The Flower of Pain is a perfect example of Munch's spirituality. It portrays a man, stuck in the ground, bleeding from his heart - his escaping blood waters a flourishing flower. Munch felt his personal pain was necessary for his art. For many of us who engage in a creative process.  The flower of pain is the ultimate symbol of the artist’s creative force gained through suffering and anguish. This flower is often featured in Munch’s work depicting the inner life of the modern individual. It speaks profoundly to me, especially at the start of this new Celtic Year.

Sean Connery (RIP) Reads C.P. Cavafy’s Epic Poem "Ithaca," Set to the Music of Vangelis https://www.openculture.com/?p=1083166 via @openculture 

This video combines three things that make me happy: the voice of Sean Connery (who passed away today), the music of Vangelis (Blade Runner, Chariots of Fire), and the poetry of C.P. Cavafy. Put them all together and you get a blissful soundscape of rolling synth lines, rolling Scottish R’s, and a succession of Homeric images and anaphoric lines. And the video’s quite nice as well.