For this special journal entry, we’re thrilled to introduce Jaime Walden and Hans Tanner, a multimedia creative duo who first came to The Betsy (and to each other) through their work with the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus. They recently returned to The Betsy for a residency in The Writer’s Room, and it’s our pleasure to welcome them to The Betsy’s blog to share the fruits of their visit.
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A Hello.
Love. Art. Words. Ideas.
These concepts take endless form, continually interweaving between each other.
It’s Valentine’s Day at The Betsy Hotel, and we are in love. What would our world be like to explore this in a free flow state as creators?
Our story stems from individual paths borne from a love of music, with our beginnings together bonded by one of the greatest musicians of all time, John Lennon.
Hello, we are Jaime and Hans.
John Lennon, one of our main influences, did more than just Imagine Peace alongside Yoko Ono. It was more than a concept – how do we attain it? How do we put this into action?
Falling in love, composing a song, writing a poem – all of the people behind it are the rhythm with what’s happening in the world around them, allowing for it to form.
When you’re asked to create something out of love, there is no effort behind it; it just flows.
A History.
The Beatles were asked to perform a new song for the first ever worldwide televised event, where the entire world could view and experience something at the same time - together. One message could be sent to the entire human race at once, something that had never been done before. To imagine that their song, “All You Need Is Love,” was written in a pinch - essentially a throw away - as they had continually put off writing until the last minute, highlights their state of being and who they were as creators. They didn’t need to put a ton of thought into the lyrics, the simple theme and their mastery of songwriting flowed from a state of love, allowing for an infamous “perfect” song for the moment.
We began to wonder, what would the world be like if we all operated from a state of love, where it is just natural?
A Surrounding.
Hyam Plutzik, the father of Jonathan Plutzik, The Betsy Hotel’s owner, was a three-time Pulitzer Prize finalist and immensely respected poet. Inspired by what The Writer’s Room offers, we looked no further than Hyam’s words and stumbled upon one of his poems entitled “If Causality is Impossible, Genesis is Recurrent.” In this particular work, you find a man pouring a tremendous amount of care into his words, and how within each line lives an entire world.
We began to wonder, how might the sum of combined parts of art influence the visual, and vice versa?
A Pastiche. There's nothing you can do that can't be done
There is no change, but only re-creation
Nothing you can do, but you can learn how to be you in time
Who makes a primal garden of each garden.
There's nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be
Projected out of a tireless, winking Eye
Nothing you can see that isn't shown
Out of the perfect nothing, is miraculous.
All you need is love, Love is all you need
Opening and closing in immensity—
For a love of art and one another, dedicated to:
Lennon/McCartney/Plutzik
