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What’s Working, What’s Not: Time to Change How or What You Create?

January 16, 2020 by tprochera Leave a Comment

Greetings and Salutations!

As we are enter a new year, we often take time to evaluate what has worked and not worked in our lives so we can dispense with what is ineffective to make space for things that might be more fruitful and fulfilling. You know, stop eating this, start eating that. Call some friends more, let other friendships go. It can be so easy to go on autopilot, doing the same things the same way day in and day out and, next thing you know, it’s years later and you feel like you’ve made no real progress. And, like I said in my last post, you can reinvent yourself any day of the year but a new year is kind of an appropriate time to do it, don’t you think?

Do you also apply this evaluation process to your creative journey? It can actually be a fun thing to do, even if there may be the occasional moments of sadness and regret – not that there is ever anything to regret, only lessons to learn from. J

Why not, right? You want to thrive. You want your work to be the best it can be and inspire the right people. Sometime adjustments need to be made. But you don’t have to change for change’s sake, although you certainly can. It can be exhilarating to switch it up just because but if something is going great, no need to reinvent the wheel.

So, there are various areas to look at when going through the reevaluation. There’s what you do and how you it.

What are your current creative pursuits? Do you still enjoy writing novels, sculpting? Does it still inspire you on some level? Do you enjoy composing classical music or would you like to try some jazz? I always look at the current projects I have in the works and see what still does it for me and what new ideas I might want to undertake during the year. It’s important, as well, to realize that there are some ideas that sound intriguing but you are not really ready to commit to. So, if you are maybe engaged in a project that excited you when you first thought of it but it’s just not doing it for you anymore or it’s not evolving the way you thought it would, it’s okay to set it aside for a while or do away with it altogether. Let it goooo! Let it goooo!

But I digress. Then, once you assess at your actual creative projects, look at your process. Does it allow you to do your best work? Is it time to rent some studio space rather than doing all your creating in your home? Do you find performing live unnecessarily stressful and would rather stick to being a recording artist? You can do that. Maybe the writing in the coffee shop routine provides you with more distraction than inspiration. Maybe you need to work at a different time of day for maximum effectiveness. There are plenty of books and resources with tips on the best way to engage your creativity and, while you can absolutely experiment, it’s ultimately about what works best for you. Take some time to reflect on when you thrived in your creation, when you were “in the zone”.

Finally, how have you been trying to reach people (a.k.a. promotion) up to this point? This makes sense to be the last area to assess as changing your creative focus will change your target market and how you access it. Do some reading on promotional techniques for artists, watch some videos. There are plenty of people offering programs on Facebook with introductory webinars – how helpful they might be is another question but they’re out there. Are you a big social media user? What platforms are getting you the most response? What new techniques can you try to get more traction? is it time to incorporate live videos or start a blog? If you are getting lots of “likes” and whatnot, do they translate into concrete benefits for your creative pursuits? If you are a career creative, hundreds of thousands of views and thumbs ups mean nothing if people aren’t then buying your stuff. Just sayin’. Maybe you’ve been overly focused on social media interaction and it hasn’t been working. What about a more direct contact approach? Some promotional things can be fun and having fun is important – some people love doing crazy behind-the-scenes videos and such – but this is also a time to look at whether your promotional strategies are worth the time you’re investing in them.

As you go through this process of analysis, remember that you probably won’t have the answers and that’s okay. Try not to think of it as wasted time if you don’t see things happen right away or if some new idea seems to fail. Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt. You can’t guarantee that you’ll become a resounding success if you go from writing travel books to YA novels. You don’t know if you’ll go from 100 to 1,000,000 followers on Twitter if you start sharing your band’s fashion tips. All you can do is try – explore some new ideas and see what happens. Think of it an as experiment and have some fun as the results come in!

And with that, I’ll sign off. Now, if you’re looking for some inspiration to help you start the year off right, might I humbly suggest my book, A Candle At Both Ends: Thoughts of Inspiration for the Beginning and End of the Day, full of poetry and prose to help you start the day inspired and go to sleep peaceful and resolved. Check out more info here http://tiffanyprochera.com/candle-at-both-ends/.

Make Time For Play In 2020!

January 7, 2020 by tprochera Leave a Comment

Happy New Year!

We’re only a few days in but I hope 2020 is treating you well so far. I had such a blast on New Year’s Eve with a new group of people, amazing food in a beautiful venue, and the band played all of my favourite songs. I’m hoping to keep the party going this year!

