Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Musings on Creativity. And pianos.


Hello Visionaries!
Lately I have been plunging headfirst into the arts, with an open mind, an open heart and an open imagination. I have felt this incredible urge to create, create without limits. My time has opened up, and with that, my energy had simply multiplied! So I have been stoking the creative fire with all tastes, and all mediums, delving into writing, drawing, cooking, meditation, sewing, ceramics, and today, (I am grinning proudly as I write this) I had my first piano lesson!
Well, actually not my first. But my first of this millenium. I think probably my first since the 80s. Therefore I will count it as a capital-F First!
What brought this on? Well, aside from a love of music, I have had the pleasure of being invited to several truly astounding, seriously inspiring concerts lately. Seeing music live just fills me with so much energy... as if it emanates from the performer's voice and fingertips and floods the room. I drink in as much of it as possible, but I'm overflowing. It's as if I'm trying to take a breath of air large enough to last the rest of the day, and my lung capacity is just bursting.
I'm sure you have felt this feeling before. After hearing an incredible piece of music, seeing a moving painting or photograph, or reading something which touches your very core. What to do with all this excess creative energy? How do I utilize this frantic overwhelm of action potential?
My old strategy? Consume. Buy a CD. Buy a book. Buy an ice cream cone. Buy anything, in order to feel like I had satisfied or somehow squelched that gnawing grumble.
But my heart and my creative channels, though still in their infant stage of development, are more open than they used to be. I now realize that when life gives you lemons, you don't go for a bike ride. What I mean is, there is a way to take in beautiful work, and photosynthesize your own creative energy out of it. Julia Cameron calls it "filling the well". What it does is gives you the raw material of creativity: the spark, which energizes you, PROPELS you, to create of your own accord. This kind of raw energy can be intimidating, scary, perilous! Or if used correctly (meaning, if used, period), can be immensely productive and useful.
All that is to say, today, I made some noise on the piano. It wasn't music yet, but I made something.
I'll leave you with some inspiring images of pianos, in hopes that they might propel YOU to make something, anything.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ninajeaninephotography/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vyno/


http://www.flickr.com/photos/lifein2-d/


http://www.flickr.com/photos/12919827@N04/

--gillian

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Daily Door

It's official. I am in love with the Hipsmatic app on my iphone. And in the throes of new love, I have been draining my battery like crazy, taking pictures of pretty much everything around me. More awesome daily doors to come!