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Inspiration comes from the most unlikely of place. If you’d like to learn about how to be more creative, Miranda Koerner is back again today with another great How-To post. This one explains how lessons from country music can help you to a more creative life!
Maybe it’s because I grew up in Texas, but I always find inspiration in country songs. There’s just something about good ol’ boys down on their luck that makes you feel better about your own life.
That’s it, you’re mumbling to yourself as you read this, She’s gone mad. First she talks about the joys of being creative and living the life you imagined in her first post, and now she’s talking about songs that ramble on about drinking and dogs and trucks.
That’s very true. But I’m not crazy. Country music and getting established in your creative life have the same amount of heartache and great hits. Let me explain.
Country Music and The Creative Life
Living the life you’ve dreamed of is like getting married. You make the declaration, buy a pretty ring and big dress to celebrate and then realize after the bird-friendly rice falls and the last guest has left that you’ve got years in front of you. The excitement and planning have segued into daily grinds and bills and mortgages. Instead of twirling on the dance floor with everyone applauding, you’re twirling around the kitchen with a mop while he watches sports and your two dogs look mournfully at their empty bowls.
In my last article, I talked about how finding meaning in creativity is more than the big book deals or singing gigs. It’s about doing what you love every day. The problem is to do what you love everyday, you have to do things you don’t love to do. You have to do bookkeeping, marketing, researching. You have to put yourself out there, face rejection. You have to find funding without draining your funds and make time when there’s no hours left in the day.
And this is how country music guides us into not giving up before we’ve really gotten started.
Lessons from Country Music
Easy come, Easy go.
Like George says, if it came easy, everyone would do it.
Life’s a dance, you learn as you go. Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow.
Realize that in creating your own life, you’re learning about what you want and what you can accomplish. You’re also learning what you can hire out or what you may not want to pursue. You may have to take a step back, but at least you’re still on the dance floor.
I want a man that stands beside me, not in front of or behind me.
Surround yourself with people that support you and want to help you succeed. Reach out to your community and your old business contacts, friends, former PTA associates. Your community is your best asset.
Life is not tried, it is merely survived if you’re standing outside the fire.
It may burn, it may hurt. You may wonder why you ever wanted to do this at all. But if you love it, and if you believe in it, then live your creative life.
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me you’ll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance
You may have to think outside the box and try routes you’d never thought of. If you’re determined enough to do something, you will accomplish it.
And I’m going to let George, who accomplished his dreams and lead a creative life after being a good ol’ boy from Texas, sum it all up in his new song, “Here for a Good Time”:
Folks are always dreamin’ bout
What they’d like to do
But I like to do just what I like
I’ll take the chance, dance the dance
It might be wrong but then again it might be right
There’s no way of knowing what tomorrow brings
Life’s too short to waste it
I say bring on anything
I ain’t here for a long time
I’m here for a good time.
More On How to Live Your Best Life
Interested in more on how to live your best life? Then check out these posts…
- Pinterest: Your Visual Bookmarking Tool
- 4 Ways to Find and Keep Your Motivation
- How to Hang Onto Your Blogging Mojo
- How To Live Your Best Life
About the Author
Miranda Koerner is a children’s author and popular blogger known for her short and serial stories for children and adults. Formerly, she worked as a children’s magazine editor and feature reporter. For more stories and whimsy, visit her blog, www.aduckinherpond.com.
If you would like to guest post as part of our “how to” post series, simply send your post to sitsspotlight@gmail.com and we’ll get you added to our queue. All post titles need to start with the phrase…How To. In other words, your job is to teach our readers something about what you know. Your topic could be informative, serious, funny, entertaining, whatever. The choice is yours.
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Thanks so much ya’ll!
I love George Strait. 🙂
Very very clever – I absolutely love this!
Loved this post! Every single word is true, I can’t wait to see your blog! =)
terrific article!
loved it!.
and i know how creative and awesome miranda is!
hugs ducky!
xo
I love this post! There are too few bloggers that speak of country music. It is so much more than dogs, trucks and drinking.
I love this! Everything you said is so true, but unfortunately we forget these truths. I am headed over to visit your website because I love your attitude!
Hugs,
Susan and Bentley
Even though this was directed toward music and I’m a writer, i loved the correlation!
Oh I love country music! I love the stories they tell. And I cain’t help it, I’m born and bred in Georgia, which is where rednecks come from, I do believe. 😉
Bernice
Being from south Texas, of course, I LOVE LOVE LOVE this! There are great meanings and inspiration in so many songs and just country life itself. Happy SITS!
Miranda, congrats on your SITS post. I think you are on to something here. Anytime I listen to country music, I can be inspired the words. They really know how to tell a story.
Fabulous article! Country music does cut right to the chase; it’s simple but deep. Thanks for getting my day off to a great start here!