Now, while I certainly believe that we can reinvent ourselves at any point in time – really, you can wake up tomorrow and decide to do everything completely differently if you want – the start of a new year and a new decade seems like an appropriate time to reevaluate things, doesn’t it?

I’ve been looking at my creative journey and there are certainly things I plan on changing – getting more focused with my pursuits, learning how to market more effectively. But there is one particular item I became aware of the other day that I really need to put on the agenda, and maybe you do too.

I am committing myself to making more time to play with my creativity in 2020.

You see, I remember hearing about two aspects of the creative process – and I apologize that I can’t recall where it first came up. There’s a performance mode – where you’re practising for a specific gig or working on a project – and there’s an exploratory mode in which you have no particular objectives.

And while we are often feel the need to be in performance mode in the spirit of being productive, if we’re going to be well-rounded creatives, we have to make time for both work and play.

I have often found myself, say, sitting down to play piano just for fun, going through song books, and wondering whether it’s going to matter. Why am I doing this? Am I wasting my time? Shouldn’t I be working on something else?

But that time of exploration is important. It is where ideas come from. It’s how you get in touch with what you really want to be creating rather than just what you think you should be creating. It should not be dismissed as wasted time.

So, here in 2020, if you feel like writing a short story and catch yourself doubting it, saying but where is it going to get published? Shouldn’t I finish that xyz that’s actually important? Stop it, I say! Stop it! Let yourself play a bit. Try being in that space without expectations, without judgment. You never know where it’s going to lead and, really, it doesn’t have to lead anywhere to be beneficial.

This is a commitment I’m making to myself for the year ahead and I can’t wait to see what happens! Join me, won’t you?

With that, I’ll sign off wishing you an amazing year ahead with all of the fulfillment and creative joy you can hold. Let’s rock this thing!

And if you’re looking for some inspiration to help you start the year off right, might I humbly suggest my book, A Candle At Both Ends: Thoughts of Inspiration for the Beginning and End of the Day, full of poetry and prose to help you start the day inspired and go to sleep peaceful and resolved. Check out more info here http://tiffanyprochera.com/candle-at-both-ends/.

What Do You Want Your Audience To Feel?

July 23, 2019 by tprochera Leave a Comment

Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay

I have heard that life is essentially about emotion. We do things and want things because we think we will feel happier in the doing or acquiring of those things. We jump off of cliffs because of the rush. We eat ice cream because it makes us feel comforted. We eat kale salad because it makes us feel, well, righteous for eating the kale salad. We work out because we either get a rush from it (I actually enjoy being physical active though you wouldn’t know it to look at me) or we think it will feel good to be more fit or to look “better”, whatever that means. Think about it. It’s all about emotion.

Right now, my city is holding its annual Fringe Festival – a time when theatre artists get to experiment with their craft and audiences get to enjoy their offerings in a fun-filled and low-risk environment (tickets for fringe shows are quite affordable so you’re willing to take a chance on something out of the ordinary) .

Now, I’ll try to make my point here without giving anything away about the show in case it comes to your town as fringe performers often travel from city to city. Anyway, I went to this one-man show that involved no speaking. There were sounds – grunts and “ohs” and such – but no actual words. And I was totally okay with that aspect of it.

But there was something that confused me about the whole thing. While the performer conveyed emotion, I as an audience member could not tell where it was originating from. I knew he was angry, but I didn’t know why. I knew he was excited but I didn’t know why. At least much of the time. So there may have been a narrative but it was essentially lost on me and I was left somewhat frustrated. And to be honest, the character was actually a little creepy, which is I’m sure not what the creator intended.

As artists, yes, we want to explore, to express, but we also have an audience to consider. I’ve thought about this in comparison to sports where the goal is simply to win. Sure, a basketball game may be exciting. But a player is not going to intentionally bounce the ball off of the rim for the sake of drama. They want it to go in and if an onslaught happens right at the beginning of the game and seals the deal early on, they’re okay with that. They aren’t striving for a dramatic ending or a photo finish. In the arts, we should be considering the emotions of the viewer. That’s why we are sharing our craft, after all, isn’t it?

When you are putting your work together, take the opportunity to get out of yourself a bit from time to time and see things from the audience’s perspective. What are they experiencing? Do they understand what you’re trying to say or have you at least given them enough to go on that they can create their own story? It’s fine to have some inside jokes but make sure that those who aren’t in on the joke will still enjoy.

It’s not about creating something of mass popularity and it’s not about catering to something that is not true to you. It’s about creating something meaningful that tells the story you want to tell. It’s about asking yourself, “What do I want the audience to experience with this work? What do I want them to feel?” and doing the research, getting the feedback to find out if it’s actually what is coming across so people don’t leaving the experience wondering, what was that? Unless that’s exactly what you’re going for. 😉

Happy creating!

