Today I had the pleasure of attending a fundraiser for one of my favorite local charities. As always, I was in awe not only of the stories told by the families who benefit from the services, but by those of the volunteers and staff who shared how much their work means to them. We are...
Author: Teresa Funke
I’m Done With That
As human beings, we reserve the right to complain once in a while. And lament and regret and maybe even whine. As artists and entrepreneurs who are somewhat solitary in the work we do, it’s especially important to know where we can find a sympathetic friend. When I’m listening to people talk about their troubles,...
Whose Voice Do You Need in Your Head?
This blog is called Bursts of Brilliance because that’s what it feels like when you get a great idea, like the heavens opened up and handed you a gift. But that gift will pass you by if you don’t seize it. And it will wither on the vine if you don’t nurture it. I’ve seen...
What’s a Woman to Do?
Ask any person on the street to name a famous painter, and they’ll likely say Van Gogh, Michelangelo, Monet, etc. Ask that same person to name a famous composer, and you’ll hear names like Mozart or Bach or Beethoven. According to statistics for 2014, male actors still out earned female actors in Hollywood. If you...
Do You Dream of Agents?
I have lots of writerly dreams that may or may not come true. I dream of seeing the words “based on a novel by Teresa Funke” roll by on the silver screen. I dream of being the first self-published author to win one of the prestigious literary awards. I dream of keynoting at a major...
Sing it again, Mom
I love to sing. That’s not to say I’m great at it. I can carry a tune, and I’m game enough to massacre a song or two on karaoke, but my favorite way to use song has always been to get my kids’ attention. As they were growing up, whenever they were ignoring my directives...
The Power of Art
“Black Lives Matter” may just be one of the most powerful political slogans of our time. And it all started with a Facebook post. According to an article I read, Alicia Garza was upset when George Zimmerman was acquitted of killing Trayvon Martin. She wrote a heartfelt post on Facebook that contained the words, “black...
Love ‘Em or Leave ‘Em
I love people who laugh at their own jokes. The harder they laugh, the better. Why shouldn’t we take enjoyment from our own creativity? Why create anything if it doesn’t bring us pleasure? I love people who sing loudly and badly in church. Why? Because they are more concerned with giving praise than they are...
The Happiness of Art
There are two lines in the book The Artist’s Way that read, “A productive artist is quite often a happy person. This can be very threatening as a self-concept to those who are used to getting their needs met by being unhappy.” Yet we, as a society, continue to hold on to the concept that...
An Open Apology to My Creative Self
I’m sorry for the times I pushed you to move forward when you weren’t ready. I’m sorry for the times I believed people who said that in order to do your best work, you had to starve. I’m sorry for the times I drove you to the point of exhaustion and frustration, and for the...