I have told you before – I love teaching because I learn so much! I know I’m not everyone’s cup of tea as a teacher, but I am proud that my approach has always been that I am teaching the person not the harp. Yes, I’m kinda random. Yes, I talk too much. Yes, I (eventually) get to where that person is and figure out how to get through to them where they are right then.

So, yesterday we had one of the fun, funny moments that arise from being me while teaching. We were at that somewhat rocky place in learning a new tune where there’s a tenuous grasp of what’s going on – and the poor learner is really just clutching at any straw of knowledge. You know that place – when you’re not entirely sure of what it should sound like, which strings you’re supposed to play in which order, which fingers you want to be using, the rhythm (if we can even keep that in mind), what’s coming next … all the things.

So, I did the sort of thing I do – I reached over from my seat and tried to play the phrase. But I was “backward”, near the column so when I tried to get my fingers to work, they were fighting me – after all, they knew what to play. But my eyes were screaming (inside my head!), “NOOOO! It’s the other way!!!” (you know, like your mom yelled when you were learning to drive). There was a great deal of back and forth in my head while my fingers tried to work. I bent my brain!

It was sort of like the Contrary Motion exercises you played when you were young to the harp. That’s when one hand plays up at the same time the other plays down. Except that here it was my eyes going in one direction while my fingers went in the other. Crazy!

But it was good for a couple of reasons. This is a beginning student, and getting to watch me struggle to play something highlights that we’re always learning. And that, no matter how long we have played, there’s always something we could be working on to develop.

The other reason is that it really highlighted to me how, even though I’m always going on about being creative, I had missed a doozy – looking at the harp in a new way (literally). When I had just started playing, I used to turn the harp around, place the column on my shoulder and try to play the tune. I’m not sure when I stopped doing that, but it’s a lot harder now! I had to start a couple of times because I had a disconnect!

While we were at the harp as I struggled, we laughed and learned and went on. But it struck me how this was such an easy way to develop flexibility and fluidity in a non-threatening way. How can it be threatening when you’re not “playing”, just playing around? The important thing isn’t how well you can play backwards (no matter how many twins at harps or upside-down pianists you see on youtube). Rather it’s allowing yourself to do stuff to push your own boundaries.

So, I’ll challenge you to give this a try. See what happens when you bend your brain. Start with curiosity not expectation – because I promise it won’t be pretty at first. Instead, notice how hard it is at first – and how quickly you adapt. You can try playing something you already know, or you can try to make up something new. It doesn’t matter – it’s about flexing your creative muscles and having a little fun. Let me know how you go!

Your brain needs you to be bored to get creative. Unfortunately, our world is always pushing us to be busy, busy, busy. There’s nothing inherently wrong with being busy, but it probably doesn’t deserve the exalted status we have granted it.

What do busyness and boredom have to do with us? When you learn a tune, you need to be thinking about it. You are, in fact, very busy playing your new tune. And since “I can play it” is not the same as “I know it”, we are content to stay seated in the busyness of playing, comfortable in being assured that, like in the rest of life, being busy is the goal.

But, if you want to be creative, to make your music your own (including to make your own music), you need to step out of the comfort of being busy and just let yourself be for a bit. You need to be a bit bored. If you’re busy thinking about playing though, you don’t have time to get bored with it. What are we to do?!

We need to do the same things we did as children. You know, the stuff you did when your mother pushed you out the door and told you to go play. What did you do? I remember spinning in circles, arms outstretched – around and around and around. And laying on the ground looking at the clouds drifting by – giving them names. There’s a dog, there’s a dinosaur, there’s a freight train. Oh wait, the freight train has become a butterfly as it drifted by! Making up games with constantly shifting rules. Poking in the dirt looking for rolly-pollies.

When was the last time you did any of these things? Probably a long while – after all, we’re busy! But reintroducing these types of activities could help spur your creativity and improve your playing. You can do just a little nearly every day and see some strong growth in your harp creativity bringing more to your playing and your music. Added benefit – it will spill over to the rest of your life! Here are some ways to go about it:

• Go for a walk – make time to wander and let your mind wander as well. Added bonus – it’s good for you too!

• Put down the phone! Do you remember when you didn’t have your phone glued to you? Recreate that sensation by putting your phone down. If you’re very disciplined, just put it face down. If you’re less disciplined, put it in another room or turn it off all together. It’s ok – it’s only for a little while.

• Daydream – on purpose. While there’s nothing better than an online meeting to send me daydreaming, you might be more attentive. In this instance, we need the opposite of focused. Stare at a blank wall, unfocus your eyes, let your mind wander. Don’t worry about what you come up with, just wander.

• Frolic – just play around. Be as childlike as possible at the harp. It’s just you and your playmate (the harp) so make silly rules. Change them and see what happens. Enjoy the process. Laugh! There’s a reason it’s called “playing” the harp!

• Embrace the discomfort – when you were a kid, being bored seemed like a unique torture. Nothing felt right. But eventually, as you sat with being bored (or loudly decrying it) your mind went to work. So, you have to get through the itchy part. Let it happen, it’s part of the activity.

• Be a rebel! We’re supposed to be busy all the time so one of the best acts of rebellion is to not be.

• Value your bored time – amazing stuff can come out of this time, but you have to honor it. Don’t expect genius. Definitely don’t expect measurable productivity! In fact, don’t expect anything (expecting is a very adult thing to do when we’re trying to be more childlike!).

• Make time – metaphorically (or literally) go out to play. This is time you are investing in you.

Try being bored for a bit and see what happens as you play. Give some of these ideas a whirl and just enjoy being more free. What do you do when you’re bored? Let me know – I need more ideas!

The irony of this post is that I am sitting in a Panera, bombarded by annoying music, drinking coffee, and writing. You know – being busy. But I did spend the time as I walked here letting my mind wander – which is how I came up with the idea to write this. And I saw a really cool cloud shaped like an alligator!