MAKE BELIEVE!

Creative genius among performers takes audiences away from their mundane routine, helps them either forget the real world or understand it better. In books and films, intellectual down-siders favor film noir or dark realism. Whereas, teenagers prefer gadgets and/or bawdy comedies. Choices are fewer for adults today who like uplifting, well-written romantic comedies or captivating fiction, but all who enjoy a book or film share a common thread: entering the world of make-believe, where we can leave ourselves and become invisible flies on the proverbial wall.

Robin Williams loved to pretend. Through his antics on and off screen, he embodied a celebrity who drew us in, made us think and feel as an actor and a human being. With Williams's passing, the raw pain of his loss new and ever-present, we have lost an icon whose motivation in entertainment and in life was to bring happiness to audiences and to whomever he met. When I watched coverage of William's touching, funny PSA's for the St. Jude Hospital, or his zany, uplifting routines for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, his immediate connection with them mesmerized. He genuinely made these people believe for a moment in pure joy. From a hair-less child receiving radiation treatments for cancer to a regular soldier, he gave them a moment of escape, of make-believe, though neither the girl or the man would ever know from day-to-day whether they'd survive. Robin Williams genuinely loved people.

How is it, then, that many performers who capture our hearts or funny bones can't spur public action for their favorite causes? Because without a script, some actors are out of their element; they don't have the ability to make many believe in their platforms.

Of course alternative "methods" to persuade the public have been used by narrow-minded politicians and social defeatists: brain-washing, bullying, limiting a child or adult's exposure to other points of view, and of course money, all of which produce negative consequences. On Twitter, for example, Tweeters may communicate by screaming and shouting their position repeatedly,but rarely does their ranting persuade. Passion that translates as articulate, intelligent arguments or humorous satire, can make readers or viewers stop and pay attention. Creativity enhances passion. Imagination gets us away from what hurts us to what can heal us while encouraging proactive behavior when there has only been reactive, destructive backlashing.

True, cases exist of well-known artists/performers also resort to figurative head-bashing. However, most have the smarts to use their talent and words wisely. And there are those people who resent celebrities sharing their causes, especially supporting fund raisers that are politically-driven. My response to such critics is: Poppycock! Renowned actors, singers, artists can and should use their skills to reach broader audiences. More so, creative people have the means, if they go off script and are themselves, to persuade those on the fence to believe in the performer's position or charity. My caveat when reading about or watching artists' opinions is that they be well-informed.

Robin Williams knew his "stuff." He was a genius before being an established comic. He absorbed knowledge like a child. Maybe that explains Robin William's great success on and off the screen. He had curiosity, a value that should never end no matter what your age. I believe once you give up learning, being open-minded, finding joy in the new, your mind fossilizes.

Genius, the real thing, is an anomaly. And, we can't depend on celebrity performers, writers or artists to change the world for us. However, if creative talent can grab our attention and hold it long enough to make us "believe," then chances are real change will happen. Do you believe in "make-believe?" Dig down inside. I'd bet you do. Then, use that child-like wonder to make others believe in what matters most: helping others and healing our planet.

Thank you, Robin Williams, for exposing your private self to reach others who suffer from mental illness, and for actively supporting other causes that have helped our global community. Also I'd like to recognize those, public and private, persons who work tirelessly to make our world a better place.

Readers please don't forget the People's Climate March, Sept. 21 in NYC, and other cities, communities around the world. Check the site for more details: http://peoplesclimate.org/march/