The commons are alive and free

Powerful wisdom and visceral beauty are around, you just have to look

With tears streaming down my face, I focused straight ahead.

I couldn’t make eye contact with the elderly woman to my left or with the friends who invited me to the right, fearing I might lose it.

Why did I have to sit in the front row?!

During songs about lost loved ones, about the “rainy periods of life”, and about the treasured pets who eagerly await our return, I let the feelings flow.

I knew then that the universe had brought me here, that I needed visceral catharsis during this transitional period of my life. I concentrated on steady breathing to keep from trembling uncontrollably.

All this, from a free performance by renowned pianist and composer Robin Spielberg. I didn’t expect her music and accompanying visuals to stir me so instantly and deeply.

I’d unknowingly stumbled into a moment of profound beauty. Even more shocking—it was a zero cost event organized by The Straz Center for Performing Arts as part of its Arts and Health Performance Series, held in the TECO black box theater—a less formal, more intimate space.

Before it began, I chatted briefly with a combat veteran who’d previously attended and participated in similar programs at The Straz designed to elucidate the link between art and mental healing. As it turns out, Spielberg is well aligned with this ethos—her TEDx talk on the healing power of music has over 400,000 views.

Her piano compositions with abstract visualizations invite listeners to fill in the details of their own context—the hurt of loss, bittersweet goodbyes, painful traumas, poignant truths, and joyful celebrations of the brilliance of life, regardless of one’s personal station.

After about an hour, she took questions from the audience, engaging in an additional energetic exchange that’s rare to experience with such a talented and accomplished artist. Her grace and wisdom appeared to touch every soul in the room.

Throughout Spielberg’s set I was inspired to write this post as a follow up to my post about sharing our gifts freely with others. I couldn’t understand how something of such high quality and touching coolness would be free of charge and open to the public. Frankly I was shocked it wasn’t a packed house.

The experience reminded me that the commons—wisdom, insights, spiritual gifts, artistry—are freely available, despite the emphasis placed on paid events and experiences, which are becoming more and more the norm in society. With a little research and planning, it’s easier than you might think to enjoy rich cultural and community-building experiences without spending a fortune.

The following are some of the most useful and valuable free things I take advantage of on a daily or weekly basis.

• Breathe with Sandy guided breathwork on YouTube — 10, 15, and 20-minute breathwork lessons to instantly reconnect with the heart and body and tap into inner euphoria and calm.

• Minnow Pond Tarot weekly readings and predictions on YouTube — Quick past, current, and future card spreads that motivate me to keep going and press forward.

• Mel Robbins twice-weekly podcast episodes on all the major platforms — Guest speakers discuss mental health, spirituality, relationships, and tactics for living well backed by science and research.

• The Hillsborough County Public Library — there’s much to freely enjoy via your community’s public library system. Borrow books, audiobooks, stream movies, and use wifi.

• Tampa Museum of Art Art on the House on Thursday evenings from 4 – 8 pm. Pay-as-you-will admission.

• Public recreational infrastructure like Tampa’s Riverwalk, Bayshore Boulevard’s 4.5 mile sidewalk (shown below), and Tampa’s new Green Spine, which accommodate walking, running, biking, rollerblading on miles of continuous protected lanes.

What’s something you love to use that’s also free?