It’s all about you baby!
What are you putting off? This question is for you, no matter who you are. It doesn’t matter your age or your level of talent, there is a task still to be done and it’s waiting for you to start. That thing that’s been lurking in the back of your mind, the idea you scratched out and tossed aside. It’s not going away. You know the one I mean.
Life gets in the way, yes it does. There may be ‘real’ work to do, bills to pay, mouths to feed, yard work to do, pets to tend, and time for human relationships. These things are important and should take precedence. I’m not saying the daily tasks and conversations should be neglected, but without some balance, they can feel less like an accomplishment and more like a burden. When you start to resent the work, the mouths to feed, the yard work, and the relationships it’s possible you are a little out of balance. That’s when it’s time to shift focus to that seedling of an idea that’s been patiently waiting for you to give it some water.
At 61 years old, I can look back and see the signs of the journey I traveled, but at the time it seemed like the opportunities were masked. They did not show up and say, “Hey this is your opportunity to be super creative and you’ll never regret doing it, so turn right here. ” They sauntered in and required me to take a leap of faith, let me give you an example. I was at a work-related sit-down dinner years ago in Alaska. One of the dinner guests started talking to me about art. He was an electrician and he liked to make things. Now I can’t recall all of his talents, though they were many, one stuck out. He sculpted snow and ice. He’d traveled to different places to sculpt snow or ice and won some pretty respectable awards. I remember thinking how exciting that sounded to me, but very far out of my experience. Sculpting snow was not in my little groove, and I was pretty comfortable in my groove. Plus, I had work to do and a 4-year-old to care for every day, so I put it out of my mind. After that evening, I seemed to run into this guy every week or two at the grocery store. I thought it was kind of weird that I kept running into him, and I even laughed one day and commented, “Oh my gosh, it’s you again!” Then he said, “You know Maggie, you should get a team together and try your hand at snow sculpting at the Fur Rendezvous. The entry forms have to be in soon. You don’t need fancy tools, but you do have to submit a sketch.” I followed up on his suggestion and two of my artist friends joined me in the creative endeavor. It was so exciting, we had no idea what we were doing. There was no class, nor time to practice, but we jumped in to plan and execute our first snow sculpture. We didn’t win, but we placed, and a local news journalist with a camera person came by and interviewed us. The next year, we did win and we went on to nationals. The three winters that I sculpted snow were my most memorable Alaskan winters. And weirdly, after the day that the electrician delivered the message that I should try my hand at snow sculpting, I never ran into him at the grocery store again.
Maybe for you, the inspiration originated with you, not from an outer influence, like my dinner party conversation, but from somewhere deeper in your creative soul. Your artistic expression has been dormant and you’ve just been sitting with it for a long time. I’ve one of those stories to share too.
The seedling that withered in my mind for 17 years, but never died, was the book Ravens Roost. The first sketches lived in a box in storage, but I never threw them away. I knew the book could be developed someday. And finally, I made it happen. Sometimes inspirations wait years for us to take action.
So I ask you, what is your dormant inspiration? What seedling idea have you tucked away. What opportunity did you discard because it was too far out of reach for you? If you could find the time and resources, what part of you would you grow? You could make a change in a very small way. What would happen if you dedicated 5 or 10% of your wakeful hours to yourself. Let it be all about you and your inspiration, and see what comes of it.
I’d love to hear about your experiences with inspiration, procrastination, and opportunity. Reach out to me on Facebook or send me an email.
May the frogs be with you! (What does it mean that I want to end all of my messages with that salutation? Hahaha)
Maggie
