I’m currently reading Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert (you may recognise the author from (Eat Pray Love). I’d picked it up before and had a flick through, read a couple of pages and then forgot all about it. It had been recommended on a women’s business page. A list of career boosting books that I just hadn’t got round to reading. So, this week I’ve delved into it, and this time I’m hooked.
Do you ever read a passage or hear a song that resonates with you so significantly that you have it on repeat. Maybe you’ve had it with music. Not just because you like the song, because of its beautiful melody or banging beat, but because you feel as though the singer wrote that song just for you. Well, I had this epiphany with Big Magic.
“Do you have the courage to bring forth the treasures that are hidden within you?”
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
This sentence struck a chord with such force that I read it over and over again. I can recall countless times that I’ve had an idea that I haven’t followed through with. Not because I don’t think the idea is worthy or that because it doesn’t have potential, but because I don’t have the courage to see it through.
Take this blog for example. I’ve thought about doing some regular writing for some time. I’ve begun to take notes, jotted down content ideas and even organised the page on my website. But then fear strikes, and I talk myself out of it.
This got me thinking about taking courage, not only in my own life, but in the singing studio and rehearsal room. Can we take the courage to explore our individual and creative ideas in our singing lessons, rehearsal rooms, song writing and home practice. Maybe it’s trying out a new style or genre or working on some more challenging repertoire. For some it may be taking that first step of attending the local choir that you’ve been following for a few months or booking your first singing lesson. For those who have been singing for a while it may be auditioning for a local amateur dramatics group or attending an open mic. The situations are endless, but each scenario could hold real significance for the individual who finds the courage to step into their own creativity.
So, I’m actively (and rather publicly) exploring my own creative ideas. If one doesn’t work out how I imagined, I’ll put it down to experience and move on. But I’m definitely not going to talk myself out of this one.
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