No time to Practice?

This is a phrase I’ve heard a lot. Hell, I’ve said it a lot. But the truth is… that’s a load of crap.

It is easy to say we don’t have time to work toward our dreams. It lets us off the hook. We tell ourselves that if we only didn’t have to work our soul-crushing jobs we would be able to shred on the guitar, write a great book, script, or song, finally get in shape, or follow any number of the passions lurking in our hearts.

But here is something I discovered… Sometimes it is easier to accomplish your goals when your schedule is packed.

When I returned to school I told myself that there was no way that I could juggle a full-time class schedule, a job, a marriage, and music. When a musical opportunity knocked on my door that caught my fancy I HAD to make it work. I find that when the work day is done and the homework is finished, you find the time to spend with those you care about and work on your craft… if you want it bad enough.

However, when you have a lot of time on your hands it is very easy to fall into procrastination. Nothing is urgent.

When my schedule was ridiculous I found I got a lot more practicing done during the work week than on weekend days that were mostly free.

The change comes from asking yourself “when and how can I work this into my day” …instead of waiting to retire, win the lottery, or be “discovered”. Do something today to get you closer to where you want to be. Your busy life could be just the kind of structure you need to keep you on your path.
Groove Digglah

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Artist or Craftsman?

One of my fav musical authors, Bobby Owsinski, wrote in his book How to Make Your Band Sound Great that “art is something you do for yourself. Craft is something you do for everyone else.”

His point is about gauging how you might want to balance the two. Stand on the far edge of the “art” definition and your work might limited to a very small group of people. Jump to the extreme of “Craft” side and you run the risk of pleasing many but you might not be taken seriously by your peers.

Hmmm. Something to think about, huh? I’ve had this argument with myself and others when choosing material. Where is the line between trying to reach out to people and “selling out?” (Is anyone really able to sell out anymore?)

Seth Godin has his take on being an artist too. In his book Linchpin Seth takes a lot of time to describe what qualities make someone an artist. He is coming from a different angle (and trying to make an entirely different point.) He believes that all true art contains a “gift” element.

I think I get what he means. You can buy a cd, for example and you purchase a craftsman’s (craftmen? Craftwomen? Craftpeople?) work. If a song on it plays while you kiss your wife-to-be for the first time and now every time you here it you feel the exact same emotions, or if it helps you to see the world in a new way… that is a gift and that is ART! I think that the disc, the sound, is the craft. The way the listener interacts with it is the gift (and, in my opinion, what makes it art).

So what makes something a work of art in your eyes (or ears)?
Groove Digglah

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