I am an art enthusiast.  When I lived in East Africa I learned about a new way to appreciate ‘art‘.

Makonde wood carvings are extremely beautiful and I got hooked on them!  The tribe is found in southern Tanzania and in northern Mozambique.  Traditionally, the artists are farmers by day and carvers in their off season.  Many of them can be considered shamans because people seek them out when they have problems of one sort or another.  A ‘patient’ will show up at their door and relate their issue to the farmer.  The farmer then tells the person to return in a few days.  When the person returns, the farmer presents them with a carving.  They are instructed to attentively look at the piece three times per day and to turn it to a different position each time.   In following the ‘doctor’s orders’, their mind is not on their problem but on the art!  Artworks in mysterious ways.