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| A number of years ago, I made a little recipe book (left) for members of my family that featured our traditional holiday cookie and dessert recipes. To illustrate the book, I photographed some of my old Christmas ornaments, like this little stained glass snowman, which I colored on with a pen when I was about 3 (he needed rosy cheeks, I thought). The other book is a well-worn gingerbread house book that belonged to my aunt. She helped me make my first holiday gingerbread house. |
I love Christmas. I love just about everything about it. I experienced many beautiful, magical Christmases throughout my lifetime. But let's be honest. As adults, sometimes we can lose a little of our holiday spirit here and here. We're busy or stressed. Maybe something sad happened in the past year or something that just seemed to take the wind out of our sails. I'm an optimist, and I say that doesn't mean you can't right the ship a bit for the holidays.
When I paint, I watch a lot of movies (as well as TV shows, youtube videos, etc.). Well, mostly, I listen to them, but I find myself coming back to certain ones over and over again that help to keep me in a positive mindset. After all, I am making happy art!
This month, I've enjoyed watching/listening to many holiday classics. From the cheesy Santa Claus movies to those that tug at the heartstrings, I've seen just about all of them. But there are three that stick out in my mind, that I'll watch multiple times each holiday season, and they help me to keep all the challenges of life in perspective, so I feel more in the holiday spirit and more appreciative of what I've been blessed with.
My Three Favorite Weird Holiday Movies
1. The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017). Who doesn't love A Christmas Carol? I've read the original and seen just about every imaginative film retelling the tale. But The Man Who Invented Christmas is by far my favorite because it's about how A Christmas Carol was written by Charles Dickens way back in 1843. While I'm sure the film takes many creative liberties in presenting the story, the spirit of Charles Dickens and how he both developed the story and struggled with it deeply connects with the artist in me. I sent a DVD of this to my mom a few years ago, and she responded with, "Hmm, it's pretty dark..." True, I suppose, but for me, this is a film about overcoming both exterior and interior adversity to make something beautiful and meaningful. If you are a creative person, or a fan of other creators, I think you'll appreciate it.
2. Last Holiday (2006). Starring Queen Latifah, this is not a traditional holiday film, but it takes place during the holiday season, and it is a funny and beautiful reflection on life and how we spend our time, facing the things we are afraid of, and choosing the make the most of each day. The main character discovers she only has three weeks to live and decides what she is going to do and who she is going to be in that time. It's a comedy, but it's also rooted in sincerity. It always holds me accountable and makes me choose to live each day better than the last.
3. One Magic Christmas (1985). Okay, so this one is certainly one of the most obscure holiday films out there. Starring Mary Steenburgen, it's about a struggling woman who learns about what is most important in life with the help of an angel. I don't want to spoil too much of it, but I'd encourage you to go in with an open mind and check it out. It's got some weirdness and some flaws, but the message of the film is important enough that I don't care about the flaws. So yeah, I'll watch it every year. You can stream it on Disney+.
And that's my list. Now, artistically, I've started a magical new group of paintings that I'll be presenting in 2025, something I'm really excited for and I am hoping will be seen as both an evolution in my work and a culmination of everything I've been doing for the last decade. But for now, that's a secret (though there is a little clue somewhere in this post!). Today, I'm just sharing these three weird holiday movies in the hopes that they will lift your spirits and give you a little bit of a new, more positive perspective on life. I sincerely hope you'll enjoy them! Happy Holidays! See you in 2025!
