had made notes while the students were talking and adjusted my teaching plan based on their answers to my question.

There were several activities that first class to get the students loosened up and thinking.  We talked about the project or homework that would be due for the next week.  I also assigned them some creativity activates to try during the next week and asked them to bring the results of the activities to the class.

I had high hopes that these creative activities in particular would help the student who was “stuck in her style.”  They had been highly successful for students in previous classes.

The day of the second class arrived.  Everyone was there and we looked at the completed projects of the students.  While talking about their work, many students commented that the creativity activities directly influenced and enhanced their finished project.  The time came for the student who had said that she was “stuck” to talk about her artwork.  She stated that the finished project was her typical style.  That she had not done the creative activities because she “just wasn’t feeling them.”

After our gentle critique of each others work, I had selected several projects that everyone participated in.  Even my stuck student.  Most students were talking and sharing, showing each other things that they had learned in their experimentations.  Stuck student stuck to herself.  While the others left with their experiments and ideas shared with the group, she threw her experiments away.

I thought to myself, that there had to be a way to help this person.  So I completely changed the third class to be an entirely hands on experience that would build up to their homework or final project for the class.  I was really excited for the class.   The students arrived and we had a gentle critique of the artworks produced.  Stuck student hadn’t done the project at all.  She did not give an explanation as to why.

After the critique, I did several demonstrations and set up tables for the students to try their hand at the techniques I had shown them.  Everyone was having fun.  Spending time at the different tables.  With the exception of one student.  I could give you three guesses but you will only need one….

One of the techniques, I had taught the students required the use of a pipette.  Also I had prepared handouts on the techniques for the class.  After all of the students had left for the day, I was cleaning up the classroom.  Stuck student had left her hand-outs and the pipette.  I was feeling very discouraged.

The day before the final class, I was really struggling.  I did not want to deal with that student, when everyone else was so excited and interested.  Thankfully, stuck student texted me that she was ill and would not be attending class.  My dark cloud lifted and I was excited to go again.

That particular class had been a real challenge for me.  I didn’t realize how hard I had been trying to help and how much it bothered me until talking with another artist friend of mine, who also teaches.  She shared a similar experience she had, had with a student.  At the end of her story, she said, “Some people don’t really want to be helped or learn.”

My friend was completely right.  Have you heard the proverb, “You can lead a horse to water but you cannot make him drink.”  It is one of the oldest English proverbs still in use today.  And it means that people like horses can be shown or given something, but that does not mean that they will take advantage of the opportunity.

Stuck student was my horse that I had lead to water.  She really didn’t want to change.  I’m not really sure why she took the class.  Maybe she needed myself and the other students to tell her that her artwork was good?  I will probably never know.  I do hope she finds what she is looking for.

Joyous Moments of Cosmic Recognition

I can almost hear the question being asked.  What are joyous moments of cosmic recognition?  It is that amazing day or time where everything goes your way.  It can also be an experience that even when things are not quite going your way, everything works out and often leaves you in a better place than where you were before.

In the sixth book of the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, there is a potion called “Felix Felicis” or  “Liquid Luck.”  Harry has been given a task by Dumbledore, to get a memory from Professor Horace Slughorn.  Harry had been trying for weeks to get alone with Professor Slughorn to ask him for this memory to no avail.  He had won a vial of the potion “Felix Felicis” in a competition during potions class.  One day in desperation, Harry drinks the potion.  Ron and Hermione urge Harry to go see Professor Slughorn.  Harry, under the influence of the potion, decides that he needs to go see Hagrid.  It is through his visit to Hagrid that he is able to talk to Professor Slughorn and convince him that this particular memory is necessary in the fight against Lord Voldemort.  Professor Slughorn gives this memory to Harry and in turn, Harry gives it to Dumbledore completing his task.

In my creativity classes we call this synchronicity.  The definition of synchronicity is the simultaneous occurrence of events which appear significantly related but have no discernible causal connection.  When connecting with your creativity, you may notice that there are things that you need to continue your creative work.  You may need a teacher or individuals to collaborate with.  You may need a new job or a space for a studio.  Be careful what you ask for because you just might get it.

