William Burroughs said "What do artists do? We dream for other people." I’m here to encourage you to create, and then live, your own dreams by creating art in whatever medium suits you best.

A long time ago, in another lifetime, when my world looked so totally different than it does now, I sat writing in my home office in the cold, cold world of New England, looking out a 5x7 foot window at a 900 square foot deck. Pug was still in the play stage, that is, he hadn’t developed into the much loved world traveler that he is now.

I was working on a Mac back then writing essays for a small paper in Vermont, and short, short stories in the manner of Guy de Maupassant just for the fun of it. Every so often I’d get stuck - writer’s block. One day, while in this quandary, quite out of the blue, I thought,

“I need a drum.”

Just like that.

“I need a drum.”

The thought came in no relation to another thought. It stood alone. My response was, “Okay, I’ll look for a drum.” Didn’t question it, just thought my intuition knew best. Turns out it did.

A week later I found a beautiful Toca conga drum, brought it home, and so ended my writer’s block.  With my Mac Powerbook 1400 (loved that machine!) on the desk facing the bird feeder outside and the drum behind me, writer’s block was met with left hand typing and right hand drumming. Every so often, I’d swivel 180 degrees and give the drum my full attention wailing as best I could without pissing off the neighbors. Now I’m no drummer. I just wail. But it was in that expression that the freedom of words flowed.

My drum is, as any musical instrument should be, sacred. Children’s cookies placed atop the drum would be met with a harsh squeal. Same rule applied to company. Not even I would put anything other than hands on my drum. Until yesterday.

That’s when the sanctity of drum and words were met with teeny, tiny seashells. Yup, I put seashells, sandy and moist with ocean water, on top of my drum. And I did this to photograph them. The magic of these items became my art to share with you in hopes that you will be encouraged to create some magical art of your own.

As we embraced this New Year, I encourage you to create a new…well...whatever it is you secretly hope to create. What is it that you’ve long dreamed about? Do it. Don’t jump in full force, all at once. You might lose momentum or interest or support from family and friends. Instead, create with a simmering passion. Start small and build from there. Keep a record of some sort of your accomplishments. And your failures. You’ll learn from them, too. Before you know it, your old world, while very good, will be made more beautiful with your new world of dreams created by you.

So, here’s my wish for you today. Find the drum in your life that helps you to get unblocked. Worship it until one day you reach out to encourage other people to fulfill their own dreams. That’s what life is about, dream for other people until they can dream for themselves.

Happy New Year!
May all your dreams come true!

<*(((><

"If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced." -Vincent Van Gogh

Copyright 2009 Diana Taylor, Pug At The Beach
Photocredit: Diana Taylor, Seashells on a drum

For copy & paste:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_S._Burroughs (William Burroughs)
http://www.pugatthebeach.com/aboutpug.htm (Who is Pug anyway!)
http://www.online-literature.com/maupassant (Guy de Maupassant)
http://www.tocapercussion.com (Toca drums)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PowerBook_1400 (Mac Powerbook 1400 - I still have it!)
http://www.vangoghgallery.com (Vincent Van Gogh)