The one where I gleefully use the word "whit."

I make things with words and sounds almost every day. I am a creator. In this way I am as ordinary as can be, because every person on earth is a creator. We all have the ability in us, though some of us don’t allow it to come to the surface. If you are just such a person, I invite you to give it a go and make something, anything, because the act of making something from nothing is as life-affirming as anything I can think of.

Don’t know what to make? Write a poem about the dirty dishes on your kitchen counter. Sketch a drawing of your cat. Squish some playdoh into the shape of the Eiffel tower. Learn a cover song on the ukulele. What you make doesn’t have to be serious, in fact it’s usually better when it’s not. When you’re having fun and not trying too hard, that’s the sweet spot.

It really, really doesn’t matter if what you end up making is good. And you probably won’t be able to tell one way or the other, since “good” is a bullshit metric and not worth worrying about anyhow. It only matters that you spend time making something and that you focus your energy and attention on the doing of it.

The act of making a thing matters so much more than the finished product, more than its reception or audience or legacy. The finished product is not the point, it is something like the net in hockey. When we play we are aiming for the net, striving toward the goal, but we are not in love with the net. We are in love with the game and the feelings we experience while we play.

When we create we are aiming for a finished something, striving toward the picture we have in our minds, but we are not in love with the finished thing. We are engrossed in the feeling the pencil crayon makes as it presses into the paper, enthralled with the way the guitar chord sounds completely different when we lift one finger off one string.

In the end it doesn’t matter a whit whether people like what you made. What matters is that it was worthy of your attention as you brought it to life. As you sculpted something from nothing, did it add something to your day? Did it reveal something you didn’t see before? Did you get lost in it for an hour or two, pulled out of the world of responsibilities and phone notifications?

Did it make you feel something, and was that worth it?

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Upcoming Shows

June 22, 3-5pm - Song and Spoken Word Circle
We’re back at Dwellissimo (Walton St., Port Hope) with another song/poetry/story/spoken word circle. Last time a dozen of us enjoyed a cozy, candlelit afternoon during an ice storm, but there’s certainly room for more folks to join the fun. Completely unplugged, bring your guitar, djembe, chapbook or whatever you need to join in. There’s also plenty of space and comfy chairs for folks who just want to watch. I’d love to know if you’re planning to come!

July 16 from 3-6pm
Come find me making music at the Cobourg Public Library Book and Bake Sale. Then buy some goodies to support our local library!

July 19
I am hosting a Campfire Songcircle at Westben. It’s a free event prior to Matt Andersen’s show. For details and to RSVP click here.

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Featured Song - As Is (Ani Difranco ukulele cover)

Thanks to my friend Bob, I currently have a ukulele in my possession. This has opened up the glorious ability to play songs in the car while I wait for my kids at their various (and endless) lessons and appointments.

Didn’t know you needed to hear an Ani Difranco song on the ukulele? Well, now you know.