You Can Do It Over Again

July 9, 2019 by tprochera Leave a Comment

Do you ever look back at your creative trajectory and wish you could have done things different? Followed a different path? Taken advantage of those opportunities that have passed you by? Do you find yourself ever wondering if you should have moved for that job, taken that gig, focused on youth literature instead of adult novels?

Years ago, I had an album that had made it on the radio in my home town. Even though I hadn’t been living there for a few years, it felt pretty good to hear that I was the Song Of The Day! So, I got a phone call one day from someone asking me if I wanted to be the opening act for a popular Canadian group that was going to be performing at the local theatre in two weeks. I was flattered, to say the least, but I also panicked. I hadn’t been planning on performing these songs out anywhere. I hadn’t been practicing. I didn’t think I could have a credible set ready in time so I respectfully declined the offer.

Now you might be saying, what was she thinking? That could have been her big break! Why did she turn it down?

Honestly, I can tell you what was going through my head but I don’t know if it made sense or not. It just made sense in the moment. I’m not gonna lie – It crosses my mind from time to time. Who knows what would have happened after that show? I could have become the pre-Taylor Swift. The show could have been a total disaster. My life could have become a total disaster even if the show itself was successful.

But here’s the thing. Regret doesn’t do us any good because we can’t change what happened. As the saying goes, there’s no use crying over spilled milk. We have to trust that we somehow made the right decision for ourselves. We followed the path we followed because it seemed like the best thing to do at the time so it doesn’t serve us to get down on ourselves about it.

We can’t redo the past but guess what? We can learn from it and create an amazing future. That’s what we do, right? We create stuff. And every day we are creating our lives for better or worse. There are still plenty of opportunities out there. There are plenty of gigs to play, plenty of places to move to. We can still evolve and change direction anytime we want to. We don’t have to stay stuck. As the saying goes, it’s not over until it’s over. And while, at my vintage, I’m not likely to become the ‘next’ Taylor Swift, that doesn’t mean I still can’t get out there and perform if I want to. There are plenty of household names that only gained their popularity in their forties, fifties, and beyond.

So, here’s a fun exercise.

When something doesn’t work out the way I intended or I decide not to do something, like go to a concert or other event, I sometimes imagine what awful things might have transpired if I had left the house. Especially when I see people’s Facebook posts about what a great time they had at said event. It kind of helps soothe my FOMO a bit.

So, why not look at all of the things that you regret not doing in your creative life – those choices that, when you revisit them, make you cringe and you wish you could go back and do them over – and write down all of the horrible things that could have happened if you had made those other choices? You know, you could have ended up hopelessly addicted to drugs, divorced from your spouse. Your private plane taking you to the Oscars could have crashed. Have fun imagining all the possibilities! 🙂

As you then review the carnage, you will hopefully realize that you don’t know what would have happened and, really, you could have it much worse than you do now. You may even be filled with a sense of gratitude that you didn’t take those roads. So, at the bottom of your list you can add, “Thank goodness I am where I am! Now I can create the awesomeness from here! “ , reminding yourself that every day is a chance to start over, a chance to make different choices and take new paths.

Have fun creating!

And in Swimming Tigress news, just a friendly reminder to the music teachers out there that fall is approaching fast and it’s time to look for some new repertoire for your young students. Why not check out my songbooks, Bad Moods and Brain Freezes , with songs that are as fun to teach as they are to learn. Available through this site and Sheet Music Plus!

When Do You Speak Up? Expressing Opinions on Professional Online Forums

June 25, 2019 by tprochera Leave a Comment

Hey all!

This post is going to be more about more about exploring a topic as opposed to offering any real insight or solutions. Of course, I’ll try to say something useful here but I’d love you to comment with your thoughts on the matter.

I’m a member of some industry-related Facebook groups for people looking for creative opportunities. You know, people will post jobs, questions, etc. and, if you’re interested, you can comment or send a message. I’m sure there are many other online forums and such that serve the same purpose.

Anyway, I’ve seen all sorts of posts of varying degrees of legitimacy offering varying pay scales, if you catch my drift. When something seems a little off, occasionally people will comment. Like, they’ll say, “Well, you’re clearly getting paid for the job so why can’t you pay your assistant?”, or “Yeah, sure, I can pay my rent with exposure” or they’ll advise readers not to work with the poster or, sometimes, it’s the poster who gets on to vent and warn about a person or company they’ve worked with.

