FOLLOWING A HUNCH.....

"The next thing I knew, I was buying notebooks, the cheap student kind, and filling them with what I thought of as clues, although at this point I had no idea what the mystery was, just that something had shifted inside me, revealing a burning desire to know." Mickey Hart, Grateful Dead percussionist, in his book Drumming at the Edge of Magic

Does this quote resonate with you? It definitely does with me, especially the part about not knowing what the mystery is. 

When was the last time you felt drawn to exploring something? Felt intrigued about a topic, or perhaps just feeling some restlessness? Did you trust your intuition and follow a hunch or opportunities presented to you? What was the result? If you didn't follow the longing, is it still with you? You may not know yet where it will lead, but it's a path that could bear some interesting results. 

I love books. I go to several used book sales and used book stores each year, usually to stock up on novels to read. But this year I've felt drawn to finding books all about creativity, idea generation, imagination, the science of art and music, visioning..... And I've hit the jackpot at a couple of sales, quickly growing my stash of creativity-type books this past spring and summer from the 8 or 9 I already had to well over two dozen.

Some of the books I've now read, others only thumbed through, and others have put aside for another day when I can study them more deeply. I've tagged several pages, written notes about others, and marked some items for thought and reflection. Several of the books have intriguing creative exercises which I have started to explore one by one.

I'm excited to see the results that will come from all the reading and experiencing the creative ideas being presented to me. 

Why? I am only beginning to scratch the surface and understand what I may be looking for. The more I read the more I seem to be reliving expressive arts classes I took a few years ago and the powerful art and music activities we experienced. And trusting in this kind of creative process, not quite knowing where we are going - or even the next step -  but with patience and a belief that this act of faith will lead to something important. 

I'd love to hear your story about following a hunch.