This weekend in lazy moment of Facebook surfing I came across a link to the Guardian’s Classical Music Blog and a terrific post by concert pianist James Rhodes from back in April 2013: “Find what you love and let it kill you.” You MUST read it.
This is a cry from the heart to all of us to get out there to create:
“After the inevitable “How many hours a day do you practice?” and “Show me your hands”, the most common thing people say to me when they hear I’m a pianist is “I used to play the piano as a kid. I really regret giving it up”. I imagine authors have lost count of the number of people who have told them they “always had a book inside them”. We seem to have evolved into a society of mourned and misplaced creativity. A world where people have simply surrendered to (or been beaten into submission by) the sleepwalk of work, domesticity, mortgage repayments, junk food, junk TV, junk everything, angry ex-wives, ADHD kids and the lure of eating chicken from a bucket while emailing clients at 8pm on a weekend.”
James was no child prodigy. He gave up music for a decade and worked in London until he just couldn’t stand not playing piano anymore.
His post is a reminder that we all have that spark of creativity in us, and rather than shove it away because we aren’t good enough, don’t have time, and 101 other reasons, we can pick up the pen, or the paint brush, or an instrument and simply play.
It makes me think of two designers I read about who have their friends over for beer and art making sessions. They drink and chat and doodle, paint, collage, and whatever.
“The government is cutting music programmes in schools and slashing Arts grants as gleefully as a morbidly American kid in Baskin Robbins. So if only to stick it to the man, isn’t it worth fighting back in some small way? So write your damn book. Learn a Chopin prelude, get all Jackson Pollock with the kids, spend a few hours writing a Haiku. Do it because it counts even without the fanfare, the money, the fame…”
So this Monday morning practice is about getting your creative on this week. Whatever that is for you. Enjoy!