“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
— Howard Thurman

“Fear has no place in play.” — Tim Brown
(He says more about creativity and play in this video.)

and …

“It is never about how good your voice is; it is only about feeling the urge to sing, and then having the courage to do it with the voice you are given.” — Elizabeth Berg, American Author

(Thanks to R, for the second quote of today’s post! *smile*)

“Can you turn your heart thing into a smart thing?”
— me (*smile*)

…

What I mean is can you take your passion and pay the bills?

I know there’s a blog series or product down this road of thought, but it hasn’t quite shown up yet. (So … um … er … stay tuned, I guess. *smile*)

In the meantime …

“What fascinates, engages, compels, excites, captivates, invigorates and CHALLENGES you?”

(Psst. That’s where you start. *wink*)

…

Remember you can come be Songtaneous THIS Saturday, September 19 at the Wild Rice Festival in Roseville MN. Spontaneous singing AND a pancake breakfast — who could ask for more?

When I’m getting ready to write a post for this blog, I sit at the keyboard and wait to get inspired. I might cruise around the web or skim through some notes I’ve made, but most of it’s waiting.

I do the same thing when I’m singing spontaneously.

…

Hold on, it’s less passive than it sounds.

I look for the things that resonate. I wait for the “click.” The sound of things falling into place. Of my internal tumblers aligning so something can become clear and accessible.

What I’m learning is that 9 times out of 10, I have a really good sense of what I’m doing should feel like. Maybe not what it looks like, or how exactly it will take shape, but when it’s right I just “know” it. Call it my gut, intuition, the real me, whatever. As one of my friends frequently says, “When I know, I know.”

…

I’ve been thinking a lot about inspiration. What inspires me to create? Sound, color, texture? Places, events? What do other creative people do to get motivated and get moving? And, if I can quit hanging out with Procrastination and her pal Perfectionism, I hope to have a grasp on the topic and some things (tools, exercises, a workbook?) to share with you.

What about you? What inspires your creativity?

“The creative is the place where no one else has ever been. You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you’ll discover will be wonderful. What you’ll discover is yourself.” — Alan Alda