Skip to main content

Creativity

This morning I was visiting Molly at Somewhat Refined and reading her list of quotes. I'm a weak one for a good quote, especially one that doesn't sound like someone has worked hard trying to say something quotable.

Some of my orchestra rehearsals are in the bandroom at Small Town's middle school (hey, we're a small town orchestra). This room is easily accessible and is fully-stocked with percussion. My friend J is the band teacher at this school, and she has lined the walls with quotes for her students to ponder when they sit for band. There are several that read, "NO WHINING," which is always good for a kid to remember, especially the kid who talks through his nose. There is a quote from Yoda about not trying but doing. "There is no trying." There are also a few quotes about the purpose of music in our lives and some on brain activity. "It's OK to be smart."

My favorite quote is from Maya Angelou: Creativity cannot be used up. The more you use it, the more you have.

My friend refers to this quote on occasion when she talks to me about my level of creativity, and she thinks of me when she sees it on her wall. So, now I think of it as my little poster. When I sit for rehearsals, I always remember to look up at it, and I grin to myself. This poster and this quote serve as a reminder to not let a tiring spell or a crappy day drain us of our innate need to create and the ability that often sits dormant but is there just the same.

Comments

Sassy Sundry said…
That's a good quote. I'm feeling a bit snarky these days (warehouse duty and all), so I'll come up with a good quote later. Right now, I'd just spew venom.
Scout said…
Sassy, I know the feeling. I've been a little sluggish myself lately. Maybe all the sugar from these darn Christmas cookies.
Ms Mac said…
Good Old Maya Angelou, she's a font of wisdom. She must be about 356 to be that wise, no? ;-)
a reminder to not let a tiring spell or a crappy day drain us of our innate need to create and the ability that often sits dormant but is there just the same.

Robyn - The above is a good quote in and of itself. Thanks for the reminder to keep the creative blood flowing
Scout said…
Stella, she has certainly led a life that would fill 356 years. Sometimes I just listening to her speak regardless of she says.

Rich, do you like that line? You can borrow it if you want.
dive said…
Just popped over to Molly's site.
I love "Thou shalt not weigh more than thy refrigerator".

I keep a little notebook with quotes in I've jotted doen. I just opened it at random to add a quote to this comment and it's an "anon" one; more a Freudian typo than a quote:
"The penis mightier than the sword".
Hmm … Genuinely randomly slelected, Robyn. Honest.
Scout said…
Dive, I'll have to take your word for it. Funny. I'll have to visit Molly again and see if your quote draws any comments. hee hee
dive said…
By "this comment," I meant yours, Robyn, not Molly's.
I wouldn't dare put anything risqué on a newly discovered blog.
She does seem quite fun though.
Scout said…
So, I've discovered. Her comment box was trash-free, so I misunderstood. I do love her site.

Popular posts from this blog

No More Mr. Nice Guy

It's good to be a nice person--to say nice things, to do nice things, to write nice things--but I declare an end to the use of the word nice. Nice is what you say when you can't think of any other adjective. Someone shows you a picture of their back yard--that's nice. Someone tells you about their afternoon adventure--that's nice. Or someone describes their childhood in great detail and sometimes with painstaking effort--that's nice. It's a lazy word, and it's non-descriptive. Nice is like mashed potatoes with noodles and chicken gravy all in a big pile on one plate with some canned corn for garnish. Everything is the same color and texture and base substance--starch (this is a favorite Amish dish). Nice is like a partly cloudy day in April when outside feels like inside, and you can't tell a difference between the lighting and the temperature of your living room and the lighting and temperature of your front yard. Nice is a glass of lukewarm water. ...

An Offending Pile

So, I'm standing in my living room letting my mind wander for a minute or two as I stare out the window and watch the day go by, and I see my neighbors walking their dogs down the street. They are nice neighbors who are always friendly and responsible with their property. That is to say they aren't like the other neighbors who heap rubbish behind their house like Ma and Pa Kettle and let their dogs bark for thirty minutes at a time . Anyway, I see the nice people walking their dogs, a big golden retriever who is as sweet as can be and as dumb as a post—he once ate a sock and nearly died before it was surgically removed—and a new golden retriever puppy. Then I see Neighbor Wife suddenly run down the street with the big dog. Then I see Neighbor Husband stopped in front of my house with the puppy on its leash. And then I see the puppy taking a huge dump in my grass. Let me tell you, that is not done in this town unless the dog owner has a plastic bag handy and is ready to pick up ...

Am I Stupid, or What?

In two weeks, I will climb up into a charter bus, take my assigned seat, and ride 22 hours straight to Orlando, Florida. I will be a chaperon with the high school marching band, which will perform at Disney's Magic Kingdom--me and 180 people on four big buses for seven days. We will travel together, eat together, play together, fall down exhausted together--and after 22 hours, I suspect stink to high heaven together. Because of the crazy schedule, we will leave Ohio at 6 pm, travel all night and most of the next day, and spend several hours at MGM Studios before ending up at the hotel sometime after 7 pm. After I check in with the eight girls I am to supervise, I intend to shower and shower and shower. I intend to wear clean clothes and socks and brush my teeth until my toothbrush wears out. Of all the things I could be concerned about on this trip, being dirty seems to weigh heaviest on my mind. One of my eight charges could run off and do bad things with her boyfriend, but I'...