The Power of Play 🎶🚀
While sweating it out in the sauna earlier today, I pondered, where might fear or hesitation be keeping me from seeing the available possibilities?
A recent experience sparked this question, and I felt urged to share it. For context, I have never considered myself a songwriter per se. Lover of words, yes. Author, yes. Poet, yes. Songwriter? Nope. (I still couldn’t name all the musical notes rights now if I tried!)
At the beginning of this year, I was in a big ‘Copperhead Road’ phase. I probably listened to it 100x. (Hyper-fixation, much?😂) I just LOVED the story in the song. So, I explored a longing to experiment with sharing stories through song with no goal other than to have fun with a piece. I had no end vision for it in sight, no attachment or expectations. It just felt good to create, to flow, and TO PLAY. I titled the piece Lil Rocket, and I forgot about it…
…Until this past October, while traveling back to Austin from an event, I bumped into a friend who I hadn’t seen in years at the airport. Not only were we on the same flight, we were seated on the same row! (Ummm… a pause for the divinity!✨)
So, when she asked me for something I’d written later that evening, I didn’t think much of it, and I sent her a poem or two as well as Lil Rocket. The next day, I woke up to a text with two links, and when I pressed play on the first, I immediately burst into tears! A sobbing, ugly cry… you can witness all the mess and listen to the two versions in this video here.🫣
As a creative, I had/have certain hesitations about AI, but this cracked me open and introduced a beautiful way to see an experiment and piece come to life. Instead of focusing on reasons why I couldn’t do something, I was suddenly opened up to new possibilities, kindled with a fire to explore more. (Who knows, maybe singing lessons or writing a song on unraveling and being a wild woman is up next..? 🤔🤠)
Too often, we can get caught up in “the work” or the pressure for something to be good right out of the gate. I believe play to be radically healing. And I’d love to offer the perspective of looking at ourselves and life more like a miracle to explore and expand rather than a project to fix. This viewpoint holds a more gracious and playful energy. (At least, it has been working for me in that manner.)
If nothing else, here’s a permission slip to PLAY, to allow yourself to be new at something, and to follow a curiosity. 🪄
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” - Albert Einstein