One of my first experiences with synchronicity had to do with a search for a very specific type of paper for a series of collage pieces I was trying to complete.  I needed a very specific red hue of paper that had poppies on it.  I have a lot of paper in my studio and I went through every single piece looking for the right poppy paper.  But I didn’t find anything even remotely close.  This was at a time in my life when I didn’t have a lot of extra money.  And as you may know, art supplies are not cheap.  I went through and collected the change at the bottom of my purse and found a forgotten five dollar bill.  With luck may be I would find a sheet or two of poppy paper.  I left my studio and went to Michaels.  I thought to myself, “why not check out the clearance section?”  In the clearance section was 2 pads of poppy paper that was the exact colour I needed.  And I had enough money to purchase them both.  Which I did and I finished the series of collages.  Synchronicity!

Art series featuring the poppy paper

These moments can also manifest themselves in what I would consider to be a perfect day.  The featured image for this blog post is a leaf on the window of my car.  I captured this photo on what I would call a day as close to perfection as possible.  It was in October 2022.  I had contacted my friend, Faith and we were meeting at a spot along the Flathead river to do a bit of plein air painting.  We had mango smoothies from City Brew.  (Mango smoothies are like drinking liquid sunshine, in my humble opinion.)  The colours were changing and the river bank was a riot of every fall hue.  It was warm but not hot.  I finished one canvas and got a good start on a second one.  I enjoyed the time spent with my friend, sunlight on my face, time doing something I love and being out in nature.  It was the perfect day.

When you trust the creative process and are open to positive possibilities, no matter where they take you, anything can happen.  You may be surprised at all of the amazing opportunities that open up before you.

Jealous Mistress

The Sunday crossword puzzle had the following clue,  “_________ a jealous mistress.”  I was having one of those moments where I knew that I knew the answer to this, but it just wasn’t coming to me.  So I skipped it and continued to work the puzzle.  Later, I went back and had filled in several words adding letters to the clue.  It was painfully obvious at that moment.  “Art is a jealous mistress.”

That answer to my crossword clue really got me thinking about the activities in my life that are the most important to me and the things that just take up time.

I am sure you are familiar with the feeling of drudgery for those things that you have to do.  Cleaning the cat box.  Called for jury duty.  Waiting in line at the DMV.  Getting a root canal.  Cold calls at work.  Paying taxes.  Like it or not you have to do it.

Then there are those meh kind of things.  Going to the day job.  Laundry.  Brushing your teeth.  Buying groceries at the grocery store.  Attending meetings of any sort.  These things are not awful; but, they are not wonderful either.  You go and do them.  Sometimes they just feel like a waste of time and energy and sometimes you feel like you accomplished something.

Then there are the things that thrill your soul, pique your interest and capture your imagination.  Reading a good book.  Baking chocolate chip cookies.  Painting a portrait of your best friend.  Yes, feline and canine best friends count.  Practicing the piano.  Hiking on the trail.  Volunteering as a DJ at your local public radio station.  These activities are not work even if you are working.

For me, creating art and writing are activities that I have to do.  Not because they are a drudgery.  Not because it is required by someone for their purposes (like a day job).  No I have to do these activities because it feeds my soul.  Makes me happy.  Helps me to be a positive productive person within my community.  I cannot imagine living without making art or writing my poems, stories and this blog.

And when I am not able to do the creative work that is a part of me?  It is like the clue from the crossword, art is a jealous mistress and she does not like to be ignored.  You may have experienced this yourself.  Creative individuals who are not able to do their creative work become crabby, short-tempered, and generally unpleasant to be around.

Too often we allow the meh things and the soul sucking activities priority over the creative and enjoyable activities.  Why do we do this?  The dishes will not run away, but; the amazing story idea might.  The fall colors brighten our days for a few brief weeks, if that long.  Go outside and do some plein air painting while the weather holds.

Be sure to take some time every week to do the creative work that feeds your soul and keeps your art happy.

Why So Fearful?

I had read an interesting article many years ago about culture.  This was in college so forgive me for not remembering the author or name of the article.  The premise of it was that the fears of a culture are more telling than the achievements.  Blew my socks off.  The idea is that what scares us tells more about us than all of the accomplishments.  Ponder that for a moment.

