A Musician’s Creative Journey: Week 15 – Creative Mindfulness

It was Christmas. I was in my late thirties. I was given a “Life is Good” shirt that read “Not all who wander are lost.” I remember reading the words on the shirt as I held it up, we laughed, and for years, I wore that t-shirt with pride! But I still remember how I felt as we laughed.

Yes, I was the wanderer, the dreamer—the musician.

It was second grade. I was excited to get my report card. It read—Kelly doesn’t work and play well with others. Fifth grade. Another report card. It read—Kelly often daydreams, she shouldn’t sit close to windows. Sixth grade. I.Q. test. My status of “not so smart,” was changed to “must be lazy.” I wasn’t lazy—I was bored.  I wasn’t daydreaming—I was planning my escape.

To wander, one must dream. To dream, one must escape— the trappings of what’s expected by others and embrace whatever calls from within.

As an artist, I do not feel special— I often feel weird, out of place, outspoken, misunderstood. Being a wanderer can be lonely, but traveling with others can be hard.  When you wander, you don’t get a map, you often get lost, you learn to find your way—or you don’t.

I strongly believe we are all special, we are all artists in our own way, we all dream—whether we realize it or not, we are all flying without a net. But we don’t all wander. We don’t all follow our dreams. We don’t all escape.

Wandering and dreaming go hand-in-hand— but how we navigate determines the gifts we receive.

I believe dreams are meant to be a journey, not a destination. Our talents define what we do, not why we do it.

I like my t-shirt. I still have it. I still wear it. I still laugh.

I still wander!