My American Idol Moment
The world can rest easy in the knowledge that I have no aspirations or illusions of establishing a singing career beyond my shower stall.
No, my American Idol moment came when I recently sat down to watch (for the first time) the reality television show. It was the show’s tenth season premier and the debut of the new Idol judges Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez. I admit that my new-found curiosity was tweaked primarily by the fact that I enjoy Tyler’s wacky charm and well, who doesn’t like J.Lo?
The contestants were as young as fifteen years old, all exuding passion and earnestness. There was no shortage of tears and declarations of “I want this so bad,” “this is what my life is about,” or “this has been my life-long dream.”
How many of us can remember being that young, fearless and ready to set the world on fire?
The show got me thinking about my own love for art and drawing. As a young girl I dreamed of being a famous artist living and working in Europe. I didn’t end up in Europe or become famous on the grand scale I’d envisioned but I did enjoy a creative and rewarding career in the arts for many years.
Long story short, I was oddly moved and inspired by the Idol show to revisit my first passion. That same night I brought my art tools and materials out of storage and dusted them off. It’s been five years since I’ve seriously created any artwork. Oh sure, I’ve doodled since then but nothing done consistently or worth boasting about. A workplace injury to my hands compounded by later surgery on my right arm made it difficult to draw or paint. The hand control was gone and my paints and brushes along with any artistic inspiration quietly ended up in storage.
Today my art tools sit prominently on my desk. With each pen or brush stroke, I feel as if I’m back in art school; curious, hopeful and open to possibilities. It doesn’t matter that I may not create great art. Taking a page from American Idol, I’m just happy for the opportunity to sing.
What’s your passion?
