One Thing Better: David Dunbar on creativity
One Thing Better is a weekly series featuring very cool creators I’m impressed with, in a one-question interview format.
It’s a simple premise. Each week someone will answer The Question.
David Dunbar operates a freewheeling hub of spiritual inquiry at Flower Power Spirituality. Click on this link and read down the page till you get to The Law of Subtraction subtitle.
Then pause. Take a small moment before reading on.
This short bit made the (remaining) hair on my head curl. It was that insightful.
Subtraction is where the real power is. Subtracting the negatives from your life.
Reading it I was simultaneously exhilarated and pissed. Excited by the insight. Ticked off I hadn’t written it myself!
The Question:
What one thing have you been doing recently that’s making your life better?
David Dunbar:
What’s making my life better is expressing creativity.
What helps me is that I don’t look for an outcome. It’s not about making money, it’s not about people singing your praise; it’s about taking your experience of life and expressing it in some form.
You write a poem, write a song, or jazz up the landscape around your house. Detaching from the outcome frees you from the fear of expressing yourself.
There will be people who will be attracted to your creativity … they’ll dig your song …. like your blog post … they will admire your yard.
Be you, detach from the outcome and people will be drawn to your life force.
The most fun I had in my life was bumming around for around a year playing music. I lived way below the poverty level, crashed wherever I could, and just played music for the fun of it.
I just left a 22-year marriage, always dreamed of doing it, so I just started showing up at open mics.
During that year I was given the opportunity to host my own open mic and was able to sit in with some of the hottest bands in these parts. I wouldn’t trade it for a million dollars.
See, into my little journey I cut my left index finger … FUBAR style. I lost use of the finger, mercer almost killed me and it took two years for the wound to heal. I was a singer songwriter acoustic artist and was getting ready put out my own album.
The gig ended, but I gave that teenage kid inside me something he never had a chance to create. I can now die knowing I did it … I stood in a little pub adorned with about 200 folks, was backed up by the hottest bands around, and rocked the crowd.
Make your life better?
Create something.
It’s worth so much more than money.
Do it, while you have a chance.
. . . . . . . .
Check out David Dunbar’s Prodigal Diaries: Journey to the Exit Door.
Evan Griffith
If you feel inspired to answer the One Thing Better question, please email me your response to TheWorldIsFreakyBeautiful (at) gmail (dot) com.
