Growing up, I was exposed to a lot of music. The Beatles, Glenn Campbell, Donna Summer, Crosby, Stills, Nash and (sometimes) Young, Skynyrd, Molly Hatchet...the list goes on, but in the days of AM radio, 8-track tapes and turntables, my gravitational pull toward music was set. So much of who I am is tied to music; I function in life far better with it than without it. Other than simply being able to feel moved, energized, or intensely in the moment when I'm listening to music, I can often recall a memory and exactly what I felt at that moment with certain songs. It's a wonder I am not somehow musically inclined.
One of the artists I don't recall hearing much of as a child was Bob Dylan. I was aware of him, though I suspect he wasn't on either of my parents' radars. My love of Dylan's music occurred in high school, between hair bands and heavy metal. There was just something about him that moved me...and at that time, I was ridiculously conservative in every way. Looking back, I believe the poetic lyrics and honest sound are what captivated me. My own creativity hadn't really been tapped into, as I had only just passively explored the periphery of my desire to write.
As I've grown older, and unleashed that creative person within, I've become aware that I gravitate (quite strongly) toward other creatively pronounced people. Without even meaning to, I've almost made it a subconscious pre-requisite for interaction. The spark of creatively is like a homing beacon that sounds between like souls. Regardless of the other attributes a person does or doesn't have, that immediate magnet of something relatable and similar draws creative people to each other. What happens beyond the gathering of kindred spirits, isn't always something lasting, but it is certainly part of the defining process necessary for creative growth.
When I am around creative people, I start to see things from angles and points-of-view that I might have overlooked until then. I see the world around me through far more colorful eyes, and with a clarity unlike any other. I become invested in their creative ventures, celebrating and cheering them on. Their successes directly effect my own. The effect is essentially symbiotic, and serves as a kind of life force propelling me through my own form of art.
I am fortunate to have a wide array of people and influence surrounding me on a regular basis. I treasure them all. The influence and connection to those creative flames, however, brings a fire I couldn't ever imagine carrying and maintaining on my own. To those people in my life who inspire me and propel me to new heights within my own creative self, I only hope that I can be that welcomed and necessary spark or flame for you that you are for me. Thank you for daring to dream, and for existing on a frequency that brought us together.
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