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Cleaning for Creativity

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[img]541|left|Carter Dewberry||no_popup[/img]The more I compose, the more I feel the need to clean every nook and cranny of my home.

This is new for me. (Just ask my mother.)

I am normally one of those “pile people” who knows exactly where to find a paper on a desk that is stacked eight inches high in STUFF.

Looking around my workspace at this moment, I am amazed to see more of the wood of my desk than anything else.

It’s not that I am procrastinating… well, at least not entirely.

It’s more like in the process of putting my physical things in order I am cleaning out the excess random thoughts in my head to clear the way for the creative lightning bolts.

Normally when I go on a cleaning spree, it is out of necessity because I have lost some object or document that needs to be found. This time what I am finding is clarity in thought, intention, and creative outpouring.

Last week I mentally worked out stubborn transitions on a new piece while organizing files and inputting business cards into my contact database.

Today I had a new tune come to me just after I finished running an errand.

I am thankful that my new iPhone has the voice memo feature that can record all of this information while I’m in the flow of life; this is worth more than having email or fancy traffic reports at my fingertips.

This week I want to finish writing a tango piece.

To jump-start my creativity, I am debating whether to next tackle my garage or laundry room… fortunately, I’m not sure it will matter.

Ms. Dewberry, an accomplished cellist, completed her DMA in Chamber Music Performance from UCLA in December 2005. She received her MM in Cello Performance from UCLA in June 2002 and her B.M. in Cello Performance from Western Michigan University in April 1998. She also holds a B.A. in French with a minor in Women's Studies and Philosophy.

Ms. Dewberry is celebrating the release of her new album, “Origins.” 

Her website is www.carterdewberry.com

She may be contacted at carter@carterdewberry.com