Hello on this first Wednesday of July. I have a lot of things to look forward to this summer plus I have had a great first half of 2018. I have been performing a couple times a month which is way more than ever before and I am grateful for all those opportunities. The show that I am reflecting on today is one that our songwriting group just had on June 20th. We had our wind up which we celebrated by putting on a showcase which included nine of our songwriters. We were fortunate to do so at a local venue that loves to host musicians and especially loves songwriters. It is their vision to support the arts and to build community. We had a lovely night and the energy in the room was moving as new songwriters shared their songs for the first time and more seasoned songwriters shared songs that the audience appreciated as well. I loved all of it and was glad I had chosen not to perform. I was the MC instead and it turned out to be a good decision as I love to talk in front of crowds and I didn’t have to worry about performing. How good it was to be reminded that I can trust myself, that I do know what I need. This has been a lifelong challenge for me as I haven’t always made decisions that made sense to others. I am reminded of the theme at the Taste of Skylight Festival which stated that we need to stand up and speak up for ourselves and others.
The other piece of reflection that came out of the songwriters night was about community. I realized how glad I am to have helped build a community of songwriters who feel safe enough to share their creative journey, their writing and their songs. It is a privilege to be a part of such a group. As I said in my last blog, it is a very vulnerable place to share our creative efforts, whether a song, a knitted garment, a photo, a drawing. I think it is because our identities are so closely tied to these creative projects. This certainly explains why we are reluctant to share that part of ourselves. I am grateful for each of you who read my blog / newsletter as you are a part of my journey as I continue to explore and share my own creativity. I am grateful that there is a community of people whom my work speaks to.
So enjoy these precious summer months and enjoy any holidays that you have. Don’t forget to be creative as well. Who knows when inspiration might strike.
Yours in Creativity and Song,
Wanda G.
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