On Creative Pursuits

Does anyone else tend to flit around from one creative pursuit to the next? When I was a kid, I loved art class. As I got older, I was a band kid and loved playing my clarinet every chance I had. That continued on through college. I added singing in there for awhile, too. I had a long period of drawing, and a short period of painting. In 2007 I wrote prolifically on this blog. (Check out the archives for that year, lots of good stuff in there!) Every now and then I get a burst of wanting to crochet. I briefly had a photography business. I still enjoy that as a hobby, although it's been on the back burner for awhile. My latest pursuit?

Playing the ukulele.

I tried playing the guitar once, but that never really clicked. I had heard of ukuleles before but never had much interest, until I saw this scene from How I Met Your Mother.

I was in love. I needed to get hold of a ukulele immediately.

A few minutes later, I was distracted by something parenting related, and a few years passed. I picked up the guitar again and experienced the similar disappointed feelings of having  difficulties with the instrument. I remembered my previous idea of trying the ukulele. It started churning in my head once again. Later that week at the public library I saw a poster. It had one word on it. Uku-curious? It advertised a ukulele club which meets weekly at the library. I very excitedly ran up to the circulation desk for more information. To my utter delight, the first portion of the club meeting was dedicated to newcomers. I didn't even need to have my own ukulele; the library owned quite a few and I could borrow one for awhile! I attended the first meeting, and as soon as they put the ukulele in my hands, I knew I had found something magical.

As I often do when beginning a new pursuit or interest, I read everything I could find on the subject. I found a fantastic YouTube channel called The Ukulele Teacher and I spent hours watching and learning.

However-- the time had come for me to return the borrowed ukulele to the library. Whatever would I do??

I suggested to my husband that a ukulele would make a fantastic Mother's Day gift for me and I even provided him with an amazon link to a reasonably-priced beginner's instrument. Boom. (That's not an affiliate link, by the way. Just an ordinary link to show you what we ordered. I earn nothing if you click on it.)

My little daughter and I making kissy-faces for a selfie. Should I say a uku-selfie?

I have been playing for a few months now and it has brought me so much joy. I sit on my back porch strumming and singing. I haven't made it back to the  ukulele club for awhile, but I am so grateful for its existence and the part it played in manifesting my dream.

I think I'm going to go learn this one next.