I was asked the question, “What inspires you?” by a lady at the Bow Wow Botanic Gardens Event yesterday. My brain took a screeching halt (most people ask my price, where I shoot, how many dogs can they bring, etc). Wow! This person really cares about the “art” behind my photos. In my elation with her question (and my right hand holding down one of my canvases as another strong gust of wind whipped through my tent). I started to tell her about my inspiration….my mom.
My mom was a music teacher. She had musical abilities that I will never understand. Picking up an instrument she had never seen and playing a song with it was like watching a songbird belt out a song in a tree. She had the *gift*.
She attempted to pass the gift on to her children (which soared right over all four heads when we were younger!). A record player resided on our dining room buffet and my mother played endless hours of classical music. The dining room also happened to be the place where we all did our homework. I always did my homework there because being the youngest, I could get help from my older siblings or my mom in a moments notice. As classical music filled the room and our pencils were busy answering questions, my mother would ask from the kitchen, “What composer is this?” OR “Is this in a minor or major key?” OR “What instruments do you hear in the music?”. Even our cats were involved in it. One cat was named Beethoven (my white beauty – who my sister will claim was hers until the day she dies!) and Choplin (my black beauty – which was also my baby). They were both composers that my mother loved and shared with her children.
Unfortunately, none of her children found a career in music. My older brother works for a large software company in California, my older sister went to Harvard and now owns a hedge fund with her husband in New York, my younger brother is traveling in Korea in search for life answers, and me….well…..I found my music.
Every Dog has a Song.
Every wisp of hair on a chinese crested mane, every brush of a golden retriever tail, every soft trot of a dachshund pup ~ They all make music.
Meeting a new dog is an adventure. First, I LOVE to touch them, feel their fluffy or smooth ears, scratch their chests and maybe a little bum scratch. I engulf myself with their presence. I then *stop* to hear their music. Sometimes it takes a while. Maybe I don’t hear it until they leave. But it is always there. I just need to listen to it. Rescues are my favorites. I never know what song they are going to share with me.
But I do know this ~ I am fulfilled when I leave them. When my four-year old daughter will ask to leave the table after dinner, I ask her, “How full is your tummy?” She will usually lift her hand in a horizontal line and hold it up to the top of her head, signifying that she is full to the top. That is how I feel after a session. Full. Right up to the Top.
So I guess my mom was successful in sharing her love of music with one child. I don’t plan on making a career out of music and I am certainly not a “good” dancer with any type of beat (picture Elaine from Seinfield – yay bad).
Thank you mom for the countless hours of classical music on the record player, composer quizzing, singing at the grocery story, and having hope. Hope that one of her children would share her love of music.
Every artist and every person has an inspiration. It is very apparent in your everyday life OR burning inside and is waiting to be released. I let mine burn deep inside for TOO long! I buried my passion for art under layers of fear, guilt, lack of confidence, work, business certifications that meant nothing to my heart and sometimes shopping for the latest trend. In 2008, I pushed these “obstacles” away and embraced my passion. But that is for another blog post….
Thank you for reading and do this for yourself – Share your passion with someone today (as long as it is a *healthy* passion…and it is legal…and doesn’t require fire).
What is your inspiration + passion?
by Jaime
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