As I was driving to an appointment today I added a new CD, (which had been sitting on my dresser for about 2 years), into my car’s multi disc player. The CD was given to me by the artist when I visited my daughter in Washington. She and her husband were giving a Welcome Home Party for her son who had just returned from Afghanistan.
Although his voice was not remarkable I remember that he played the guitar pretty well. He mixed Spanish and English into the verses of his songs very effectively. He played his guitar through out the party whether we were listening to him or not. We called him The Guitar Guy.
I punched button number 6.
Whoa! I Instantly realized this guy did not have the capability to carry a tune. I acknowledged to myself that anybody can produce a CD or a video for that matter. No one asks if you have talent. Just show the green. Is it possible that it is easier to produce a CD than publish a book?
However, through the agonizing torture of listening to just a few words of each song, I did sense his passion. That is when the question came to me.
Is passion enough?
We are passionate about our work as writers, but does that mean it will be sellable? Will people want to read what we write? With this thought in mind I began to analyze my own desires and penchant for writing. Is my passion enough? I don’t think it is by itself. I will write something inspired by anger or some other strong emotion, then hours later it will not translate into the same message it did when originally put on paper. Passion and emotions can be flighty. Skill and passion need to emerge. Our passion needs structure.
The Guitar Guy believed in himself enough to pay for the recording of his CD. His songs were not original, although he did occasionally burst out into English with a “Let’s all sing together now” as his rendition of La Bamba was brought to a new level. Also, this was the first time I had ever heard “Wooly Bully” sang in Spanish.
Write it down,
Carma
Carma,from where you sit, you probably can't see the writing tip for today. I think it's appropriate to this post:
ReplyDelete"Believe in the quality of your work and the value of your message and at the same time, recognize surprises always happen in publishing."
"Wooly Bully" in Spanish, huh? That must've been pretty cool.
Carolyn, how right you are.
ReplyDeleteWe all must believe in ourselves. If The Guitar Guy had not believed in himself, he would never have made a CD.
I like this post. And I like your question, "is passion enough?"
ReplyDeleteIt's quite similar to "is love enough" for relationships.
I'm just not sure. But it can't hurt...
:)
truly,
Sylvia C.
Sylvia,
ReplyDeleteSo glad you enjoyed the post. It is similar to "is love enough" but in a different way.
Come back again.
Hi Carma,
ReplyDeleteSend me a note - I'll help with the Blogspot thing.
Carma, I think passion is enough IF you take that passion and use it as a springboard to further your talents. For example, if I wanted to write a novel about a subject I'm passionate about and I've never written one, obviously it's going to flop if I don't have anything backing up the passion. If I take courses and read and study technique and grammar, symbolism, effective transitions, etc., I stand a much better chance. I let my passion drive my education. In that respect, yea, it would be enough.
ReplyDeleteGood post!
Thanks Lori,
ReplyDeleteI like the way you answer the question. That is what I meant about our passion needing structure.
I think Springboard is a much better visual. :)