IF: instinct...in music.

When I was young my art of choice was music. I used to play the piano. I'd practice all the time - except when it was time to play, or watch tv, or do anything else. Basically I should have been practicing, but spent my time elsewhere - until it was that horrible time of the week when I had to meet with a piano teacher. Then I was furiously plinking those ivory keys.

At the beginning of college I was even contemplating going into some sort of musical field involving the piano - less so because I loved it than that it seemed dressing up in a shirt and tie and sitting in a cubical. One thing I lacked was the musical instinct. I could hit the right cords and such - and read the music sheet - but I couldn't just sit down and play. I couldn't improvise...I could only play what I saw in front of me.

At one point I was sitting there on my little upright steinway with a jazz piano book and I just couldn't do it. So I gave it up and started drawing. And realized my improvising instincts lay in this field. I could actually sit down with a sheet of paper (or a blank computer screen) and just create something.

Right now I'm obsessed with drawing things for
shutterstock
and other various stock illustration websites. So far so good! If you have illustrations (that you own the rights to...that part is important) you should start putting them up. Obviously not your personal children's book life and soul work - but if you're like me, you've got a computer chalk full of drawings (or a sketchbook or whatever) and it's nicer if they're making money than just sitting there collecting dust.
Check it out...