Most folks in here know the joy of creating music, pottery, poetry, art, food... There is an inherent pleasure in creation which is self-rewarding. When a line comes to a song you're writing, and you wonder where it came from, or a piece of pottery takes shape beneath your hands, and you are awed by how beautiful it is, there is an immediate joy in the process of creation.

In the field of music, musicians are glorified, admired and emulated.
When they turn out to be rather ordinary people with an extraordinary gift, it can be dissilusioning. But, where would the joy be if there was no audience? Ultimately, creation is meant to be shared. If someone wrote a beautiful song and sung it with great feeling, and everyone else was deaf, it would still be a beautiful song, but the circle would not be completed. A beautiful piece of pottery, a painting or drawing, or even a magnificent souffle loses much of it's meaning if it isn't shared.

On Mudcat, there are times when people seem somewhat apologetic about not being a good musician or singer. They are just appreciators. They may be the ones who buy the CDs, come to the concerts and offer encouragement to those who are on stage. For me, the whole process of creation and sharing with others is one. Mudcat serves as an audience for all who have something they want to talk about, or share.
I really appreciate it for that reason. That's the way that I see threads... a chance to shoot the breeze with each other, whether the thread is thoughtful, silly, respectful or confrontational.

If there was no audience, the joy of creation would be greatly diminished.

Here's to the audience! To the listeners! To the appreciators! To the encouragers!

Jerry