Lyons had much to share about the genre of songwriting and about tapping into one's potential and creativity during the Oct. 14 songwriting workshop. Twelve people participated, teenagers to retirees, with a variety of musical backgrounds. The reasons for attending were as varied as the participants themselves.

Maddie and Molly Bowen are teenage sisters attending Homer High, and are both interested in pursuing music.

"I recently started writing songs and I enjoy it but don't have any direction. I'm hoping to find direction," Maddie said of her reasons for attending the workshop.

"I've heard Dana's music and I like it. Songwriting is another musical opportunity for me to explore," Molly said.

Mark Coen recently moved to Homer from Colorado and intends to spend this winter fine tuning his songwriting. "I turned a corner last year and decided it was time to put the coal to a flame. I want to further explore how to write in metaphor," he said.

Lyons spent the evening offering advice and insight. Although his advice was directed to songwriting, his words of inspiration would apply to all genres of art and creativity.

"Trust your instincts. Never underestimate yourself and never give up on yourself," he told the group.

Lyons said he was fortunate to have the full support of his family while he pursued music at an early age. He realizes, however, that not everyone has this kind of support system.

"Our culture questions the validity of the quality of our art, and this scares us into thinking that we're not very good. Trust your instinct for what you are creating," he said.

Demonstrating the process of trusting your instincts, Lyons picked up his guitar closed his eyes and sat in silence. Slowly he began to strum a melody, repeating a single word once over and over.

"I like it. This could be the beginning of a great line and a great song. The process of creating is about letting go and trusting the creative force that is within you," he said.

Offering insight into the craft of songwriting, Lyons shared his own style of writing.

"My songs are about the melody. Ninety-five percent of my songs start with the music and five percent start with the words. Words usually only come prior to the melody when I have a very strong statement to make."

He reminded the group that music writing can be approached from many different angles. The process of letting go and trusting moves you in the direction of finding what approach works for you, be it creating the melody first and then writing the words, or creating the melody once the words are written.

How can you tap into your own creativity?

Lyons believes we are all creative beings and we can tune into our creativity if we turn off the distractions of our lives. Distractions like watching TV, listening to the radio, reading are things we sometimes turn to, consciously or not, to avoid creating our art.

"If you are available to your muse, it will find you. It wants to find you. Write when naked and vacant. Write when gloriously happy. Tap into those times when your emotions are going strong," he said.

All artists know what it is to be creatively blocked. Lyons recognizes we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to create masterpieces and we often struggle to find inspiration.

"Simple is wonderful. And complicated is great, too. Sometimes when you hit a wall it's worth asking for the inspiration or direction you seek. Ask the land, ask the birds, ask the trees," he said.

Lyons acknowledges that this may sound a bit "woo woo" to some, but knows from personal experience what it means to be open to what is around you.

"Indigenous cultures don't block out the ideas of animals and trees talking," he said. "My song 'The Tree' came to me after days of my struggling for the words to a melody I had created. A Native elder encouraged me to sit beneath a tree and listen for that tree's song. The song came to me instantly."

From Homer, Lyons will continue to write songs and travel, sharing his messages that inspire young and old alike.

"The message is powerful: We must take peaceful action to save what we love," says Lyons' friend and activist mentor Jane Goodall on Lyons' Web site.

Learn more about Dana Lyons and hear his music on iTunes and at his Web site, www.cowswithguns.com.

Christina Whiting is a freelance writer and artist who lives in Homer.