Getting more creativity into my life is a goal of mine for this year, too, as it was for last year. For me, I identified the issue keeping me from creative work as "I can't afford to make things that don't make money." Now, that is obviously patently dysfunctional thinking. Okay, fine, let's dispatch with that. But the more complicated reality that lay just beneath is that (1) making it a goal already made it feel like more WORK, which I didn't need more of; and (2) it requires directed attention, and last year my attention was stretched so thin due to financial stresses that I just couldn't spare the focused attention. I needed to watch TV, page through the New Yorker, do puzzles and etc. However THIS year, I know I can "afford" the attention. And I'm excited (and expect that I will still encounter further obstacles to picking up my three-years-neglected cross-stitching). So my question for you is: what do you do instead of play the piano? And what do those activities give you that you need? Then re-consider the piano in that framework. You might find your own insight that will reframe the notion for you that opens that door. Great topic!
1. The 2020 lockdown broke my reading brain, I couldn't read (books) at all, so one of my other habits was to recover my reading habit. Which I have achieved smashingly well. I have been regularly reading ~100 books a year since 2021.
2. I do play a lot of games and puzzles. They are very comforting...keeping your brain activated, but not about anxiety-producing things.
3. I also watch a lot of TV. It's the s.o. and my evening activity. (And I tend toward comfort TV...don't watch the news, don't watch overly realistic stressful fiction. Except Severance, OMG)
I do think playing piano keeps the brain busy but not anxious, similar to any of these activities. I'm also not sure I want to sacrifice any of those activities. I've generally tried to fit the piano in at the end of my work day but before I start thinking about dinner. Because theoretically, I want to close my laptop at about 4 PM. But all too often I work later, and the piano practice is the thing that drops.
I haven't started Severance S2. I'm almost afraid to. The end of S1 was perhaps the most cliffhanger-y of cliffhangers EVER. I was sitting on the edge of my couch screaming at the TV and looking at my watch over and over to see how much time was left in the episode. It was VERY stressful but so good.
OK this was kind of brilliant. I often sideline my creative pursuits this way too. I would feel badly for deciding to simply puzzle or watch something on Netflix, but it's possible that I needed the brain space for this first.
Here's mine: Practicing French. I had a forcing function in 2023 because we took a family trip to France, but I vowed to keep going and become fluent, something I never was, even with seven years of French classes. I have had 20-minute reminders on my calendar forever and by the end of the day simply erase them--my brain is too fried, or I need to get through email I missed during the work day. Reading Stacy's post I wonder if perhaps this is a matter of creating more room for this activity and addressing the email situation so it doesn't plague me at night, and even building in practice time during the day, when I'm fresher.
I do my Spanish in the morning, kind of as a gentle wakeup. I look forward to it. If I don't do it in the morning because of appointments or whatever, I feel suuuuuuper grumpy about doing it. Ha! Brains are weird. Too bad they rule the day.
Getting more creativity into my life is a goal of mine for this year, too, as it was for last year. For me, I identified the issue keeping me from creative work as "I can't afford to make things that don't make money." Now, that is obviously patently dysfunctional thinking. Okay, fine, let's dispatch with that. But the more complicated reality that lay just beneath is that (1) making it a goal already made it feel like more WORK, which I didn't need more of; and (2) it requires directed attention, and last year my attention was stretched so thin due to financial stresses that I just couldn't spare the focused attention. I needed to watch TV, page through the New Yorker, do puzzles and etc. However THIS year, I know I can "afford" the attention. And I'm excited (and expect that I will still encounter further obstacles to picking up my three-years-neglected cross-stitching). So my question for you is: what do you do instead of play the piano? And what do those activities give you that you need? Then re-consider the piano in that framework. You might find your own insight that will reframe the notion for you that opens that door. Great topic!
Ahhh, good questions!!
1. The 2020 lockdown broke my reading brain, I couldn't read (books) at all, so one of my other habits was to recover my reading habit. Which I have achieved smashingly well. I have been regularly reading ~100 books a year since 2021.
2. I do play a lot of games and puzzles. They are very comforting...keeping your brain activated, but not about anxiety-producing things.
3. I also watch a lot of TV. It's the s.o. and my evening activity. (And I tend toward comfort TV...don't watch the news, don't watch overly realistic stressful fiction. Except Severance, OMG)
I do think playing piano keeps the brain busy but not anxious, similar to any of these activities. I'm also not sure I want to sacrifice any of those activities. I've generally tried to fit the piano in at the end of my work day but before I start thinking about dinner. Because theoretically, I want to close my laptop at about 4 PM. But all too often I work later, and the piano practice is the thing that drops.
So the good news is: you have a full life and the piano hasn’t been making it to the top of the list. YET!!!
Also? Severance is my favoritttttte!!
I haven't started Severance S2. I'm almost afraid to. The end of S1 was perhaps the most cliffhanger-y of cliffhangers EVER. I was sitting on the edge of my couch screaming at the TV and looking at my watch over and over to see how much time was left in the episode. It was VERY stressful but so good.
SO GOOD. We are power re-watching the first season to be doubly stepped in all the mysteries. Loving it even more second time around.
OK this was kind of brilliant. I often sideline my creative pursuits this way too. I would feel badly for deciding to simply puzzle or watch something on Netflix, but it's possible that I needed the brain space for this first.
Here's mine: Practicing French. I had a forcing function in 2023 because we took a family trip to France, but I vowed to keep going and become fluent, something I never was, even with seven years of French classes. I have had 20-minute reminders on my calendar forever and by the end of the day simply erase them--my brain is too fried, or I need to get through email I missed during the work day. Reading Stacy's post I wonder if perhaps this is a matter of creating more room for this activity and addressing the email situation so it doesn't plague me at night, and even building in practice time during the day, when I'm fresher.
I do my Spanish in the morning, kind of as a gentle wakeup. I look forward to it. If I don't do it in the morning because of appointments or whatever, I feel suuuuuuper grumpy about doing it. Ha! Brains are weird. Too bad they rule the day.