I still remember the folded construction paper reindeer we were supposed to construct in fifth-grade. The visiting art teacher showed us how to fold, fold, fold, and voila! It's Rudolph. Only mine? Not so much. My creation might have been called Picasso-esque if it had involved any sort of artistic skill. I had failed at paper reindeer making.

I've always known that I don't make art easily with my hands. I tend to create with my ears and my eyes. I write, I sing, I take photographs. My hands do have a coordination with musical instruments in a way they never could with wielding a pair of scissors or a paintbrush. 

To me, the soul of art is in observation. I look out my window just now and I see how the rounded tops of the yellow-green bushes echo the darker green flare of the palm tree beyond, and the similarly hued treetops beyond that. 

I think some folks are originators of art and others are vessels for art to flow through. I consider myself of the latter variety. It's taken a long time for me to come to terms with my strengths and weaknesses when it comes to creativity, and it's an ongoing process. I don't make a lot of things that fit easily up on a wall. Sometimes I feel pressure to prove myself as an artist, yet all I need to do is point to me and my life. And to you and yours. We are creating every minute of every day. And sometimes we capture the essence of that creation, be it for a moment or for centuries. And in that observation is where the art is found.

**Help me win a photo contest! A shot I took at Burning Man (see above) is climbing the charts on Hipstamatic's website. The top 5 winners get a bag of Wilco swag (neat!). You can vote via Twitter (up to 5 times a day) or Facebook here: http://community.hipstamatic.com/submissions/164170. Voting ends Sunday! Thanks in advance for helping me get over the paper reindeer humiliation. :)**