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So many of us struggle to get our practice in. Whether we’re just starting or are simply reacting to daily life, finding the time can be a struggle. But sometimes it’s not finding the time at all.
Sometimes it’s about masking our feelings not our calendars.
I have yet to meet a harper who is unaccomplished, uninteresting, or unmotivated in life.
And that is part of the problem! Because when you are accomplished, interesting, and motivated, it can be more than a little humbling to be confronted by something that kicks your metaphorical butt!
And harp is kind of a bully – it looks so effortless. It sounds so effortless and ethereal. It is so soothing and relaxing. And then it knocks you for six, slaps your face with a fish, and laughs as it saunters away.
And here we are, accomplished, interesting, motivated adults, known for our acumen and accomplishment in the rest of our life, being humiliated by a fish wielding bundle of kindling!
But this is not that.
We can put up plenty of “barriers” to avoid confronting that playing the harp is a lot more challenging than it looks. That it requires all the skills we have already developed and then requires a whole load more that we have to work on – continuously!
I swear I’ve heard my harp sneer, “but what have you done for me today?” And that can wear you down. It may feel as if your harp laughs in the face of your previous accomplishments. That does not make us any less than. In fact, it only makes us more.
Here’s another way to think about it – you grow best when you are under load. That’s true for both physical and cognitive growth. The real challenge is how you respond to that load. The part of us that has already accomplished so much might want to know why we have to do this given that we’re already so lauded and recognized for our high ability and expertise.
Rather than letting the smarty boots part of you derail your practice, think instead about the load (practicing) as being not so heavy*. And that if you divide it up over time, it becomes feather weight (granted – it’s still intimidating, but it becomes more manageable!). It’s like the elephant – you eat it one bite at a time.
Struggle makes us better, no matter how uncomfortable it might be. What you did before prepares you for what you do now. You do not need to hide from your harp – this is not that. This is this!
And you know it – you’ve got this!
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* Also, don’t let something you’re very proficient at just now let you forget how much work you put in when that was the difficult challenge in your life!
Your comments
Jen- this is the most realistic rendition of harp study EVER. I agree wholeheartedly! The harp i s Gorgeous to look at, etherial to hear and damn difficult to learn to play!
Yes, we are intelligent, educated, often professional adults and the harp says ” you want it When?” – Kate
