We are each of us a product of our family, community, country, continent and world. My mother was born in 1915, before the telephone, electricity, and hearing aids. She lived on a farm in Southwest Iowa (Red Oak) and had little access to materials that sparked her creativity. Her family struggled to survive the Depression, so there was no encouragement for the arts. She left the farm for the big city of Chicago and became a nurse. Her mother taught her to sew without patterns and also to play the piano. She sang all the time, tried whatever new craft came along, and taught me how to sew. I think she could have been a musician or artist if she had been encouraged. She was a great nurse.
My father turned down uncles that wanted to put him through college, so he worked as a truck driver to support our family. Luckily, he had an uncle that bought a ranch in Colorado, so he learned to love the outdoors, something his grandchildren and great-grandchildren are still enjoying. He read all the time, and could answer any question I had about the world. He taught me to love classical music.
I was lucky enough to be born in the city and grow up in the suburbs, where academics were challenging, music was available, and the arts were valued. As a very young child, I watched black and white television. I learned to play violin in third grade and played until the end of high school. I sang in church and school. The greatest influence on my creativity came from my parents, but it was my grandmother who quilted. I loved her quilts, looking for my favorite fabrics every time we visited. She showed me how to hide a knot and told me the standard which many quilters try to live up to: 10 stitches per inch. My older brother was the only poet in the family until I began in 1996, but a decade ago I met a second cousin that wrote a column for the newspaper.
I had three children, all of whom learned to sing and play instruments. My oldest son became interested in computers and has not pursued the arts. My middle son, however, has continued to use musical and theatrical talent in his church. My youngest, a daughter, pursued photography, painting, singing, and playing several instruments. Her work as a speech (voice) therapist helps singers in opera and on Broadway. Each of my children has been influenced by the same suburban school district I was. They attended different universities, which also had profound influence on them. The advent of computers, social media, and cell phones strengthened the connections that could be maintained over a great distance.
This is the story of my family’s creative influences, but what about the great musicians and artists? Gaugin and Van Gogh tried living together in France. Pablo Picasso changed the course of art forever. German composers profoundly changed the course of music, but so did England, France, and Poland (to mention only a few of the greatest composers’ countries).
When I get together with my friends at “Poetic Lights,” we share a common background. We read and study one poem, then write five different poems in response to it. Each of us is unique, although we share the common human values and experiences. We influence each other by pointing out things others may not have seen.
When mentors find us and encourage us, their influence extends into generations. Have you found a mentor yet? This can be one of the most important influences you will ever have. You may have one in more than one area of your life. Many of us have spiritual advisors, academic advisors and counselors. Psychologists and Psychiatrists help us understand the workings of our mind. Friends give us gifts, both material and emotional. Who do you look to for emotional support? Do you have a hidden talent you would like to develop? I salute you.
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