A Change

It's no secret, I've loved Cheryl Crow forever...like since back in the day when people purchased compact discs and put them on repeat in their boom boxes! I was already smitten back in 2002 when I pre-ordered a copy of the Soak Up the Sun CD and listened to it all the way to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for spring break and then all the way back home to Rhinelander, Wisconsin. I'd smile so big while singing along with the sultry singer/songwriter "I've got a crummy job..." and "I'm still the king of me..." oh those were the days.

Fast forward to today's technology driven world (don't worry, I still have my old CD's in a case although my boom box has been retired) and I can listen to the wise words of Crow while vacuuming. My oldest daughter even taught me how to create an Apple playlist and my pre-teen son showed me how to adjust the volume right on my watch - who knew? I was supposed to be working on my writing earlier this week and nothing was clicking, so like any mother of 6 I took a break to clean my house. If there's ever a sure thing with this many people in a house - it's the fact something is going to be dirty and need cleaning. Even if you just cleaned, trust me...there will be SOMEthing in need of attention. 

So...this song comes through my ear buds:

 

Cheryl was singing to me... 

 

I had dusted through Everyday was a Winding Road but it was this prompt to change that really struck a cord with me (pun intended...what would you expect from a writer who supports herself as a musician?). Maybe it was the chasing dragons with plastic swords line I could most relate to that day as I moved all the toys so I could dust the bookshelf, but the thought that popped in my head was this:

Maybe I'm not out of ideas. Maybe my talent hasn't faded.

 

Maybe I just need to make a few changes to spark my inner writer!

 

I started thinking pretty large scale and had to rein myself in, but some of you aren't tied down to cattle who need to be milked twice a day, children who require endless snacks, and you my friend should be thinking big here. I on the other hand am making plans to change my living room wall color. I'm going to change my office and make it less cluttered. I'm also going to write one afternoon a week in a different location (think beach, coffee shop, etc... ). When I started brainstorming, my husband looked a bit uneasy. I assured him, I wasn't planning on a month long trip to Paris (although, I bet that sure would get my creative juices flowing). 

So... I have a lot of questions for you as our time together comes to a close:

1) What singer/songwriter has been most influential in your life or who comes to mind as a long time favorite?

2) What changes have you made or will you make to help spark some new creativity in your life or your writing?

3) Where is your favorite place to go to be creative and why? What makes this spot so inspirational?

GO!

Thanks in advance for the comments! You're Fabulous!!!

Hugs,

~Crystal

and now...a little more about me...

Shown from left to right:
Delphine riding Honey
Mr. Otto holding Eudora
Crystal riding Marv.
Thank you Forward Farm, LLC 

Crystal is a hot mess of busy-ness who has decided to shorten her bio...

You can find Crystal milking cows, riding horses, and the occasional unicorn (not at the same time), taking the ordinary and giving it a little extra (making it extraordinary), blogging and reviewing books here, and at her own blog - Crystal is dedicated to turning life's lemons into lemonade and she has never (not once) been accused of being normal!