Author’s Note: This begins the rough draft of the last chapter of my book in progress, Mildly Creative: 7 Ways to Lead a Life of Quiet Inspiration. I hope you enjoy.
So, here we are, you and I. It’s the last chapter and we’re about to explore the seventh way to lead a life of quiet inspiration, but before we do, let’s recap.
Till Now
If you decided to play along, you did the following.
You got curious. You asked your questions. You found your puzzles and your mysteries.
You started collecting your thoughts. You watched them buzzing about, reached out to grab a few, and began to capture and study them.
You started doing something daily. You selected a small and doable thing and committed yourself to doing it every day to see where it might take you.
You devoted a portion of your time to feeding your muse. You went shopping and found good things for her to snack on: good books, movies, art, music, ideas, and more.
You decided to live your life and be authentic. You started being honest with yourself about your preferences, your desires, and your dreams. You started leading with your heart and following with your head. You also realized that you’re more than just one thing, including your art, and sought a little balance.
And, as creative people do, you started making things. These things happen to include decisions, commitments, attempts, mistakes, adjustments, and meaning.
If you’ve been doing these things, even in incredibly small ways, I commend you. They’re not always easy, but they’re always rewarding.
And if you haven’t done any of them, there’s still time. You can begin at any moment. I’m rooting for you.
What Now? What For?
By now, you may be wondering what it’s all about. All this exploring, collecting, doing, feeding, living, and making can certainly be exciting, intriguing, and fascinating but what’s the point? What’s it all for?
The answer, I believe, has a lot to do with what it means to be a member of the human family. I think it’s about making a connection with other people who are on the same journey, the one we call life.
To fully make that connection, I think you need to do, in some small way, all the things we’ve discussed thus far. And, consequently, I think you need to make that connection in order for all those things to fully reach their potential and have their greatest impact.
Make the Connection
That’s why the seventh way to lead a life of quiet inspiration is to share and collaborate.
To explore and ponder and produce things without sharing them or allowing for the input of others isn’t really creating; it’s hoarding. It’s a miserly way to live.
Also, if you never let your ideas or your art see the light of day, it’s much like raising a child in a closet. They can never fully develop and mature.
It may be cliche but it’s true. Gifts were meant to be shared. And anything you love, regardless of your current level of knowledge or skill, is a gift.
What Next?
Before we explore some of the ways to share your gifts and a few of the pitfalls you might need to be aware of, I’d like to tell you a story.
It’s a story about a my father, a musical, and me and I’m telling it to illustrate why you absolutely, positively have to share your gifts.
(Stay Tuned)
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