Influenced by People

All of us are influenced by people.  My perpetual curiosity came by the influence of both my mother and my father.  I learned about logic and how to identify the individual steps of an event (or an emotion) from my high school geometry teacher.  I learned the world was out there from my Grandma and my Cuban and German aunts.  These were people who were in my life by default. That's significant but not the whole story.

We can also choose people who have knowledge, wisdom or a characteristic we want to incorporate into our lives.  For me, because of my wide interests, I have a wide variety of people I listen to, that I can learn from, who can influence my life.  In fact, about half of the people I follow on Facebook and about 95% of the people I follow on Twitter are people who I admire and want to learn from.  The other half of my Facebook "friends" are actually friends or acquaintances that I follow as a way to share a little bit of their lives when I can't be around them as much as I may want.

But no one in my personal circle - that I know of - is a part of Twitter so that gave me the opportunity to use that platform to be curious about the world as well as interact with people whom I don't know but have something to say about things I'm interested in.  I follow a couple of news outlets in New Zealand and Australia because I was interested in how life goes for people in those countries that I would love to visit but probably will never get the chance.  I get an idea of the things that people in those countries care about and are talking about.  I'm following a radio station in Australia to get a little different perspective there.  I follow Melinda Gates because I admire her integrity and heart and her deep passion for the world and for making a way for women throughout the world.  I follow some gardening sites because I have so much to learn in that arena.  I follow textile artists from different disciplines from around the world.  I want to see what they're creating and what's influencing their art.  Maybe some of that will rub off on me. I follow some writing groups so I can feel a part of that community. I follow a silly reporter from a newspaper in Glasgow, Scotland, because he makes me laugh out loud.  I follow a few people whose whole presence on Twitter is aimed at encouraging people to excel and be tenacious and kind and constructive (without being soppy about it - I hate soppy sweety pie in the sky).

I made deliberate choices to ensure that the time I spend involved in social media (not a whole lot, if I'm honest) is making a positive influence on my life.  That's not to say I only follow people that agree with my views on the world, religion or politics.  No one grows by only listening to people they agree with.  If someone disagrees with my views but can give a reasoned perspective for their beliefs, that gives me a more dimensional view of the world and helps me understand the lives and circumstances of people outside of my personal experience.  If you can challenge me in some constructive way, I want to listen.

If you want to be creative, hang out with people who are creative.  If you want to be kind, hang out with people who are genuinely kind.  If you want to be determined and tenacious, hang out with that kind of person.  You may have those people in your circle of family and friends but you can also seek out more of those people on purpose for a specific reason.

Be sure your influences are those that are going to lead you, encourage you, kick you in the back side to keep you going and be honest with you.  Nothing can stop you with that behind you.

Consider the Source

My topic for today is, if you want to be a creative person, hang around with creative people.  You become like those you spend the most time with.  It's true about physical fitness, eating healthy, having a positive mindset, being generous and any other kind of trait or habit you would like to acquire.

Take stock of those you spend your time with. Some people are in your life and there's nothing you can do about that.  If those people are toxic, it's hard.  But you don't have to only spend your time with those people.  Search out those who are going to encourage you and help you and be around you without strings.

Easy to say but not always easy to master.  For the extroverts among us, you'll know how to meet people and be around them.  For the introverts among us (like me), that can be harder.  If you have a creative hobby, find local groups that you can join that will give you some common ground to meet others.  Find local groups through virtual organizations like Live Your Legend or NaNoWriMo.  Take some classes through your local community college or community group.  If you don't know who those groups are, check out listings in your local newspaper or look at their online community postings.  Many radio and tv stations also have community calendars that list local group meetings.

While you're at it, visit a group doing something you've never heard of before to find out what they're passionate about.  In my local Weaver's Guild, we once had a program presented by 2 ladies who do artful things with wheat.  No, really.  With wheat.  Really elaborate, astounding things.  With wheat.  Don't believe me?  Have a look at this.



There is a whole international organization of people who make art with wheat.  Who knew? In our area, there are several local groups of people committed to this art form.

Now, I don't have any interest in using wheat as an art form but these folk do and they were fascinating to listen to and ask questions of.  And now I know something I didn't know before.  I know people make beautiful things with wheat.

My best friend plays the harp (the big stand up harp).  She didn't learn when she was young.  She decided in her 60s that she wanted to learn to play the harp so she started asking questions and actually found someone locally who teaches harp.  She began to learn and discovered that there are harp conferences all over the United States where hundreds of harpists go to take workshops, meeting other harpists and shop.  For harp stuff.  Who knew?  They even have a "harp parking lot" outside the vendor area.  They park their harp and go shop or go eat.  Harp parking lots!  Don't you love that!!

She now plays locally at her church, at nursing homes and is part of a "harp circle" where a group of people who play the harp (or are learning to play the harp) meet just to play the harp. And, by the way, she's been blind since childhood so she learns by ear and with teachers helping her verbally rather than by showing her what to do or giving her a sheet of music.  You can do this stuff, too, you know.

Now she knows people all over the United States who share her love of the harp and I know something new.  I know people who have a passion for the harp.  The only thing I ever knew before was that Harpo Marx played the harp.  I don't play the harp but I hang out with some that do and they have their own vocabulary and sense of the world that no one else has.  I like harp people.

The point is, hang out with people who are creative or who embrace a life of creativity.  It doesn't matter if you do what they do, creativity crosses boundaries.  Your unique perspective (creativity) will inspire them and add something to their knowledge of the world and their art that they didn't have before, just as they can add those things to you.

That's what I love about this stuff!  It's infectious and self-replicating and only needs a little nurturing and light to grow.

Need a New Year's Resolution?  Why not resolve to discover at least one new thing every month in the new year?  Learn about a skill you never knew about before.  Watch some movies in a genre you've never watched before.  Read a book about someone well known in a field you know nothing about before.  That's a resolution you can easily succeed with and your life will be immeasurably enriched in the process.