Fear is very powerful.  Franklin D. Roosevelt said that we have nothing to fear but fear itself.  In the novel “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” the boggert caught by Professor Lupin would turn into a dementor when Harry approached it.  Which meant that Harry was more afraid of fear than Lord Voldemort the most evil wizard of the time.  Harry’s best friend Ron was scared of spiders.  Other people in the novel were afraid of snakes, full moons, etc.  What students of Hogwarts learned by facing the boggert was to face their fears and overcome them.  Well, at least make them less scary.

Thinking about the article for a moment, as a culture or society that expresses so much through the internet and social media, could these outlets become amplifiers for our fears?  Just as the “boggert” of Harry Potter stories reflected fear, could the internet and social media be doing the same thing?  I remember when the internet was beginning.  One of the things that was said in praise of it was that you could find anything on the internet.  And when social media started, it was said that you could find anyone or any group you could ever want to identify with on social media.  It could be said that there is good and bad aspects to both of those things.  And I am not going to go into what is on television and the news.  (War, inflation, disease, hate.)  Scary things happen in the world.

Believe it or not, there are benefits to fear.  What might those be, you ask?  Don’t worry.  I have a list:

1. Fear keeps you safe.  You have an internal danger alarm.  It notifies us of dangerous situations and compels us to take action.  Helps you make a wise decision.  For example, if you are crossing a street and a car comes toward you, your inner alarm urges you to get out of the street and away from the car.
2. Fear helps you lose weight.  Feeling a bit of fear helps burn calories.  While walking through the haunted house a ghost jumps out at you.  Your body releases a surge of adrenaline.  Adrenaline causes your metabolism to go into high gear, causing you to burn more calories.
3. Fear temporarily boosts immunity.  In 2009, Coventry University in the United Kingdom did a study where Scientists tested white blood cells in participants.  They then scared the participants and measured the number of activated white blood cells.  Activated white blood cells are the ones that help fight disease and repair the body.  After being scared, the participants had an increased number of activated white blood cells.
4. Feeling fear can be exciting.  Feeling fear, in the right dose, makes you feel alive.  Stepping out of your comfort zone can be exciting.  Have you ever given a speech or had a role in a play?  Feeling nervous before you start speaking or the play starts leads to the feeling of excitement and being alive after the speech or play has ended.
5. Fear gives you a natural high and sense of empowerment.  Not just adrenaline, the body releases dopamine and the endorphins, serotonin and oxytocin.  Serotonin helps the brain work more efficiently under stressful situations.  Fear is energy.
6. Fear relaxes you.  That’s right.  You read it correctly.  The adrenaline has surged and dopamine has been released into the body increasing blood flow.  After the fear or situation has been faced.  You are now in a safe location and there is no danger.  Your body has had influx of oxygen to the heart and muscles.  When the body comes off of this natural influx, it relaxes completely in a healthy way.
7. Fear helps you stay in the moment.  Focus.  The hormone norepinephrine helps keep you focused instead of panicking in stressful situations.
8. Fear helps you socialize and bonds you to other people.  If our ancient ancestors had not bonded together and helped each other survive, our society would not exist.  It is in our best interests to help one another.  The hormone Oxytocin produces pro-social behavior.  Bonding.  Every see a race, like Ironman, and notice that the contestants competing against each other also help each other by encouraging each other.  The hormone Oxytocin in action.
9. Fear allows you to live life to the fullest.  Fear tends to cause people to make one of two choices.  They can either stop and limit themselves or face their fear head on and expand the possibilities of their lives.  Personally, I am in favor of the second option.
10. Fear gives clarity on what is important.  Fear makes one realize that the only time is now.  How often a terminal diagnosis or finding out about a disease like cancer causes people to live their life fully.  Spending time with those they love and doing things that they have always wanted to do.  The fears they had before become less important than spending the time they have to the fullest.

Maybe fear can help us as a society.  Help us be better people.  Learn from our mistakes.  Make the world a little less scary.  I certainly hope so.

Featured Image is from the above listed company