Taking that First Step

Sometimes the most difficult part of the creative process is breaking the ice.  But once you take that first step, you begin a forward motion on a creative journey.

Literary Form

When it comes to literary styles, I tend to write short form.  At the heart of my creative expression is writing lyrics and poetry--which complement my work in musical composition.

However, as a trained communications specialist, I have written and edited works from slogans and captions to textbooks and educational courses.  As a marketing communications consultant, I found myself drawing on both sides of my brain:  The left (analytical side); and the right (creative--) side.  I found this work rewarding, but all along, something was missing ...

Finding My Own Voice

While I could vary my style within the context of a certain writing style, I was writing to promote other brands, not my own.  I was promoting other peoples'/organizations' products and services. I found it rewarding to draw on my creative talents to, in a sense, help others.  However, I had many of my own insights that I could only convey in a pure sense through my creative writings.

When I was in college, I gained a liberal arts education that drew heavily on both the analytical and creative parts of my brain.  Strangely, I noticed that the more I stretched my analytical muscles, the more I needed to express myself through my creative gifts.

The result:  More songs.

The Making of a Songwriter

While I was broadening my world view studying things that were not at all related to the things I felt compelled to write about in my songs, the more inspiration I felt to compose songs.

After going through many stages in my communications career, I have ultimately came to the conclusion that I am an artist.

This felt a little strange to me at first.  Some people value artists.  Other than my mother and a couple close friends, many of the people in my closer social circles seemed to place a greater value on the more analytical, scientific-minded person.

I felt that I was somewhere in between.  But as I look back on my life, I feel that the artist was lurking deep within the shell of the professional business person I was grooming myself to be.  I did pretty well as a business person, but life's circumstances compelled me to pause and reassess the direction I was going in.

In my professional career as a communications specialist, I evolved from a proofreader of textbooks and freelance journalist to copywriter and marketing/PR consultant.  For awhile, I ran my own marketing communications business, which I found very rewarding.  Through it all, the creative juices continued to flow: Words & music never left me ...

In addition, deepening spiritual insights and an ever-broadening perspective on this sacred experience we call life continued to develop within me unto overflowing. It is time for me to share them.

Keeping Your Eye on the Right Prize

I have come to believe that becoming successful in life is more than just keeping your eye on the prize.  It's more important to assess your spiritual goals, as well as your temporal (worldly) goals.  There is great value in considering one's strengths, likes and dislikes to find true success. For, being true to your best self greatly increases your chances of being satisfied with yourself in the end.

In addition, after all is said and done, it is important to keep your eye on the right prize.  For life's energy and resources given an individual are finite commodities.  So, when climbing the ladder of success--of whatever it is you're reaching for--it's important to make sure you lean your ladder against the right building.  Without close examination of your goals, a person may find, (since many buildings appear to be similar on the outside) that it's highly possible to lean your ladder against the wrong building.  A person may work and strive their entire life to get to the top of the ladder of success, only to find they had leaned their ladder against the wrong building.

While I had groomed myself to become a successful communications expert, I have come to learn that I have important things to say through my own creative works.  At least, they are important to me.  I hope find them to be of value to you.

This much I can say:  I will be putting much thought and feeling into the things I post on this site.  Whether words or music, I promise to put the best of me into them.

... May you find them to be of lasting benefit to you.  Thanks for visiting!

With all sincerity,
-Tom