Common Thoughts That Kill Inspiration
Do you sit down at the piano and feel anxiety or peace? Are you anxious to begin creating or does the thought of being at your instrument bring you a sense of well being? It all begins with what you're telling yourself. If you think that what you are doing is not good enough, it's sure to kill off that quiet little motor of inspiration. The thought of not good enough can put you into a deep freeze. It can stifle creativity and keep you stuck in doubt - a very nasty place to be in. Let's examine this thought of not good enough. The first question that comes to mind is 'not good enough for whom?' Who are you comparing yourself to? If you hold yourself up to someone think about why that is. For example, I admire the playing of George Winston, but I'm not him and don't expect to be. His right hand technique is amazing and as much as I want to be able to play that succinctly, I just can't do it. I accept that and really don't care so much about it. What's important to me is to be able to connect with my own creative source. This is the thought that keeps me grounded. If I begin to compare myself to another than I'm hopelessly lost and not focusing on what is truly important. Another thought that kills inspiration is 'I'm not ready.' When will you be ready? Ten years from now? Next week? The fact is you don't need years of technical expertise to begin creating. If you wait another week or month or year to start, you will never begin and the world will miss out on your own unique voice. You are ready the moment you sit down to play. It all depends on what your goals are. If your goal is to create a piece of music to perform for others, it will be ready after a certain amount of time. You, however, must be ready now. This means sitting down at the piano and being present in the moment. It all adds up bit by bit. And last but not least is the thought that you don't know enough. Here's some news. You will never know everything and you will always be learning more. It never ends. I don't know everything there is to know about theory, chords, and harmony. Nobody does. But it doesn't stop me from experiencing the joy that comes from creating. This is your birthright and every creator's birthright. Don't let the idea that you don't know enough stop you from your music. Even if you just learn what is in the free piano course you know enough to begin composing, improvising and creating. Fortunately, in the new age style, you don't need to know sophisticated chord voicing or how to read music. You can jump right in and taste how sweet the act of creation is right away. Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music's online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Stop by now at http://www.quiescencemusic.com/piano_lessons.html for a FREE piano lesson!
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