I didn’t watch the Golden Globes. I was at a friend’s home, for a party, and we were enjoying our various meals together. Ryan was watching the live updates from the Golden Globes’ website on his iPhone and would periodically call out a new winner. We all groaned when Avatar won and cheered when Christoph Waltz won.

So today, after reading Janet’s fun Golden Globes recap, I went hunting acceptance speech videos, as per Janet’s recommendations. The one that stood out to me was Meryl Streep’s heartfelt rant. Watch it here!. Oh to have such a simple life!

Then, Darren linked to someone that I can’t believe I hadn’t heard about until now – the mini-Regina Spektor, Nataly Dawn. I guess I’ve been living under a rock, because this girl has more than 17,000 YouTube subscribers! She’s apparently 50% of Pomplamoose, another YouTube cover band. They have a few more subscribers at 70,000 plus. This cover of Beyonce’s popular song was my first taste:

Both Meryl and Nataly seem to be doing what they love and creating art with which people connect. Meryl’s had many years to engage in a rewarding and generous career and seems to recognize that she’s unique in having that privilege. Nataly, new on the scene, seems to create for the love of creating. Her craft is fresh and new and she, though she can be compared to a popular female vocalist, has unique qualities. Something about Meryl’s performances always strike me as fearless. She’s willing to dig deep, go farther, do what’s necessary (while maintaining her own personal integrity). Nataly’s path also seems to be a fearless one. She’s put herself at the mercy of YouTube. And submits her gentle face to its whim.

These two women, both very different artists, inspire me today.