Blog – 4-4-19 I spent last week in my happy place! I was in Nashville for an event called Tin Pan South. Tin Pan South is the largest songwriting event held in Nashville every year. During the day we received training on the craft and business of songwriting by pro’s in the music industry, and I learned a ton of great things. But the real magic happened in the evenings at the songwriter rounds. There are 10 different venues that have two shows every night. The shows are writers’ rounds, which if you haven’t seen one is where four songwriters sit on a stage or in a circle in the middle of the room (hence the name round!) and sing their original songs with just a guitar or a keyboard. It’s hit songs in a real, raw, emotional way. It’s unbelievably cool! I heard the hit songs that have filled the radio waves by the people who wrote them. I also heard songs that haven’t made it to the radio yet but are every bit as good. The writers also shared the stories behind the songs, and it’s so interesting to see where inspiration comes from. As a songwriter, it was over-the-top inspiring. To put this in other terms, this was like a scientist getting to spend time in the most elite chemistry lab in the world. That wouldn’t trip my trigger, but it would surely inspire them. I came home on fire! I wrote a new song while I was in Nashville, recorded a song while I was there, and started probably eight new songs as well. My creativity is on high alert right now, and I’m rolling with the flow. So let me ask you, where is your happy place? What inspires you? Where do you get refreshed and renewed? Even if you’re not in a creative career, creativity and inspiration are extremely important to the quality of our lives. We all need to fuel our creativity and fill our inspiration buckets now and then. Creativity helps us solve everyday problems by thinking outside the box. Creativity fuels our inspiration, and inspiration fuels our lives. Inspiration is what takes our lives from just okay to great. I see so many people who are stuck in the trap of status quo, they’ve lost their inspiration. They’re caught in the lie that life is just about getting by and making it through. Good enough is good enough. I believe that’s a total and utter lie! God has so much more for us. He created us in His image, and God is obviously very creative. Look at giraffes and zebras! God gave us creativity so we could enjoy life to the fullest, not just get by. When we tap into that creativity and get inspired, that’s when the magic happens in our lives. That’s when we see old things in a new, fresh way. That’s where problems become possibilities. That’s where setbacks become fresh starts. Doesn’t that sound a ton more exciting that just getting by! So again, where is your happy place? What inspires you? Have you been to that place lately, or have you been “too busy”? I encourage you, go visit that place and let God fuel your creativity. Let the Holy Spirit inspire you and give you the energy to face the next season of life with a renewed sense of hope. Stop just getting by and start stepping into all God has waiting for you. Go find YOUR happy place! Hugs and love, Jill p.s. As an added bonus, I actually got to sing in my very first round at Tin Pan South this year. Jimmy Nichols called me up for his round, and we sang the song we wrote together, “King of Kings.” It was an incredible honor! That’s us in the pic!
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