In Others’ Words: Energizing the Blues

Beth VogtIn Others' Words, perspective, Writing 9 Comments

Energizing the Blues 2016

 

I  love the quotes that set me back on my heels and make me go, “Huh.”

That’s exactly how I reacted to what Duke Ellington said — only I smiled when I said, “Huh,” and then I told my husband he had to read the quote, too.

Let’s just all admit we pout. The question isn’t really what do we do about the pouting. It’s more: What do we do with it? Do we let our moodiness squelch our creativity — or do we find a way to use the negative emotions to energize us?

I admit to pouting that sometimes tips over to outright sulking. But the older I get, the less time I spend in a funk. I’ve learned to give myself a limited amount of time to be in a bad mood — an hour or maybe even an afternoon — and then I move on. And you know what? Usually I’m over the mood before the allotted time is up.

Maybe the next time I feel a pout coming on I’ll try the Duke Ellington method and write me some blues — or maybe the next scene in my work-in-progress.

In Your Words: How do you handle a pout? Have you ever turned a funky mood into a creativity session?

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[Tweet “”I merely took the energy it takes to pout and wrote some blues.” #quote #DukeEllington #creativity”]

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You Can't Hurry Love - Beth Vogt

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Comments 9

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  1. Things that could make us pout do provide energy that can also be used creatively. Maybe a bit like an irritating sand grain or foreign irritant initiating a [earl. It’s good to let the upset stir, harness it, and go forward.

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  2. What a great quote. I loved what you said about what you do WITH a pout. Too often, I’ve let the pout control me rather than me controlling it. Your philosophy of feeling the mood for a little while and then determining to move on makes sense.

    Sometimes I handle a pout by eating chocolate. Note that I said, Sometimes. 😉 Most often I try to push through it and move forward. Sometimes I just need to escape into a good book. When I come back to reality, the pout is usually gone.

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      Jeanne:
      I’m so glad you mentioned that there are different ways to handle a pout — and I think chocolate is an excellent choice.
      Escaping into a book is also a wonderful choice, too. 🙂

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