In the Heart of the Labyrinth
When I think of cello music, one of the first names I think of is Yo-Yo Ma. He is a brilliant, passionate cellist. He inspires me deeply. Here, he and Lil Buck combine one of my favorite pieces, The Swan, with urban dance. The result is gorgeous.
For those of you participating in NaNoWriMo 2017, I wish you all the best. May the words be with you!!!
From time to time, I like to share with you music that inspires me. Here’s a song with very sharp teeth that goes right for the throat.
Foy Vance’s Make it Rain:
You might be familiar with Ed Sheeran’s version for Sons of Anarchy. It’s powerful, but the original is my favorite. Foy’s vocals are so raw and expressive, it gives me chills every time I listen.
I’d love to hear a cello arrangement for this. Maybe I’ll come up with one once I have the skills. Which should only be, you know, in a few years.
Previous installments of Musical Magic
What inspires you?
Get yourself some goblets, wine (or whatever) and make everybody talk Game of Thrones style…
Seriously, this gives me the most irrepressible urge to talk like Queen Cersei to everybody.
Which tv/movie/book character would you love to imitate for a day?
Seriously, I’m not being sarcastic. Sure, it’s already been a long process and will probably go a few days longer still. Sure, it’s thrown off my schedule and left me scrambling to get things done at home. But it’s a pretty important part of our constitution and a way to serve my country.
Also, it’s my first time and, as a writer, I’m endlessly curious about all of it. The people, the process, everything.
Anyway, I haven’t had the wherewithal to come up with a brilliant post for you, this Wednesday. Instead, I dug out one of my favorite old posts. Think of it like those perfectly broken in jeans. They’re old, but they’re soft and fit you like they were made for you.
Okay…so this isn’t that amazing. But still, it’s a bit of fun for your mid-week enjoyment.
Also, it asks a very important philosophical question…
Are you the cat friend or the dog friend?
You can see the original post here.
Last week explored the deep philosophical musings of your dog. This week, we enter the mind of your cat…
*mildly unsafe for work
What would your (or a friend’s) cat add to this discussion?
Creativity is a bit of a mystery to me.
Sometimes, I feel overflowing with creative energy. I’m driven to make something, anything. My writing calls to me, sweetly, begging me to sit down and pour out the words.
Other times, I feel like I’m looking into a dark, dry well. I send my bucket down, hoping for a few drops of creativity to soothe my parched spirit, but there’s nothing to be had.
What drains the well, and what fills it back up again?
I don’t have the whole answer for you, but it’s at least partly a matter of the balance between play and focus. Sometimes, when we’re working on a big creative task, we get so focused on getting it done, we forget to enjoy ourselves, to play around with it. That lack of play drains our spirit, leaving us feeling barren. On the other hand, when we allow ourselves room to play, even if it’s not with the project at hand, we refill that well.
Lately, I’ve been struggling to find the enthusiasm I need to keep going on several goals, especially my novel-in-progress. We’ve had a couple of big upsets in the family. I think that’s thrown me off. But more than that, I think I’ve been too intent on just getting my goals done. I’ve forgotten why I set the goals in the first place and the joy with which I first embraced them. That lack of just plain fun has sapped my creativity.
My friend and fellow blogger, Jay Squires, reminded me that a little bit of creativity just for the heck of it can go a long way toward refilling the well. Continue reading “Filling Your Creative Well A Little at a Time”
Have you ever wondered what your dog thinks about your bathing habits or why he circles before he does his *ahem* business. Ze Frank knows all…
*mildly unsafe for work.
What would your dog (or your neighbor’s) say if he could talk?
It’s called DeepMind, people.
If that name doesn’t suggest a mega villain, I don’t know what does.
But don’t worry, it only just learned how to walk. We’re safe a little while longer, right?
Yeah, we’re pretty much doomed.
Happy Friday 😉
What do you think about AI? Will it become conscious someday? What would it do if it does?
*ROW80 update at the bottom of the post
We have a running joke in our family. Whenever we think we misheard someone, we repeat back to that person what it sounded like s/he said. Sometimes, we’re reasonably close. Other times, we’re wildly, hilariously off.
We’re not alone. Lots of folks do this all this time, often without even knowing how off the mark they are.
You see this especially with song lyrics:
*May be a wee bit NSFW, due to language (but only two or three instances…and said in such a great accent…so there’s that).
***
And now for a ROW80* update.
This has been a challenging week for me. Over the weekend, our car was robbed. Continue reading “Did I Hear That Right?”
In terms of pets, I’ve never been a big fish person. They’re pretty (some of them) and soothing to watch, but I’ve never found them to be very interactive. I prefer something furry I can snuggle or play fetch with. But the fish in the video below has me rethinking things a little:
A big thank you to my daughter, who introduced me to this video. She’s like a walking search engine for good articles and videos.
Have you ever had a cuddle fish?
