THE MUSIC DOESN'T PLAY ANYMORE.....

     What happens when the ideas don't come anymore? When the colors all look dull? When all edges are lost and there are no highlights? What happens when the words don't come to mind? What happens when the music doesn't play anymore?
     As an artist, photographer, and writer, this is perhaps my biggest concern, that one day I will not find the inspiration, and there will be no more creativity. My greatest joy is to see somebody enjoy something I have created. My second greatest joy is to pass along what I know to somebody, such as teaching a song on the guitar, writing a short story, or painting a picture. To watch as that person has the "aha" moment and realizes that there are no great mysteries surrounding the arts, that it all comes from inside a person.
      I find comfort in the thought that Heavenly Father gives us each talents that we are to use to glorify Him and bring comfort to our fellow beings.  That talent won't go to waste if we learn to recognize the opportunities that He places in front of us. And what is that talent you may ask? What if you are not an artist, a writer, or a musician? What then?
     Some people don't paint, don't sing, and like me, can't dance. Or at least they don't think they can do any of those things. The saddest are the ones that don't because they have been told that they can't or shouldn't. How many unwritten songs remain in their thoughts, how many blank canvases remain on the easel, and how many unfinished books remain locked away, simply because there is nobody to encourage them to finish.
     We are all teachers in a way, even if that is not our chosen vocation in life. I can promise you that somebody is watching you to see what you do, and if we are lucky, we get to share what we know.
      I am confident that the inspiration will come, even as my glasses get stronger, my hearing aids get turned up higher, and my hands feel the effects of tremors. I take comfort knowing that if I can't do it, I can teach it to somebody who wants to learn.
      The best teachers remain with you long after you leave the classroom, or leave home. I still think of life lessons taught by teachers when I grew up in Lordsburg, New Mexico. I will never forget the lessons taught to me by my mom, and grandma, as well as my Uncle John. They struck the match that lit the candle on my creativity, and the candle still burns because of their memory.
      Share what you know and what you feel. You will feel the blessing when you do.