from adversity: Inspiration

[excerpt, Tina Turner's autobiography]:
---------------- A crucial stylistic event occurred around this time in Washington, D.C., where the Revue was scheduled to play the Howard Theatre. Ike had flown back to St. Louis to stand trial for the bank job he'd allegedly been involved in, and Tina, given some room to move, decided to have her hair bleached.

Tina: That was a trendy thing at the time, but they overbleached my hair, and they left the heat cap on too long -- and all my hair fell off. There was just like a stubble left. I thought I would die. My hair! Well, it would grow back, but slowly, right? And so that's when I started wearing the wigs.

Ike: I get back to Washington, and Tina's hair is that long! And we gotta do a show. Tina was cryin', boy. Well, I could've bought a wig right there in Washington, but instead I flew all the way back to St. Louis, bought a wig there, and then flew back again. I don't know where my head was at.

Tina: I got to like wearing wigs. Because I loved movement, especially onstage, and I had this image of myself and the Ikettes singing and dancing, and all of our hair constantly moving, swaying to the music. It seemed exciting, but at the same time very classy, you know? So pretty soon we had the Ikettes in wigs, too, and that was the beginning of "the look." I loved it.

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[I, Tina, by Tina Turner with Kurt Loder
Copyright 1986, Avon Books,
The Hearst Corporation, New York, New York]
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When I read that passage for the first time, it brought to mind the advice which is given by many "self-improvement" and "how-to-succeed" speakers and writers: they tell us to visualize our goals and they say that holding that "picture" in your mind reinforces your chances of being able to have it happen. Mental concentration, focus -- and starting with Having The Picture.
("I had this image of myself and the Ikettes singing and dancing, and all of our hair constantly moving, swaying to the music." ...)

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