Finding your Inspiration

All artists, writers and musicians lay claim to one particular thing that acts as a muse or an inspiration for them in their creative process. I'm certainly no different, though I maybe just a tad bi-polar in my approach to creativity.

I write.
I paint.
I draw.
I play music.

Each one of these things is inspired by something different. Some might think that my inspiration for writing comes from the work of other authors. That's untrue. While yes, I have authors that I admire and whose drive and dedication make me feel like a major procrastinator; Jean Auel being my top number one and new author, Jadie Jones for both personal and professional reasons, I don't really get my so called "creative" inspiration from them. Music is my muse and what inspires me to write creatively, specifically, an independent European band that I discovered years ago. Suzy's Field.
I found Suzy's Field's music after they'd changed their name to the OK's and I quickly became a fan of both bands, though there were more resources out there for the OK's music than SF. I identified with a lot with lead singer/songwriter Alan O'Keeffe's lyrics, especially the song "Grace" which talked about writing for the sake of trying to purge or release feelings of pain or regret (maybe that wasn't his intent when he penned the lyrics, I never asked, but that's what I took from them when I heard it), which I can definitely relate to because my grief over the loss of my brother in 1993 was what actually started me on my path to writing and eventually lead me to live his dream of having a career in journalism later on down the road.
I credit my brother's death for helping to me to find many of my talents and abilities because I desperately needed a benevolent way to process the emotions and pain I felt over his loss. Music was the first, writing came second and much later on, painting joined that mix.
But of all the creative muses I might have, "Grace" reminds me of why I started writing and when I'm blocked as I sometimes can get for weeks at at a time, I'll listen to that song, which I downloaded years ago and made back-up copies of so that I could be sure to never lose it and the blocks disappear. Because of that song, I can tap back into the emotions and that place inside myself that remembers what it was like to need that mental release of words on paper.
I was thrilled with the recent news that Alan, Paul and the rest of the gang were getting back together after all this time to produce a new album and I hope it's so successful that they'll be compelled to continue producing them in future. There's a simplistic, yet very complex quality to their music that inspires me in a way that no other music does. I had hoped when they gave hint about an announcement that it would be an OK's reunion, but this is just as good and it gives me an opportunity to listen and explore the SF side of the band.

Independent artists, and this includes writers as well, don't get nearly the credit they deserve for the blood, sweat and tears that they put into their product. We don't have agents that promote us or advertise for us. Most of the time lack of funds ensure that the only marketing we get is word of mouth and social networking done by our own hand or the hands of our fans. While it's never easy pushing your own product, there's a sweetness to every download, every "Like" and every "Follow" you receive that might be missed should you have the luxury of being more hands-off.
I look at SF's return to the music scene a little like I look at my return to writing after the long break I'd taken once I'd published Bimini, The Romance. If they can get it together and organize studio time between six people when they're living separately in three different countries, surely I can devote a little time every day to getting my own words down on paper to make sure this sequel isn't another five year project.
In return for the inspiration this band and its music gives me, I offer my gratitude to them and my wish of success and longevity for this reunion of theirs.

If you'd like to follow them on facebook, you can find them at https://www.facebook.com/suzysfield2013?fref=ts
Or to follow them on Twitter: @SuzysField