2024 was a year a tremendous changes for my life, and all that change seemed to have drained my creativity completely.
Brian and I decided in mid 2023 that we would become expats (somewhere), and finally decided on France. We didn’t do the “recommended” approach of giving ourselves a year or more to make the move, but started the process as quickly as we could. So by March 2024 we had our visas, and mid April we moved ourselves and our two cats to a village in the South of France, just about an hour north of the border with Spain.
I had expected that this was going to give me a tremendous creative boost, as I would have new experiences on nearly a daily basis. New sights, new foods, new people. It would be an artistic feast.
However, my creative side almost immediately went into hiding. Every time I would try to compose, I would find the well dry — or, to be more generous, the well would have just a tiny puddle of creativity at the bottom.
I know that this is often how creativity works, and to be fair to myself, I’ve had a LOT going on. I’ve moved, not just to a new house or a new state, but to an entirely new continent. I’ve been learning a completely new language, adjusting to local culture, dealing with a nine-hour time change.
I was afraid I’d left my Muse in the States, but my Muse has been patiently waiting for me. (Frankly, my Muse has probably been patting me on the head or on the back, comfortingly, letting me adjust before insisting on adding creative work to the flood of things going on.)
And, sure enough: a new musical client contacted me through my website with a perfect commission for me: create a wedding march inspired by a particular theme by John Williams from the Harry Potter movies.
When I started working on this project, my Muse was still there, supporting me and encouraging me. Notes, motifs, and melodies poured fourth, and the process of writing and arranging the music was natural and comfortable.
I’ve shared a post on Patreon, and will share another when there’s more progress. It’s a beautiful piece, and I hope you like it when it’s completed.