Connections

As Creatives -- composers, writers, painters, sculptors, what have you -- we often feel as if we create in a vacuum.  Many of us rise in the morning among family and friends, then retreat to the solitude of an office, a studio, a nondescript corner of Starbucks, to "work our magic."  We shutter ourselves away from the world for an hour, two, four, more, while we give life to the thoughts and dreams in our imaginations ... and then we return to the rest of society.

We may all feel as if we create alone, but with a very few rare exceptions, none of us do.  No matter what we create, the odds are good that, sooner or later we will either share the fact that we create or the products of that creation with others.  Writers, even those who have never published or may have no desire to ever publish, will join writers groups, places where they can share their creations with others, or even just commiserate about the joys and trials of writing with those doing the same.  Artists display their works in coffeehouses, museums, galleries, or even their friends' homes.  Composers play their music or have it played for others.

Yes, as solitary as the actual creative act may be, the truth is that all of us Creatives are connected to other people, and in many cases, quite a few others, probably more than we'd like to admit, or possibly more than we even know.  We are connected to those who enjoy our creations or help to reproduce them.  Through these primary connections, we may also have secondary connections of those who get to experience our creations (this is especially true of music, where this group of "secondary connectors" is called an audience). 

Today and for the rest of the week, I'll be spending a lot of time exploring and strengthening my connections and, if past years are any indication, making many new connections, too.  I will be at the Handbell Musicians of America National Seminar along with several hundred other attendees, all of whom create, perform, sell, or enjoy handbell music.  An event like this is a great way to bring into close quarters many of us who share this art form as our passion, and it helps to build those connections. 

How important are these connections?  More so than you might ever believe.  Through connections I've made at this event in prior years, I've been commissioned to write pieces.  I've inadvertently ended up hosting a concert.  I've formed a great relationship with other composers, many of whom I stay in touch with on a regular basis. 

What's amazing about all of this is the "chance" nature of these encounters.  My wife attended a class at last year's event, and when the teacher found out she was my wife, said he'd like to meet me.  I had already planned on attending his last class, and afterward, we struck up a conversation, one that has continued in emails and through the chat feature in Words With Friends ever since. 

Connections can come from even less -- in that class, I sat next to a woman to whom I gave my business card.  Less than six months later, I had finished the piece her church commissioned me to write.  Had I arrived to that class two minutes later or sooner, or had my wife and I decided to sit one row back, that connection might never have been made, that business card might never have been given, and that piece might not exist.

Makes me wonder how many other "connections" I've missed specifically because of such random chance.

If you haven't done it before, seek out those who share your creative passion.  It can be others who create what you create, or those who enjoy what you create.  No matter what your art, there is a community of like-minded people out there, and odds are good they're a friendly one, one that will share and nurture and help.  Just knowing you're part of a community can make all those lonely hours spent "alone" creating much easier ... because then you'll realize you're not really alone.