What About You?

I saw La La Land recently. True confession? I didn’t love it. I appreciated it and the movie tradition it was referencing, and its theme certainly appealed. I was drawn in by the ending. But in all honesty, it wasn’t my jam.

The friend I saw it with, though, loved it. She was thoroughly mesmerized.

That means I’m not done with La La Land yet. I have to find out what about it captured her. After our conversation, I’ll know more about my friend, and I’ll also appreciate the movie a little more.

The exchange is the magic. Art is as much about what it does for us, as it is what it tells us about ourselves and the experience of others. When we understand what moves others, or why something doesn’t move us, we get closer to true connection.

Every exchange is worth it. Every experience of art – good, bad or indifferent – is valuable for that reason alone. In fact, good, bad or indifferent doesn’t matter as much as what happens after that.

A simple question will help: What about you?

Because we’ll get to understanding one another much faster with that question than we will by shouting our own opinions from the rooftops.