goblin

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A while back, a friend asked if I ever illustrated any of my songs. I thought it was a funny question and just said, "no," at the time. Jim knew that I like to sketch from time to time in my journal just to catch an image or idea. Later, I asked him why he asked the question. He said my songs are very visual to him, which I took as a high compliment.

It prompted me to try to sketch an image of part of one of my songs, so I took the chorus from a song called "Goblin."  It goes,

There's a ghost out on the water
and a goblin in the rock
if I don't go and see them
they're gonna come and make me stop. 

One winter night, some time ago, I went for a walk along the San Marcos river, and noticed  these little swirls all along the top of the water. The water was warmer than the air, so on the water's surface, these swirling clouds formed and danced in the wind as they moved to the shore and disappeared. It was beautiful.

The song is about what feeds me spiritually: being out in nature, recognizing God's presence in the midst of the world around us. Ghosts and Goblins, in the song, simply represent something more than the material.

I try to remember to visit the ghosts and goblins; the water and rocks. Being away, out in wilderness connects me to things beyond my control. It is humbling; it is humanizing. When I forget to get out, when I forget to go get spiritually fed, I get unhealthy. One way or another, I have to stop.

Drawing and music are other ways I get connected. Nature and creativity are my primary personal spiritual practices. I'd never thought about sketching music, those had been separate before. I'm glad Jim asked the question, and it was fun to come up with a sketch.

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