Elizabeth Gilbert Archives - tiffanyprochera.com

ladybugcrossings cd cover

Hey Guys!

So, usually, I will post about a book I was inspired by or offer some tips to aid in your creativity. And there’s absolutely more of that to come!

But I’m going to kind of forego that today because I have some exciting news!

Ladybug Crossings is here!!!!

I’m so excited! The album is full of songs kids can relate to with catchy melodies that will have the whole family singing along. Trust me, there are some serious earworms in there! And some songs, like Doodley Do and Mr. Willywallywolowitz, come straight from my Bad Moods and Brain Freezes collections so you can get the books and learn to sing them too!

The album is now available on all you favourite digital streaming services – iTunes, CD Baby, Amazon, Apple Music and more! Feel free to take a moment to buy your copy before you continue reading… 🙂

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Welcome back!

So,I guess here’s a tidbit, a nugget of advice, to take away from this – other than the music, of course, which I really hope you enjoy!

A few years ago – and you may already know this story – I was at my computer and tried to type my name. I can’t remember what I was working on exactly but my fingers happened to be in the wrong position on the keyboard and Tofaru is what came out. I could have ignored it as just a blip but I looked at the combination of letters and thought, You know, that’s a cool name. If I was ever to put out a children’s album, that’s the name I would use.

Fast forward to a year or so later. It was a lovely spring day –or was it fall? I was walking along the sidewalk close to my home and I almost stepped on a ladybug– Heaven forbid! – who I can only assume was busy running her daily errands. Being a lover of ladybugs – they really have impeccable fashion sense – I was concerned for the welfare of my new friend and immediately thought to myself, You know, they should have ladybug crossings.“ It occurred to me that that concept might make for an interesting song so I kind of kept that thought in the back of my mind but didn’t really do anything about it at the time.

Then, about a year after that, I was getting out of the car in front of a movie theatre, looked down at the ground and there was a another ladybug right by my feet. Of course, ladybugs are rather ubiquitous in the appropriate season but this ladybug seemed to be telling me, in her polka-dotted fashion, to get a move on it already and start making the album.

So, I did!

And the point of telling you all of this? The moral of this story?

Don’t take any moment for granted. There is a saying that suggests there are no coincidences and I pretty much believe that’s true. If I had just ignored all of the little hints and serendipities, Ladybug Crossings would not exist.

So, be aware. If something pops into your mind, don’t toss it off. It could be the inspiration for your next film, your next novel. It came to you for a reason. And, like Elizabeth Gilbert says, if you don’t do something about it, if you don’t act on that inspiration and create, the idea will just leave you and find someone else.

I hope you enjoy Ladybug Crossings as much as I enjoyed making it! And spread the word if you like what you hear. Music is such a beautiful thing to share and, well, watching kids dance around the house is always fun, isn’t it? 

Have a fabulous day!

ladybugcrossings cd cover

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big magic 2 Hey guys!

Right now, I’m watching Eat Pray Love for about the 6^th time on TV. I love the sense of adventure and reinventing yourself! And, well, who wouldn’t enjoy eating a margherita pizza in Naples?!

So, of course, today’s blog post has to be about Elizabeth Gilbert.

I recently read her latest offering, Big Magic – all about the mystery and magic of creativity – and every chapter seemed to bring a new revelation or point to ponder. Some ideas I am absolutely on board with, others I’m just not sure how I feel about them yet.

Have you ever thought about what you expect from your creativity? Do you expect your creativity to bring you world fame? Have about millions of dollars or at least a reasonable living? How about a different understanding of the world, a greater sense of meaning that you can then share with others?

Well, how about this? Gilbert’s take on creativity is that it, in fact, does not owe us anything.

According to Gilbert, each idea is is a living, breathing entity looking for a place to happen, on a search for expression, and you should feel incredibly honoured if it chooses you as its channeling vessel. If you ignore it, it will move on to someone else – she has a crazy story about an idea that left her and found a new home – and if you expect anything from it other than the joy and frustration that comes with the act of creation itself, you are stifling it and potentially scaring it off.

Can’t say I’m not guilty of all of this myself. I have passed on ideas because I didn’t take the time to write them down and then, of course, forgotten them later on. I’ve had expectations that a work is supposed to be my break out thing, that it’s supposed to make me x amount of dollars within the year, that it’s going to affect specific people. I’ve even wrestled songs and stories to the ground to make sure they convey the message I want them to convey, which may not be the message they came here to convey.

So, apparently, a more effective goal might be to embrace and invite creativity – even woo and seduce it – and if you somehow get paid or get recognized for it, great. And if that happens on a relatively frequent basis, you might be secure enough financially to quit your day joy and engage in it full time. But you should never place such pressure on it because the work, the creativity, needs to be what it’s going to be and not what you want it to be.

So, my question is, what is your relationship to your creativity? What kind of expectations have you placed on it? Are those expectations working for you or is it time to, perhaps, re-evaluate, reschedule and reconfigure so that you get the best of all worlds?

I will leave you with that thought for today. Enjoy and please share your thoughts in the comment section below! I can’t wait to hear what you have to say!

Ladybug Crossings Has Arrived!

Ladybug Crossings is here!!!!

Elizabeth Gilbert’s “Big Magic” and Weighing Down Your Creativity

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