IT'S OKAY NOT TO BE OKAY RIGHT NOW
Hello I hope everybody is safe and well in these strange new times.
I just wanted to write a quick blog post about something that has been weighing on my mind during this pandemic.
It's ok to not be ok right now
If you want to create, then create
If you want to cocoon, then cocoon
If you want to learn something new, then learn something new
If you just want to watch movies then just watch and escape
If you want to redo your garden - go ahead.
My advice is take each day as it comes.
Put no expectations on yourself, except to make it through the day calmly enough in one piece.
Give yourself a pat on the back when you've done something that's good for you that day; whether it is work gardening, making something, cooking, cleaning, music or writing.
It is very hard to keep track of days and when you last practiced. For that I would say, practice during the same time daily, even on the days you don't feel like it.
Set up a routine the same time every day show up at the piano stool and sit down.
You may get through a bar you may not
You made play a scale perfectly you may not
You can improvise and you can compose;
It may be catchy and maybe something you want to work on or it may not.
You may keep it, or you may not.
What's important I feel is that during this time if you are going to be creative or productive to not put expectations on yourself to achieve something. You are doing fine by staying in surviving. You are using your creative instinct to deal with and process this situation, your work will resonate with people as they experience the same feelings.You can post your work to groups or friends online and connect with others through music.
If you have a routine set up or started to sit down and practice the piano every day, then don't set lofty goals about finishing a piece that you've never even looked at before in the next 3-weeks just try to improve evenness or touch sensitivity. Focus on what feelings the music is trying to convey and how your fingers respond to your commands slow deliberate practice will aid this. (I find happy staccato I need to really focus as it can sound forced happy and that is not what i was going for!) Other ideas are: learn some new scales and have them under your fingers maybe you'll learn the end of that exam piece that you have put off.
What I find during this emotionally stressful times is that creativity helps immensely it helps me process my feelings and it helps me feel like I've achieved something or done something with my day. However I don't expect anything that I produce during this pandemic lockdown to be really of any use and I am prepared to throw it out at the end of the day but some of the stuff will be good enough to keep and work on.
I am not putting pressure on myself to produce amazing creative work during this very strange tumultuous time. It is a very tense, anticipatory moment right now and we don't know what's going to happen, when the lock down is going to be lifted in every country and when we can travel freely the again. We don't know when face-to-face lessons, dance classes, Gym's, theatre, live music, restaurants and all the wonderful things we have can return to let alone jobs, or seeing family again.
This is creating is a generalized anxiety and everyone is feeling the pressure, and it is tiring to go through this. It is tiring to every day worry about something coming up, going wrong and changing your life for the worse, losing your business or your field of work or family. It's ok and it's normal to be worried about all of this and even exams but take a deep breath. Patience and resilience is what is required now same as we put into music practice and we will reap the rewards and we will have benefits beneficial results.
Well I hope I’ve distracted you for a moment and helped assuage some anxiety and negative self talk.
Talk you all in May in my next blog post, in the mean time check out my YouTube channel- click the link below for music posted weekly, and everyone have a relaxed, musical April!