Heeding the Call

It would not surprise me at all to see a wolf playing a banjo on TikTok.

I was talked into getting on TikTok by marketing expert Casey Von Neumann. I resisted, I tell you. I don’t have to explain to anyone my age why. 

But despite the dancing teenagers, I vowed to try my hand at posting 50 Without a Net videos before I decided if it was for me. I felt like a fool at first, and still do much of the time, but I’ve seen some heartening things. 

Unlike Facebook and Instagram which are mostly ads and algorithms that never show stuff I’m interested in, TikTok is fresh. There are regular people doing their thing, with fewer folks trying to look like perfect superstars with perfect lives. It’s more real.

The authenticity (or impression of it) frees me up to be more off-the-cuff with my videos, and reminds me so much of when my siblings and I made endless skits for our parents in our basement growing up. God, were we ridiculous.

I am seeing progress toward that place I encourage my students to work toward: the stage after you’ve practiced and tried and kept going and then finally you feel like it’s just something you just do. You enjoy it, you know it’s good for you, and you don’t get too bent out of shape about the end product. 

If no one at all noticed my videos I might throw in the towel after a while. I appreciate the nice comments and the people who get it. I’m not a superstar, but I get enough attention to not feel like it’s a total wash. 

I was shown, again, there’s always going to be resistance in the beginning. There will be a learning curve. There will be doubts and frustrations. But, if you try it long enough to see if it sticks, you might find it offers something fulfilling. 

I’ve been starting creative projects for several decades (let’s just say more than 4) and I can still say I go through the same process. Having been there before doesn’t change the prickly parts of the beginning stages, which might be a good thing. If I’m breaking ground into new territory, hacking up the initial thicket of the unknown, how could I help but flail a bit? 

I try new things because I’m called. The call may take me to rougher places than I would normally chose. But a call is call. You go. You see why it’s calling you. If it’s really a call, you may face difficulties, but they are just annoyances in the way of finding the incredible gift inherent in all calls.

I’m looking forward to seeing where this unexpected, sometimes silly call is taking me. I’ve never thought silliness was too much of a bad thing, so maybe it’s right up my alley. 

I’m grateful for those who nudged me out the door, and grateful for those who cheer me on. Mostly, I’m grateful for the amazing Source of all calls who beckons me on surprising and weird adventures over and over again. I always learn something.