And it got me wondering – when is it, or is it ever, appropriate to call somebody out in a supposedly professional environment like these online forums?

I have seen people respond to these dissenting or cynical comments suggesting they should just not apply for the job if they don’t like the terms – I don’t particularly agree but fair enough, I suppose. When job seekers questioned the terms of a potential opportunity, the poster even commented back accusing they cynics of racism. I thought that was a rather creative interpretation of the situation and I wonder how many people are going to want to work with him after that.

So, when does the voice of reason become the whiner? And when can being outspoken have an effect on your career? Is it worth it?

I’m almost inclined to say it might be.

I mean, I’m all in favour of making sure people get paid unless there’s a really good reason why everyone should be volunteering their services – like it’s for charity. “I feel like making a movie and I have no money so everyone involved should do it for free” is not really a good enough reason in my eyes. And if the vast majority of opportunities you see are volunteer or you know the person posting is making money off of it, you can get frustrated if you’re trying to make a living at your craft. Isn’t it in the industry’s best interest for someone to point these things out? As I’ve said before, getting paid means we can further our skills and become better at what we do, after all, and if people are always willing to do jobs for nothing, then eventually no one will be able make a living. And maybe if more people speak up, someone will get the hint. Just today I saw a posting for an unpaid voice artist to narrate promotional videos for a known creative post-secondary school. And it didn’t look like it was for a class project. I was this close to writing, “Come on. Really?”

And there are situations where safety is a concern. If a potential employer has acted in an abusive manner in the past, shouldn’t those considering their opportunity know about it before they get in too deep? There was a post from someone the other day saying they would discuss payment “in person”. While some commenters were concerned that they would then be roped into doing the job for free, my mind went to kidnapping and being sold into a trafficking situation.

It has happened. A job posting for a make-up artist, for example, will promise a great opportunity with a well-known movie production company, the new hire travels to the city to meet them and they end up at an abandoned building. You can take the story from there. Wouldn’t you want to be warned of a situation like that? Wouldn’t you want to warn someone of a situation like that, even if it made you look like a complainer? I know I would. By the way, just be aware of opportunities that look good to be true. They might very well be.

You see, you can state these things in ways that are less inflammatory than an outright accusation. For example, asking why a project might be volunteer is more a request for clarification than a commentary on the pay scale, wouldn’t you say?

How can these comments affect our professional status? Well, it depends I suppose. I, for one, think it’s hugely important to be courteous, polite and well-spoken in any professional situation, online or offline. I have seen horrendous grammar, spelling and just general tackiness from people even posting job opportunities, seemingly unaware that they too are being judged. So, comments should refrain from profanity or personal attacks and do check your spelling. But, if you do it right, isn’t is possible that you might be closing one door but opening a bunch of others? I mean, people could witness your passion, eloquence and all round awesomeness and be dying to work with you! Right? I don’t really know but I suppose anything can happen.

All that being considered, remember that potentially thousands of people will be exposed to your comments so:

1) You need to walk the walk and stand by what you say. People will find out if you’re being hypocritical, like if you rant about an employer treating you badly and then stories come out about how you’ve been nasty and difficult to work with. That’ll come back to bite ya in the tukus!

2) Keep it to the subject at hand and don’t go on and on about every time an employer has done you wrong or whatever. Nobody cares and that’s the straight up definition of a whiner.

2) Realize that certain ideas expressed may limit some opportunities for you and you need to be okay with that. I applaud those who comment that artists should be getting paid for their services. I do. And when a really cool job comes up that you would do for nothing (good thing because that’s what they’re offering) don’t be surprised if the poster responds. “Saw your other posts and you don’t like doing things for free so no.” That’s what comes with taking a stand so you have to be ready for it.

So, what do you think? Is expressing your opinions on professional online forums a worthwhile thing to do – if you do it tactfully, of course? Or should you keep your comments to yourself and let everyone else deal with their own stuff? Let your voice be heard!

Originality – Nice, But is it Necessary?

June 18, 2019 by tprochera Leave a Comment

As creators, we often wonder if our ideas have been done before. Are we reinventing the wheel, so to speak? Certainly, this is something to consider with copyright infringement laws and all of that. Nobody wants to be sued.

And, on one hand, it doesn’t hurt to ask yourself if you’ve seen this kind of thing before. I remember watching a made-for-TV film released by a well-known production company that shall remain nameless and I was like, seriously? This is Sister Act without the homicidal boyfriend. Maybe the writers were inspired by the hit movie. Maybe it was intended to be an “original” concept. I don’t know for sure and, hey, I don’t have a script in with a major production company so who am I to judge? But it would have been virtually impossible to not notice the similarities. And I can think of more than one songwriter who would have saved themselves a lot of trouble if they had taken a moment to ponder the question. I’m just saying.

