Midlife Creative

Being a piano teacher I have become accustomed to the question “have you practiced this week?” Usually the answer is yes or no, BUT…. I had a lot of homework, I was sick, we were out of town, I didn’t have time, and then the occasional bursting into tears or running out of the room. I’ve been asking myself a lot of questions around why the question of practice and why the word has gotten such a bad rap. I think there are two reasons students really don’t practice and those same two reasons can apply to homework, creative goals, and many other areas.

#1. The task is uninteresting or boring to me.

#2. The task is too difficult and mastery seems a long way off.

How do we reverse this bad stigma around the word practice for the young students in our lives and ourselves as we are never done learning? I have made some changes in my teaching style and the way I approach my language with first time students, asking them to play everyday instead of practice everyday.

“The reason why kids want to learn an instrument is to make exciting sounds.”

Marvin Blickenstaff

This idea carries over to so many areas in our creative lives. We play with creativity because we like the feeling of creating sounds, colors, textures, and new ideas. It is not usually about becoming a master. For most, it’s about enjoyment.
Small children begin their lives with play, and then eventually shift from play to work mode in an effort to earn money or prove their worth. As adults, life becomes more about proving ourselves and less about finding delight in the creative process. I am not saying that disciplined daily practices are not important. What I am saying is that if we approach our practices with a playful attitude, expecting to enjoy the practice instead of dreading it, we will be more likely to stick with it long term.

Do you have a daily creative practice? Do you look forward to it? Do you see it as play?

I am making a goal to play the piano every day during the month of March. Would you like to join me in starting a daily creative playtime? Here are some ideas. Choose one that suits you or add your own.

In selecting your creative play, you might want to consider the two biggest setbacks that I mentioned earlier. Don’t choose something that has no meaning to you or that you get bored with quickly, and don’t choose something that is too difficult or frustrating. Think play, not perfection.

Let me know if you are attempting a daily creative practice. Let’s cheer each other on! Join the Midlife Creative Facebook group to continue the conversation.

I do a lot of walking. As I walk, my mind wanders in a million directions, but my feet typically stay on the same path. I walk the same route day after day. I rarely go off course or venture off the road most traveled. I have always been a “play it safe” person. Lately, I’ve begun to wonder if my predictable patterns are routines or ruts?

One day, I decided to walk a little further and take a turn instead of going straight. I discovered a tunnel that led under a freeway and into a nature preserve. I thought to myself, “I didn’t even know this path was here and I have walked past it dozens of times”

Who pushes you to step out of your ruts and into new ways of thinking and living? Who challenges you to question, change gears, and take intentional detours? I have many routines in my life that are very helpful and won’t be changing anytime soon. I have some great routines around the house that keep the dishes and laundry done and assure that we don’t order pizza more than once a week. I also have routines that remind me to read, write, and rest.

But, I admit that I fall into unhelpful ruts very easily. One of my biggest ruts right now is obsessively checking social media and email throughout the day. I tell myself that it’s unnecessary and unfulfilling, but I keep checking it over and over again.
I have decided to take a week off my phone (except for answering phone calls and texts) as a way of resetting this habit pattern.

Taking a new path means facing some unknowns. Going without a phone seems small, but it is an important shift for me. Some of you may have bigger ruts that are much more difficult to pull out of. Changing careers, leaving abusive relationships, moving, speaking up about something you believe in when you know the people around you won’t agree. We all have ruts that we find ourselves settling into. Forging a new path can feel lonely. We may need to ask for help.

Shifting our direction and walking in faith instead of fear speaks volumes to others who are watching. We can become leaders for those who have always wanted to step out of their ruts, but haven’t had the courage. Our changes, even the small changes, can make a way for others to follow in our footsteps.

My rut for today is social media addiction. Becoming aware of your own rut requires slowing down and making observations. Do you want to change? Do you want to try something new? Do you want to grow? What’s holding you back? Tell someone. Then, take some baby steps out of your rut, and see what you discover.