contagion

I mostly find that good art (like voting?) is contagious. You listen to that song/read that book/stare at that photo for the millionth time and it makes you want to create something, anything. It's like creativity is running through your veins, this need to make your mark, express this feeling, signal your sense of being so alive that everything is magnified.

I love that feeling. I'll probably spend the rest of my life hunting it down with a stick. Is that inspiration? Vitality? Genius? I don't know but I can't wait to find it again, bottle it up, soak in its beautifying glow.*

Today was a fantastic day. I drew some lines on the sidewalk--possibly illegally--was told off by The Church, had a free tea at Starbucks and listened to some amazing music. I plotted my Oh Wells cover band (The Oh Dears) and drove around (which, if I do say so myself, I'm getting pretty good at).

Okay, so maybe the driving around on Earth Day isn't my proudest moment. But I hardly drive around on any other day so, in the grand scheme of things, that has to even out, right?

I thought about things spreading, not HIV, but ideas. All I wanted was to draw some attention to the fact that only 37% of 18-25 year old Canadians voted in the last election or more broadly that the overall voter turnout in 2008 was the lowest in Canadian history. So I wrote some things on the sidewalk, drew some lines to the advanced polling station and hoped that maybe someone would notice. Maybe someone would catch hold of this idea that I was flinging onto street corners and change their behaviors. Maybe I would inspire someone to ditch apathy and vote.

That's all I really want to do, I guess. I'll add it to my 'To Do with My Life' List. (1. Be happy (with people who contribute to aforementioned happiness). 2. Write stuff (books, blogs, songs, poetry). 3. Garden. 4. Learn (to garden, etc.). 5. Inspire). I want someone to hear a poem or song I've written and feel that bubbling creative contagion inside of them. I want to be a catalyst.

What do you want to do with your wild and precious life?


*Am I being a tad over the top?