Tuesday, July 8, 2014

The Busy Season

The nearly three month hiatus from the blog has inspired this post.

We all have them. That period of time where we are constantly moving. Work, family, and other obligations seem to absorb a sequence of days, weeks or even months. Any creative projects you had planned are put off for a future date.

As a music teacher, April/May always seems to be that time. Right around the end of May, performances finally slow down. I begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Excitement about future projects begins to creep in. But until then, my responsibilities keep me from exploring my own creative work.

Prior to this busy season, I started a new habit that lasted a few weeks (yes I know it is not really a "habit" then!) I knew I would be hitting a barren season where it would be hard to find time to work on a project. I needed to find a time in the day that was just mine. Time that couldn't be eaten up by school or family obligations. So I started to wake up two hours earlier.

The morning seemed to be the perfect time. No one was up to disturb me. I was fresh and alert. And I got a lot done. Those two hours seemed surprisingly long. As a bonus, when I started my teaching day I felt accomplished. I had already spent a good chunk of time working on my personal creative projects.

As mentioned above, this lasted for only a few weeks. Once I started getting home from evening obligations later and later, it became hard to set that alarm. Probably, rightfully so since sleep and rest is a prerequisite for creative work.

For me the hardest thing about the post busy season is getting back into that routine. There is a temptation to want to wait until the muse strikes, or until the kids are in bed, or until...

But I know that is not the way to do it. You just need to start writing, playing, practicing. Time to get back into things! I think I need to revisit my previous advice!

In the meantime, you can follow this blog on twitter. https://twitter.com/musicalmuseblog


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