I couldn’t get started yesterday. After I warmed up on the oboe, I played a few notes of my concerto. Then I tried an excerpt or two. An etude? Nothing seemed to take - I wasn’t having fun or finding things to work on or feeling the magic at all. I was scattered and uninterested.
So I thought I’d work with my computer a bit. I opened a text window to rough out the mission statement for my new chamber music series (curious yet?), and jotted down a few words. But it wasn’t flowing. I toyed with Wordpress to start a website for it. Didn’t really get anything going. I thought I’d explore fonts. Typed my name a jillion times and refonted it over and over. This was obviously a make-work project - simply me grasping at anything, ANYTHING to feel productive. Didn’t work.
I tried responding to emails. That was all right, but when I went to compose a new one - info for newly enrolling students for next year - I again hit a block.
All of this took place in about 45 minutes, to give you perspective on my crummy morning. I hopped from one project to another and couldn’t pick up any momentum. Eventually, I just decided that I had to create SOMETHING. I made a yummy summer salad. Lots of nice chopping and whisking and combining. Thirty minutes later I had my head on straight again - and a yummy summer salad, to boot. We ate, I took a nap, and hit the floor running for a good afternoon’s work.
Sometimes creativity requires a little jumpstart. Sometimes you just have to DO something real. Finishing a project and having a concrete result to point to - I DID this today - can get you moving and keep you moving. Something as mundane as mowing the lawn or preparing a salad can be exactly what the oboe needs!
So I thought I’d work with my computer a bit. I opened a text window to rough out the mission statement for my new chamber music series (curious yet?), and jotted down a few words. But it wasn’t flowing. I toyed with Wordpress to start a website for it. Didn’t really get anything going. I thought I’d explore fonts. Typed my name a jillion times and refonted it over and over. This was obviously a make-work project - simply me grasping at anything, ANYTHING to feel productive. Didn’t work.
I tried responding to emails. That was all right, but when I went to compose a new one - info for newly enrolling students for next year - I again hit a block.
All of this took place in about 45 minutes, to give you perspective on my crummy morning. I hopped from one project to another and couldn’t pick up any momentum. Eventually, I just decided that I had to create SOMETHING. I made a yummy summer salad. Lots of nice chopping and whisking and combining. Thirty minutes later I had my head on straight again - and a yummy summer salad, to boot. We ate, I took a nap, and hit the floor running for a good afternoon’s work.
Sometimes creativity requires a little jumpstart. Sometimes you just have to DO something real. Finishing a project and having a concrete result to point to - I DID this today - can get you moving and keep you moving. Something as mundane as mowing the lawn or preparing a salad can be exactly what the oboe needs!
Great points Jennet! I've found myself in the same situation MANY times. It's hard because you feel like you're abandoning the work you need to do. But a negative practice session is really something I try to avoid. The next time this happens to me, I'm going to put on an inspiring recording to listen to, and make a delicious salad!
ReplyDeleteAgreed - it's so frustrating when you have the time to put in but not the right energy. Glad to hear it's not just me!
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading!
Jennet