I Dare

Thanks to Kristine Smith for the link that appears at the bottom of this dispatch, which was the first thing I saw when I opened my mail this morning.

The link is to a TED Talk about the importance of creativity, and that everyone creates -- even if it's just that nonsense song you sing to your cat, or deciding to try this instead of that in a recipe. Creation -- varying from the so-called "norm" -- is what makes us human, even more than laughter -- though that's important, too.

How can you tell that these things are important? You already know the answer to this -- Because Someone Is Trying to Take It Away From You.

How do you know your backlist isn't worthless? Because your publisher won't revert the rights. How do you know that having fun is important? Because people are shouting at you to Stop Being Frivolous. How do you know your despicable little bit of money is important? Because somebody is trying to rob you. How do you know that your voice is important?  Because somebody is trying to shut you up.

Really, it's a Universal Test. If someone is trying to take something from you -- follow it back and find out why.

I gave a shout-out to the importance of fun in my Heinlein Acceptance Speech, but you can only do so much in four minutes. And I have, as I've mentioned here before, lived a life of Almost Unremitting Frivolity -- writing silly little scifi and fantasy stories; choosing a partner whose gift was making joy, and not so much with the money; indulging myself with cats, and stuffed animals, and music, and baking.

Making art is joy -- your body treats it that way. Make art for half an hour and your stress levels drop. People have been studying this -- obviously slackers who are looking for a way to justify their need to play, to make, to *have fun.*

I'll stop here and go get some breakfast while you listen to Amie McNee