Someone once said there’s nothing new under the sun. Now, I don’t believe that’s entirely true – there are truly ingenious, refreshing, new ideas that reveal themselves all the time – but I do think that we might want to be a little easier on ourselves if we are inspired by an existing idea or if our concept is not 100% revolutionary.

I mean, look at history. Back in the day, it was common place to try to paint exactly like your mentor. Composers took segments of other musical works and inserted them into their own – yes, sampling was happening in the 1800’s and earlier. Convention was so strong in some respects that there were only so many ways to structure a melodic phrase. I’ll admit I’ve heard a bit of classical music in my time but, even so, I can listen to a completely unfamiliar piece from certain periods and tell you pretty much how it’s going to end, because that’s simply how you ended things. And nobody had a problem with it.

And, when you think about it, there are common ideas in life so why should their not be common ideas in art? I mean, guys meet girls in bars all the time so if you see the scenario in a lot of movies, there might be a reason for it.

I’ve been thinking recently about how we all have our own gifts as artists. Some of us are the innovators who bring in the new techniques, the new future conventions, the iconic tales, and some of us take existing techniques and conventions and execute them brilliantly. When I was a composition student, I arrived at my lesson super excited because I was going to write a piece that used a scale of alternating whole tones and semitones. I thought I was brilliant! My teacher kindly pointed out that my concept was, in fact, the octatonic scale, which was already very much in existence. Now, I could have berated myself for not knowing about the scale already but I chose to see it as, hey, I invented a real scale! How cool is that? But perhaps I’m of the second type of artist?

Some years ago, there were two films about Snow White released in theatres at the same time. At first, you might say well, that’s kind of going overboard, isn’t it? Yes, it’s a popular tale but to have two major motion pictures come out at the same time? But they were completely different! The creators took entirely different approaches to the story and, while I’ll leave it up to the individual to determine which was the better film, having watched both, I personally didn’t have a feeling of repetition.

You see, the concept is only part of the equation. What’s just as important is how you take the idea in a unique direction. How do you make it yours and put your spin on it? I mean, someone could have written a really crappy story about a kid going to wizard school and then where would we all be?

So, my point is, craft is just as relevant as concept and, even if your story isn’t entirely revolutionary, your expression of that story is still worth telling, keeping in mind of course, that there are legal ramifications for intentionally ripping somebody else off. So let go of some of the pressure and just create already! 🙂

Pros and Cons: What’s Your Creativity Worth To You?

May 28, 2019 by tprochera Leave a Comment

So, I just returned from a whirlwind trip through England and France – and I do mean whirlwind! A day here, a day there, staying in accommodations ranging from friends’ condos to castles. Let me tell you, it’s pretty sweet to wake up in a castle on your birthday!

In so many ways, it was a trip celebrating art in all its forms. We experienced the Warner Brothers Harry Potter Tour, with real sets, costumes, and props from all the movies. We had great fun admiring – and purchasing – the works of artisans at a medieval festival in Sedan, France. We strolled through Montmartre in Paris, filled with art galleries. I even had a moment of incredulity with one piece in particular. I approached a staff member, dubious, “Ce n’est pas l’original.” I said as I pointed to the painting. It’s not the original. And she reassured me, “Oui. C’est l’original.” It was then that I knew I was looking at the original Campbell’s soup can painting by Andy Warhol. #Notaprint. We reveled in the glory of cathedrals such as Ely and Sacre Coeur, where we were a little taken aback by a crazy organ solo after the service that reminded me of the beginning of Ghostbusters. And the patisseries! As beautiful as they were delicious!

I was surrounded by so much culture, so much beauty, so, so many stairs. And throughout the journey – because my brain is always running on all cylinders – I was confronted with a big question: what am I willing to deal with, to sacrifice, to do what I’m here to do as an artist?

We met a fellow from Regina, Saskatchewan working in a pub who had moved to Paris about seven months ago. I asked him if he enjoyed living in the city and he told me that Paris wasn’t a perfect place but the pros outweighed the cons and he liked it so far.

What may be required of us to fulfill our missions as artist? Do the pros outweigh the cons on our own journeys? The discussion brought to mind a real estate show where a young woman was moving to Paris to study fashion. Seems like the perfect place to pursue such a dream. In her search for a place to live, she came across a place – I think it was a condo – that met her budget of around $100,000 USD and provided a grand total of – get this – 86 square feet of living space.

