SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio - Pursuing your passions in life can "make your heart sing," to quote one of my former teachers. I believe that we all might benefit by immersing ourselves into at least one task that not only absorbs our attention but also provides the potential for meaning and purpose. Whether our choice occurs in tandem with others, in solitude or in nature, such endeavors can help produce conditions conducive to "flow," as research psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi has put it. You may lose track of time. You may feel up to the challenge, even if the task may be effortful. You engage in the process not for the perks but because you are intrinsically satisfied.

Ideally, your flow experience can also reap benefits for others. Take a look around the Hillcrest area. Flow is evidenced in community service, artistic competition and all-around energy.

Breakfast for a cause. The Richmond Heights Kiwanis are holding an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 5 at the Richmond Heights Kiwanis Lodge, 27285 Highland Road. It will include sausage, orange juice and coffee. The event will benefit the Richmond Heights Kiwanis scholarship and service funds.Tickets at the door are $7 for adults, and $6 for students and seniors, 60 and older. If the purchase of tickets is done in advance by phone, the costs are $6 for adults and $5 for students and seniors; call 216-291-2207.

Recyclable art contest. In honor of South Euclid's Centennial Celebration, the South Euclid Recycling Committee is sponsoring a recyclable art contest. Gather up recyclables and turn them into a work of art. Art will be judged at Rock the Block (June 24) and cash prizes will be awarded. The three age categories are: Kindergarten-Grade 6 ($100 prize), Grade 7-12 ($200 prize) and Adult ($300 prize.) Applications are to be submitted by May 1 and are available at the South Euclid-Lyndhurst library, South Euclid Community Center and at cityofsoutheuclid.com/SE100. Artwork must contain at least 90% recyclable materials and be able to fit through a doorway. Artwork may be dropped off at the South Euclid Community Center, 1370 Victory Drive, beginning June 8. Artwork should then be picked up at the Community Center between 8-9 p.m. on Saturday, June 24 or during business hours on Monday, June 26, 2017. Questions? Contact recycling@seuclid.com.

An artist in our midst. "Sunshine & Puppies" is a new album to be released on Monday, Feb. 20 by musician and composer Adam Rich. He worked on it for over three years, inviting 20 Cleveland-area musicians to take part. A lifelong east sider, Rich lived in the Forest Hills area till he was six. Then his family moved to Highland Heights, where he still resides. The Cleveland area music scene tempted him as he grew older, and he is still enthusiastic about it. The album will be available online at CD Baby and for sale at Heights Music Shop in the Cedar Lee area. One quarter of the album was written within a year after losing both his parents in a 10 month time span. Rich kindly responded to questions by email, with answers edited here for space.

Which musicians or songwriters most inspire you?

My senior year of high school I started getting into instrumental guitarists, specifically Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson and Michael Fath. Their albums around that time ... inspired me to do my own solo albums which started out purely instrumentals ... Every solo album always has a couple Satriani-esque songs, and a couple Social Distortion-esque songs. I also found local bands First Light and The Janglers my senior year of high school, and they will always be a driving inspiration to me. Cliff Burton and Flea are my biggest bass inspirations.

Your style is an amalgam or mixture?

My style is a mish mash of everything. Listening to top 40 music until discovering hair metal, thrash metal and punk during high school in the late 1980's to early 1990's, then discovering reggae before going off to college. Never got into pure country or rap, but I did like RUN DMC and the Beastie Boys growing up. It's firmly guitar driven, sometimes with lots of distortion. Lyrically, I wrote about my life, the good and the bad.

How do you define success in your music?

Being able to release my own music on my own label on my terms. I do my own album design and layout but sometimes will have local artists paint or draw the covers. I do my own radio and press promotion, and I just started taking on clients in my home studio where I recorded the new album. That is my goal for Love Muffin: a full service label/studio/promotion/design company. I also put on a yearly concert dubbed LoveMuffinPalooza to benefit The Gathering Place.

How do you sustain creativity over time, and what do you do when you're stuck?

I rarely sit down to write a certain type of song, I just let them come to me. I might hear a melody in my head at work, then try to figure it out on guitar when I get home. Or just pick up my guitar and see if I can come up with something. It's always the guitar I pick up first. Rarely have I ever come up with a song by starting on piano, drums or bass. I took my acoustic guitar to my parents' graves three times, and one of those songs made it onto this album. The other two will be on the next album. One of those two came out of a very vivid dream about my dad where I woke up actually crying and screaming. I felt he was telling me to come, so I went that morning. The music came to me in about 30 minutes, as did the lyrics.

Do you think our area is conducive to music?

When I became of age to go to local music clubs, Peabodys Cafe was my first. I wrote about seeing local bands The Janglers and First Light there during the summer of 1992 in the song 'Move My Soul' on the new album. The old Undercurrents festival was a great place to network and the radio show 'Inner Sanctum' played lots of local music when it was active. Kent & Angelica's "Music Fo Ur Ears" on 1490 AM are doing a great job of playing only Ohio music one hour a week. And there are lots of open mic nights to go to.

Any advice for others who may be stalling on following their own bliss?

Um.. don't give up? Unless you are really terrible -- then maybe you should give up! But seriously, just ignore what everyone says. Follow your dream.

Keep us in the loop, Hillcrest readers. Send your Sun Messages to mariashinestewart@gmail.com

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