Butterfly Energy

Lovelies,

In his book, The Mind of the Artist: Personality and the Drive to Create (Fascinating! Recommend!), William Todd Schultz describes how the main feature of the artistic mind is openness. And a likely sub-feature of openness seems to be a propensity for boredom.

I remember reading this and thinking, "Well, I am never bored. Perhaps I am not so very artistic after all." 

But more and more I think I simply preempt boredom with the life I'm living. I feel like a butterfly alighting around a field of a hundred varieties of technicolor wildflower. 

July was not the exception.

My co-writing had me working on songs for 3 different artists: one Pop/R&B, one Soul/R&B, and one Latin. Music producing involved 3 albums in 3 different stages. (Highlights were arranging -- and often singing! -- background vocals for Jay Clemens and Norzin Chomphel, guiding Raleigh Duncan into the deep of his lead vocals, and tracking a dream of horns and strings with superstars Erik Jekabson, Rob Ewing, Shaina Evoniuk, & Evan Price.) And the theme of Songwriting Salon was Close Read, meaning we spent a week each contending with the massive contributions of The Beatles, Taylor Swift, Elliott Smith, Tom Waits, and Beyoncé. (This Just In: I'm hearing from many salonees that this was a favorite theme... We may have to resend later this year with 5 new artists!)

At the beginning of the month, I considered losing it and coming into myself as a total stress case. Last minute I decided instead I'd try RADICAL PRESENCE. Doing whatever single thing I was doing in each moment and letting the rest of the world fall away. It worked! I savored! I delighted in July! And even now, as I happily pare my focus to a Dave Fribush album I'll produce in a few weeks, I hope that July is a month I'll live again and again.

How are you? What flowers beckon? I'd love to hear.

Late summer love,

Rachel