"A Knock on the Door" by Duirwaigh Studios

I'd forgotten about this beautiful video "A Knock on the Door". If you love fairies, Celtic music and an uplifting message, you're in for a treat! They also have a sequel to this video, so if you want to see more, here's the link to their site:

Duirwaigh Studios Film Page

Kelly's Journey Of You Class - Cover

Whoo Hoo! Kelly's teaching an online class that I couldn't resist. In case you haven't heard of her, she's an Amazing Art Journal instructor, and is the one responsible for getting me addicted to Art Journaling. You can see the link to this class description in my Links list (to the right). I'll be posting my pages from the class here on my blog. I'm probably going to do them as "before and afters". I want to get better at incorporating my writing as a design element on the page, something that she's so good at!
Here's the cover of an easy pamphlet stitch book that I made for it. Supplies were: scrapbook paper (shh! wasn't supposed to), tape which my sis brought back for me from Japan, rubber stamps, pens, color pencils, a sticker, and some rub-on letters.

Tuning into My Inner Soundtrack

I’d turned to my piano, when I wasn’t able to dance, telling myself it was a substitute. So, after I'd started taking dance classes again, I didn't feel compelled to continue with my music. My piano got dusty. But recently, when I heard my own songs again, I reconnected to something that I'd left behind, a sense of resonance.

It’s something I can’t quite explain. And the closest description is a feeling of “waking up”. It’s a shifting of focus, and improves my ability to “see” with my inner eye. I noticed that, while my drawings focused on characters, my music sought out landscapes (water, rain, bells). And that brought me to a new vantage point. I call it "Tuning into my inner soundtrack". It feels like remembering something I’d forgotten, so there’s a sense of coming home.

I think that I let go of it because I felt out of step with the music that I hear commercially. In this age of constant media, it’s easy to compare ourselves unfavorably with what’s out there. Now I realize that’s kind of the point. I wouldn’t be able to find my songs; so I’d have to create them for myself.

I wanted to post this piece, written and performed by my cousin, who is a major creative influence in my life. Her song "Don't Let the Song Go Out of Your Life" reminds me that I need to hang onto my unique experience.

Don't Let the Song Go Out of Your Life by Eileen Uchima