Over the past two years, I’ve been teaching myself how to play acoustic guitar in my “spare” time. It’s something I’ve really come to enjoy about my day—making a space for music. I’ve been pretty musical my whole life—I used to tinker around with a keyboard when I was little, then I started playing the trumpet and later took piano lessons. I was also in my high school choir and the musicals each year.

Now I pull out the guitar whenever I’m in the office and I need a break, or if I’m about to spend some time writing but am having trouble with whatever I’m working on. I strum for a while, warble along, and then get down to the task of writing (or grading).

Do many of you have a “second” or even “third” art that you’re involved in? Do you paint on the side? Take photographs? Etc.? I’ll admit that for many of my teenage years, my dreams were not to be a poet—I wanted, on the surface, to be a filmmaker and, secretly, to be the lead singer of a rock band.

I stuck with poetry because I figured no matter what else I was doing, I could always find a way or reason to write without giving it “special” attention in my life.

So how about it? Any graphic designers out there? Sculptors? Etc? Let’s hear about the other arts.