there is more than one way to skin a cat
darrah | Thursday, October 29, 2009 {{DISCLAIMER: No kittens were harmed in the writing of this post. I promise.}}
I've had a lot on my mind lately and am spending a lot of time figuring out where I belong. I'm strattling two different bloggy worlds at the moment - the world of encouraging women exploring life's challenges and triumphs and the world of photographers sharing the beauty of their every day lives through photographs. I keep asking where I fit in all of this. I am an artist and a dreamer and a writer and a photographer and an emotional mess and a joyful goof. How do I put it all together, tie it up in a nice little bow, and stamp it with ME? How do I pick just one thing when I have all of these other ideas up my sleeve? Or do I need to pick? Why do we feel like we need to be just ONE thing? How can I incorporate all of me into what I do and not be limited by my preconceived notions of who and what I am?
And then I was presented with an answer to all of my questions. Last week, my husband took me to the Earshot Jazz Festival to see the Matt Wilson Quartet. He told me that the leader of the band (a drummer) was wild and crazy, in the best way possible. It sounded like fun, so I went along.
I've been to a lot of jazz shows and I usually know what to expect, but nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to see. Matt Wilson uses anything and everything within reach to create music. Yes, he sits at a drum set, but he doesn't let that limit him. He watches and listens to his band mates and does whatever necessary in the moment to create the sound that would fill that moment perfectly. He breaks the rules in order to serve the music and support his band. It's almost as if he's being controlled by something outside of himself and yet, he is more present than any musician I've ever seen. The result is that he shares his journey. You don't know what's going to happen next, but you know that it's going to be magnificent and unexpected. And most important, it will be unique.
Yes, he is a drummer, but he doesn't let that title limit him. He is a musician and an innovator and an artist and a bit of a clown. He found a way to be who he is and you can tell he is having the time of his life.
The moral of the story, my friends, is that whether you are a musician, artist, photographer, writer, blogger, dancer, jump roper, or under-water basket weaver, there is more than one way to skin a cat. Use whatever is within you and around you to create. Do not limit yourself. Open your eyes, look around, and incorporate Your World and Your Self into everything you do. The guaranteed result: magic. And heck, you'll probably have more fun in the process.
Check out this video to see Matt Wilson at his goofiest. I hope it will inspire you to think outside the box.
3 Comments | Share Article | Email Article | in creativity, inspiration | tagged one working musician
Reader Comments (3)
Hi Darrah! Boy, can I relate. Have you read Barbara Sher's "Refuse to Choose" book? It was an absolute revelation to me, since I've discovered that I'm what she terms a Scanner--someone who is constantly scanning the horizon, looking at every option and possibility. I love that she encourages this kind of person to do EVERYTHING they love, instead of following the conventional wisdom that we must pick only one part of ourselves to fulfill.
Wishing you the best as you figure out how to play your own creative "music"!
this is one of the most inspiring things i have read in a long time. thanks for that. i, too, can relate. i feel like i should know what i want to be by now, and like i am such a late bloomer. but then i realize that it took some significant things to happen to me before i could "figure out" what i want to be and who i am. i'm so grateful to read about this drummer, as i find i am often reaching out to take hold of what i can to express my creativity. limits such as time constraints or lack or resources can sometimes get me down. but then i give myself grace and remember that i can be an artist with very little. i can be artistic in everything i do. even the way i dress or wear my hair. oh, i'm rambling now. :)
just meant to say, GREAT post! i hope a lot of people read this.
I love this post! It's exactly what I struggle with all of the time. I keep thinking I'll miss something if I focus on just one thing, but the problem is, I never feel like I become an expert in any one thing either because I get distracted so easily too.