Light and sound are both sensations that fill me with inspiration and energy.
As for light, sunshine is at the center of what lifts my heart and spirit – with the sun on my face, I feel that anything is possible. My favorite time of day, twilight, hinges on the type of light it creates. It’s specifically defined as “the soft glowing light from the sky when the sun is below the horizon, caused by the reflection of the sun’s rays from the atmosphere”. It’s when sun-kissed skin begins to tingle, parties start, wine bottles pop, balmy breezes blow, friends laugh and everything takes on a gentler hue. It’s also tinged with a sense of melancholy as another day closes its doors.
Sound is a sense precious to every living thing. Have you seen the videos where a deaf mother, through surgery, hears her child’s voice for the first time? It’s something I would never take for granted. I have many things that I love to listen to: a hummingbird squeaking and whizzing by my ear, a happy cat enjoying my company, peace & quiet, my husband’s laughter, and music. Music especially is a major Sensepiration for me. I played and sang at an early age and learned about the culture of the 60s and 70s through the wide range of albums my mother put on the stereo – some while we were awake and needed entertaining and some after she’d tucked us into bed. I knew all of the words to the Hair soundtrack and certainly the lyrics of many Cher songs, and I learned to (deeply) love the Beatles and the Stones as their music drifted towards my pillow from the living room below.
While my music background exposed me to every type of music genre, I have a distinct taste for rock inspired by prior decades and specific cultures. Jangly British rock (have you seen Pirate Radio?) inspired by the 60s, then progressive, psychedelic rock like Pink Floyd, and of course my favorite – that foot-stomping, soul-wrenching, blues rock which can be traced back through many decades but with strong ties to this place I now call home. All I believe are the result of the music I was exposed to very early on as a child. One of my favorite ways to spend time is in the presence of live music – The Black Keys, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and Jack White, wailing away on stage through a haze of smoke and bourbon. It’s something that very much inspires my personal style, from what I wear, to my next interest, learning to play a soulful, blues harmonica.