Would you live in an 86 square-foot condo for your art?

When I was visiting New York, I had the same question. With my interest in theatre and with Broadway being the heart of the medium, you would think it would be a great place to connect and make things happen. But, while it was a fun place to visit and I had a fabulous time, could I really live there?

And we can extrapolate that to other aspects of our craft. Can we accept that there will be rejection, possibly a lot of it? Can we accept that, in the case of performers, we are working while others are celebrating? Can we accept that we may have to be away from home more than we’d like? In the airport in Nice on the way home, there were a couple of what I assumed to be models and I wondered what it would be like to live their lives, and not just what it would be like to be so beautiful and tall. Did then enjoy traveling from place to place or did they find it tedious? Did they mind not being able to enjoy life’s culinary pleasures as much as we mere mortals do?

I read somewhere recently that life will truly move forward when your passion is greater than your fear. Well… okay… it was a horoscope, but it’s a profound, universal concept nonetheless. More than just fear, I take this also to mean that you will move further on your path – it will rise up to meet you – when you are prepared to accept all that the path entails, embrace all of the pros and cons, fully cognizant of the fact that there really is no such thing as perfection.

This is more of a musing that offering any advice, per se, but I invite you to look at your creative dreams – or any dreams, really. Are they worth the rejections? Are they worth the paperwork being filled out to apply for grants? Are they worth hours spent in airports? Are they worth crowded streets? Are they worth a few rats here and there? Are they worth living in an 86 square-foot condo for a while? Are they worth climbing up and down stairs for what seems like all day every day? I mean, you will build up the leg muscles and it does apparently get easier but the stairs are still going to be there no matter what. I’m just saying. 🙂

You may truly be able to create an ideal scenario for yourself – a situation where you are creating your art stress free in exactly the environment that pleases you. I’m not saying it’s entirely impossible. It’s more likely, however, that there will be some aspects of your dream that are less ideal than others. And you will have your own priorities. You alone know what’s most important to you and it is to be honoured, even if you choose not to live “la vie bohème”. But if you can look at the whole picture, all the ups and downs, and see the joys of the process as greater than the potential setbacks – if you can breathe and tell yourself, “Okay. I’m hoping for the best but I’m ready for it all.”- then your dream will rise up to meet you and you’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish.

What To Do When You Don’t Feel Like Creating

April 30, 2019 by tprochera Leave a Comment

Have you ever had times when you didn’t feel like being creative? They may last for a day or two, a week, or even months. It’s perfectly normal and okay. But do you ever think about what’s behind it and how to get out of that state if you wanted to?

There are periods in our lives that are simply busier than others. We have family responsibilities. We’re more occupied promoting our existing material than taking on a new project. In these periods of activity our energy can be drained, depleting our motivation to attend to non-essential tasks. It can be hard to make time for our creative pursuits without running ourselves ragged, despite the advice of those who claim we need to make room for everything at all costs to our well-being.

Perhaps you can’t spend hours in the studio or your writing room but what about bringing a notebook to draw or write in when you’re visiting your loved one in the hospital? What about installing a keyboard app on your phone to play with some melodic lines while you’re heading from one place to another on the bus? You know, just to keep that spark alive while you’re tending to other things. You don’t even have to use these tools necessarily, but just having them around may remind you that there is inspiration to be found everywhere.

If you discover you have the time to create but not the will, have a look at what is lying underneath.

I honestly can’t say I’ve ever been in a situation where I have not wanted to create something or other when the opportunity presented itself. I am an idea factory after all and it’s hard not to act when inspiration strikes on the daily. But I will say I have consciously hesitated out of fear – usually fear that what I’m working on won’t be good or that it won’t get out there and all my effort will have been for nothing. True, it’s easier to relax and experience someone else’s masterpiece than to try to create your own but it’s not nearly as rewarding and usually not as fun, but I have been able to get to the point where I can tell myself that it’s a work in progress until it’s done. What I’m recording or writing doesn’t have to be amazing in this exact moment. I’m going to see what comes out and keep making it better until it’s of an appropriate standard. If it really turns out to be a gong show, there’s still probably something I’ve gained in the process – learning a new skill, acquiring new information – so it’s not wasted time. And I know my best work happens when I’m enjoying myself, when I’m having fun, so approaching every note or word with dread is not going to serve me or the project.

