Artist’s Idol—Do You Have a Passion You’d Like to Share?

The first time the show American Idol hit my radar was in 2002, in its first season. My kids were little, filling up the living room with their pajama-clad bodies and assorted toys. We were hunkering down to watch a little bit of TV together before bedtime. My daughter, who was ten at the time, was flipping through the television channels and landed on a show that featured a large stage and a lot of confetti. It all looked very exciting so we decided to watch it.

We quickly found out it was a singing competition show and a girl named Kelly Clarkson had just won. The idea intrigued me. I know people who are very talented singers, as good as some of the ones I hear on the radio, and I always wondered what it really took to cross over into singing for money. It seemed to me that it only had a little bit to do with actually having a great voice. Then here was a television show set up to find those diamonds. The idea captured me.

We watched the next season with gusto, then a bit more of the seasons after it, but soon other shows took its place. This year I accidentally started watching it again and was instantly hooked by the chemistry between Keith Urban, Jennifer Lopez, and one of my all time favorites, Harry Connick Jr. It seems to me that they finally found their perfect trio of judges.

I’m not a singer. No one on my side of the family can carry a tune that’s not related to a hymn sung in church. I can’t relate to having a dream of being a rock star. But I can relate to having a dream. And I can relate to feeling like you’ll never be able to cross over into a higher level of your craft until you happen to find that friend of a friend who gets your foot in the door. The beauty of American Idol is that you finally don’t have to ‘know someone’. If you are willing to stand in line for a day or two, and make your way through a series of producer auditions, you can have a shot at being noticed.

I believe that many of the writers and readers here at GeekMom can relate. We have artists in our midst of every kind. Some write, some paint, some draw, some create comic books. They all work hard to perfect their craft and work just as hard to be noticed. I’m a writer and I don’t dream of being a super star. I dream of being able to share my writing with a larger audience. The book I’ve written, about my journey to becoming an elective amputee, has been an encouragement to many people who are considering the decision themselves. I’ve received their emails, full of appreciation that I’ve helped them on their journey. But the conundrum of how to get it to a wider audience that might need it, haunts me some days. I watch American Idol and wish there was a version for writers.

What about you? Do you have a craft that you desire to be noticed? Do you work hard on a hobby that you love and wish it could be a full time, money making venture too?

I have an idea. In the comments section of this post, share with us your dream, and your website. Then we can each go to these sites and support each other. Who knows? Maybe somewhere along the way, a connection will be made that gets you to the next level, just like American Idol. Let’s have our own version, maybe call it Artist’s Idol, and do what we can to support each other.

Now’s your chance. Tell us what you do and where we can find you. Then scroll through the other comments and do what you can to support your fellow GeekMom readers.

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