Keep your gift sharp. Keep your fire lit. Even if, at times, it’s nothing more than an ember. Don’t let it fade to smoke.
If you are a writer, keep writing, even if you don’t have much to say right now. Even if you are waiting for your story. Blog. Journal. Take on assignments.
If you are a photographer, keep shooting. Take a photo every day. Snap your friends. Capture weddings and vacations. Take a walk with camera in hand. Open up an Instagram account.
If you paint, or draw, paint or draw today. Every day. Buy a doodle book. Take a drawing course at the City Arts centre. Draw people on the bus. Draw buildings. Paint your pet. Paint your friends.
Keep your gift sharp. Keep your fire lit.
Here’s why.
One day, you’re going to find something that needs saying. A picture worth a thousand words. Something to sing about. And when you do, you’d better know how to sing.
You’d better not have wasted all that time when the Muse was quiet.
Here’s why.
One day, you’ll take your car in for an oil change. You’ll decide to look at new vehicles while you wait. You’ll meet a salesman named Sammy ’Three Fingers’. He’ll introduce himself and shake your hand, showing you clearly that he has three fingers. You’ll spend a few hours with him by the evening. He’ll tell you stories and share life lessons. You’ll learn why he has three fingers. You’ll walk out with a car and a great story. You cannot make this stuff up.
And when that happens, you’ll hope you share the story well.
You keep the gift sharp because life keeps happening. Because there are surpises waiting. Because when you pay attention you see things. Not every day but many days. Some days. Enough days.
So keep your gift sharp.