Maybe it’s time to switch things up a bit. If you’ve been writing children’s songs for twenty years and it doesn’t excite you any more, perhaps you would be reenergized writing for a more mature audience. Maybe you’ve been working with oils forever and you just need to try some watercolours. It’s not about stopping all together – it’s taking a different approach to what you’re already doing and seeing how that feels.

And, honestly, maybe you just need to take a break or move on to something else entirely. Yes, creating can be joyous, freeing, life-affirming – all that. But it’s also work. It still uses up our time as well as our mental and physical energy. And maybe that time and energy needs to be put towards other things – not necessarily forever but at least for a while.

So, don’t be hard on yourself if you feel you need to shift gears. It’s easy to become overly attached to things like labels and the idea of no longer being an “artist” can keep us in an unsatisfying situation for longer than necessary. Remember – your value is not determined by labels and status. The best thing you can do for yourself and the world is living a life that is fulfilling and meaningful for you and part of that is having the courage to head out in new direction when you are inspired to do so.

Disneynature’s Born In China and Thoughts on Perspective

May 23, 2017 by tprochera Leave a Comment

So, I was recently watching the latest Disneynature documentary, Born In China. I am a lover of nature and I enjoy opportunities to explore different environments.

The film tells the story of three animals and their families – a snow leopard, a giant panda, a golden snub-nose monkey. It was fascinating to watch the family dynamics and to learn about how these creatures interacted with each other and their surroundings. Did you know that a female giant panda lives in solitude unless she has offspring to care for? It was news to me!

Anyway, I noticed something near the end of the film that came as somewhat of a surprise to me. I’ll try not to give too much away in case you’re planning on seeing it if you haven’t already.

The snow leopard, Dawa, a gorgeous creature, and her two young daughters had been having a rough time of it. They were run out of their territory by a rival and, with winter upon them, food was scarce.

That was rather poetic, wasn’t it?

Anyway, a herd of chiru – which I believe is the Chinese name for yak, but I could be mistaken –passes by and Dawa takes her shot at a young one as it would be easier to overtake than a full-sized adult. Of course, the baby chiru’s mother doesn’t approve and defends her child against the intruder.

In a moment of clarity, I found myself being aware of my thoughts and I wondered why I was rooting for Dawa. Didn’t the baby chiru have its own right to survive? Didn’t the mother chiru have the right to take care of her child?

And then it struck me.

It was all about perspective. It was about whose story was being told. The chirus may have had just as perilous of a journey, the mother likely cared for her offspring just as much, but because I knew more about the snow leopard and her cubs, because they had the cameras on them and were being viewed through a sympathetic lens, I wanted them to win. The baby chiru was not a sympathetic character in my eyes. It was nothing more than a walking meal.

In our art, we often must choose a perspective from which to view the situation, and we need to be aware of the effect the perspective has on the story and the audience, good or bad. We, as artists, have the power to manipulate thoughts and emotions. Who do you want the audience to relate to? What do you want them to take away from the experience and what role does perspective have in that? Every character in a narrative has their own story and their actions can often be viewed in more than one way. A somewhat obvious but fascinating notion!

On a personal level, it’s also something to be aware of as we go through our days. A person who may be cast merely an extra in the film of your life has their own rich world of experience and that awareness can help us treat others with a little more consideration and compassion.

In Swimming Tigress news, I uploaded several new images to Pinterest –inspiring memes that you might get something out of! New voice clients, lots of new music coming up – goodness all around! And don’t forget to visit the Swimming Tigress Shop for inspiring books like A Candle At Both Ends and Mocha and the Moon, fun sheet music like Brain Freezes and my children’s album, Ladybug Crossings!

Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Tiffany

Broadway’s Hamilton, The US Currency and the Power of Fandom

May 26, 2016 by tprochera Leave a Comment

Hey all!

Today I want to talk about the power of art and how it can reach way beyond the work itself. More specifically, I’d like to touch on the power of fandom.

Now, as artists we all love and appreciate our fans. When someone enjoys our work and supports our endeavours, it can really help us keep on creating when times get tough and we feel discouraged for some reason. But did you ever think that a piece of art, specifically a hit Broadway musical, could impact a country’s financial system? Crazy, isn’t it? But it may well be happening as we speak!

The musical I’m talking about is, of course, the über-brilliant Hamilton, the hip-hop infused telling of the story of the American political figure, Alexander Hamilton, created by the genius, and recently Pulitzer Prize-crowned, Lin-Manuel Miranda. If you haven’t heard of Hamilton, I must say I’m surprised at the strength of the internet connection underneath your rock that’s allowing you to read this blog post right now. Just kidding – but not. 🙂 This show is taking the world by storm. Tickets are essentially impossible to get, it received a record-breaking 16 Tony nominations, and Miranda, who also stars as Hamilton, has thousands of people liking his tweets within minutes of posting. There are even those who literally will not go to sleep until he has shared his daily “G’night” tweets!

