Deborah Keily Hanson: Pianist, Composer, Teacher

Meet the multi-talented Deborah Keily Hanson: pianist, composer, teacher and so much more! I play her music while creating because her unique arrangements inspire my creative muse. I first met Deborah over 30 years ago when I returned from living in Europe. My children attended El Dorado where Deborah produced and directed over 20 musicals. I choreographed …

A Divided Heart

I’m a creative with a divided heart, I love writing as much as I love art! “What must it be like,” I muse, “to be single eyed toward one focus? It must be wonderful to concentrate fully on one discipline."  I marvel over other's Instagram profiles filled with a solitary love. My page is checkered with …

When Change is in the Air

Have you ever grown discontented and didn’t know why? You couldn’t quite put your finger on the reason your mood darkened or you suddenly felt constrained, uncomfortable, itchy for something. I sure have. Often this odd annoyance occurs well before change knocks on the heart’s door or peeks in through the window of our thoughts.  …

A Grief Endured

I revisited a post and poem dating back to March 2, 2012 and decided to create a video version: https://youtu.be/o6Jk0_uNqJU Here's the former post: This morning I received another phone call informing me of another precious friend who has died. This is the fifth person in the last two weeks. From ages 19 to 82, …

A Tendency towards Multiplicity

Do you ever feel pulled in a dozen different creative directions? I sure do; in fact, I wrote an entire book for people like us. Creative Electics is what I call artistic types that desire to try many different kinds of arts and crafts. Here's an excerpt from Chapter 1 of Refrain from the Identical: …

The Tree of Life and the Hidden Element

There is a hidden element in finding God’s will. We never know for sure whether we’re heading in the right direction. We might feel confident about our salvation and even hold fast to God’s promise of eternal life; however, while we walk upon this earth, a certain amount of uncertainty remains: “Should I pursue this …

Chapter 4 OVERCOMING OBSTACLES TO CREATING

I've been revisiting portions of my book, Refrain from the Identical: Insight and Inspiration for Creative Eclectics, and am amazed at how relevant the writings are concerning my current creative journey.  Chapter 4 addresses obstacles us creative eclectics often struggle to overcome. I highlight topics such as dealing with depression (typical of the artistic temperament), …

Behind the Masquerade Mask: Developing Creativity in the Dark

I believe there are times when we develop creativity in the dark. By this I mean, we give ourselves permission to hide while we explore our identities. During these shadowy times, we become like children sampling what calls to our hearts. A precious spontaneity sweeps over us, and we dare to do something never attempted before. …

Depression and the Artistic Temperament

If you’re an artistic soul, then you’ve battled depression, this enemy of soul. You’ve got this light, bright side most people see and admire, and then there’s the dark place only those closest to you know you crawl into at times. Berit Grogard D.M.Sci., Ph.D.’s article, “Positives of Depression on Artistic Expression,” presents a scientific …