I recently went to a concert of one of my favorite musicians: Keith Urban. At age 54, with more than 30 years in the music industry, he rocked a sold-out 25,000-person outdoor venue for 2+ hours on a Sunday evening in 90-degree heat. What an inspiration!

In the middle of the concert, I realized I was dancing and singing with total strangers around me. Music creates community. It moves us, touching our emotions of joy, sadness, love, and loss. It calls to us, encouraging us to move our bodies to the beat. It heals us, reminding us through its lyrics that we are not alone in our experiences.

Towards the end of his show, Keith Urban surprised everyone when he came running down the aisle next to us – guitar in hand and flanked by multiple security guards – so he could play in front of the audience sitting on the lawn. I rushed to get a glimpse of him up close and took a photo. Why, I wondered, was it so important to see him at a closer range?

I realized that I was somewhat in awe of him and that seeing him up close made him seem more real to me. Here is this star, who has overcome self-reported years of addiction, loss, and low self-esteem – whose extraordinary resilience, creativity, talent, and energy move people through his music. From afar he seems surreal, but up close he seemed so human. Just like you and me. Inspiration indeed!

We take our inspiration from various places – artists, parents, friends, family, and role models in our field. Who inspires you? Have you taken time lately to get close to that person or observe and experience that inspiration? If not, what would you do to draw upon a new or old source of inspiration?