So, this is the first part of the equation –the crazy popular show. Now, to the financial bit.

In the States right now, for those of you who aren’t from the US or privy to their news – I’m from Canada but, being neighbors, we’re pretty much aware of all American goings on – there has been great discussion of what figures appear on the US currency. There is a fabulous campaign to finally have a woman represented on the bills and it appears that the abolitionist, Harriet Tubman, is the winner. A woman highly deserving of the honour, to be sure!

But what bill should Tubman be on and who, then, would be kicked off? The plot thickens. Many have been suggesting she should be on the $20, an honour currently held by Andrew Jackson, a slave owner. That would be quite the touché! The US Treasury Secretary, Jacob Lew, had proposed the $10 bill but seems to have changed his mind. Can you guess why? Who do you think is on the $10 bill now? None other than America’s founding father without a father, Alexander Hamilton! So, the sneaking suspicion is that the response from Hamilton fans has prompted the change of heart! Pretty cool, eh?

As we know, art can be incredibly influential but this it certainly kicking it up a notch. How would it feel to have fans who are that devoted to your work, to be able to have that kind of influence and really make a difference beyond the art itself? I certainly strive to inspire people – that’s totally my m.o. – and knowing that I have affected someone’s life in even a small way is such a blessing. I couldn’t imagine starting an outright movement!

If you did desired such a thing -and I’m not saying you do necessarily – but if you desired that kind of impact even on a smaller scale, what would it take?

Well, it takes 1) a work that is undeniably great. It takes honing your craft so that you can create something that connects with audiences on a number of levels. Seriously, I don’t think I have been affected emotionally by a work of art as much as I have with Hamilton – and I’ve only been listening to the soundtrack!

And 2) you need to communicate with your people! You can have an absolute masterpiece on your hands but if nobody knows about it it’s just a bunch of boxes of stuff sitting in your apartment. Seriously, I’ve totally been there! Miranda, is so engaged online – so supportive and encouraging of fans and other artists and always sharing fun behind-the-scenes stuff. Now, I don’t know what came first, the chicken or the egg. You might be thinking, well, he’s a big deal (he also wrote and starred in the incredibly successful In The Heights). Of course, people would care about what he has to say . But maybe that’s what he’s always done. Maybe that’s how people started to become aware of his shows in the first place – through his reaching out and connecting with those who might appreciate what he has to offer.

So, I would invite you to keep working on your projects until they are the best you can make them. No, they’re probably not going to be perfect but keep learning and striving to make things that you’re really, really proud of, things you will be excited to release out into the world. And try interacting with your fans, and future fans, like you’re already a big deal. Let them know you’re there. Create fun things to share. Don’t just shove your CD or your book in their faces all day, every day. Give them something of added value – maybe a fun video series, behind-the-scenes shots – stuff that will keep them coming back for more. And they will!

That’s how you get your work out into the world so you can really make a difference. And if you haven’t heard Hamilton yet or seen the show, get on it already! It’s so full of infectious earworms it will keep you up at night and it made my momma cry but that’s a small price to pay to witness awesomeness!

Okay, onto some Swimming Tigress news!

Ladybug Crossings, my album for kids under the name Tofaru, is up on iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby and all your favourite digital services. It will get the whole family singing along so get your copy today!

Recently, I’ve provided the voices for a couple of video games and an episode of an animated series, which was a hoot! When they’re actually available, I’ll tell you more.

I wanted to do something to inspire positivity online so I started the Twitter hashtag #MyGoodNews so people can share the good things going on in their lives. I thought it would be fun. Join me, won’t you? Get on Twitter, use the hashtag and share your good news!

In addition to “Tabitha’s Magical Voice”, “Mocha And The Moon”, and A Candle At Both Ends, I’m going to be placing my catalog of sheet music onto Amazon in Kindle form and in the original paperback. I’m in process right now but I’ll let you know when it’s done. In the meantime, you can still get the music in paperback and PDF format from the Swimming Tigress Shopify Store. You can visit the store here! And of course, check out “Tabitha”, “Mocha”, and Candle while you’re at it! As you may know, I’m rather new to the Amazon e-book thing so if you see something amiss, be a peach and give me a heads up, will you?

Okay, that’s all for today folks! Make it a great one!