(Nimue)
There's a context for this photo. Back last Autumn, Keith Errington (pictured above) confessed to me that he sang a bit, and played guitar and wrote songs but that this wasn't anything he normally shared much with anyone else. Somewhat nervously, he then shared some of his music with me. A few things were immediately obvious. He had the makings of a good voice, definite potential with the guitar and his songwriting was interesting. This was the experience that inspired me to get the viola out and to try to play again, so it was a really significant moment for me, too.
The above photo was taken by Karl Burnett (of Cogkneys fame) of Keith playing his first gig as a singer songwriter.
Sometimes what people most need is permission to try. Having one person believe it is worth you giving something a go can be life changing. Of course it can also be a lot of responsibility and no decent person wants to set another person up to fail. When it comes to music, I can put my faith in people confidently as a consequence of years of experience. I know what kinds of qualities make for a good musician and what kind of things in a voice are signs of the potential to be a good singer. I've never told someone they could sing and then found out they couldn't, despite many people along the way being sure that they were going to be my exception. But, you don't actually need that level of experience to encourage someone to try.
I seriously underestimated Keith's potential as a vocalist, and what he's been able to do this year has surprised me. I was entirely right that he could get out there and sing. He's been singing with Ominous Folk as well and turns out to be a natural at harmony singing. That's not something I can predict.
There's nothing like having someone else's confidence in you to help a person push past nerves and self doubt. When we have faith in each other, things become possible that were previously unthinkable. When we reach out to lift and support each other, good things happen. When people are met with encouragement, they reliably grow. No one starts out perfect or able to do anything to a professional standard. We all have to spend time learning, and when there's support for that process, the results can be impressive. In my experience you can do more to help a person grow by telling them what's working than by picking holes in their efforts.
Seeing someone step into their own power is a beautiful thing. Watching someone do with joy the things they have longed to do is magical. Putting your faith in someone and seeing that faith lift them and change things for them is a beautiful experience to have. I can heartily recommend doing it. Praise can lead to amazing things, and we all have the power to do this for each other by boosting and encouraging each other whenever the chance arises. Compliments are little acts of magic that have the power to change lives.
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