It is the Bleak Midsummer – that time of year when it might as well be winter for all that you intend to go outside!  It’s predicted to be about 100^o tomorrow – ugh.  And raining.  The remnants of a tropical depressed (yes, I meant that).

Of course, it will be pouring while I try to load my car to head to Somerset Folk Harp Festival.  Why does it always rain when you need to load your harp into the car?  It’s just a law of nature I supposed.

But that’s the thing about the Bleak Midsummer (you might call it the Summer Doldrums, but that’s not bleak enough for me) – the heat, the humidity, the knowing that it will last another eight weeks – all gang up on you and sap your strength and motivation!  Who wants to play when you know you’re going to sweat on your harp?

Ugh.

So, how do you stay motivated?  Here are 8 ways that might work for you:

1. Go to summer harp events! I’m delighted to be going to Somerset Folk Harp Festival and I’m missing all the fun we had at the Ohio Scottish Arts School, and I’m really looking forward to Harp Quest! I wish I was able to fit more in, but these events (and others like them) really help you break out of any rut you might be in, let you catch up with old (but distant) harp friends, make new harp friends, and learn a lot in a relatively short time.  Best of all, you come home with new tunes, cool tricks and tips, and usually a bounce in your harp-step!  [BTW -There only a few remaining spots in Harp Quest and registration will close soon, so be sure to get in while there’s space!  More info here or contact us here]
2. Use the long days to your advantage – if you normally practice in the evening, you can use the early light to get a new view on your playing. Never gonna happen that you get up at 5 to practice? No worries – enjoy practicing in the late afternoon or early evening – here too the light is so bright and the sun still so high that it feels like you’re practicing much earlier than you are. Or wait until the lingering sunsets of summer to enjoy the feel of playing the evening in.  No matter what, you can use the longer days to get a fresh perspective on your playing.
3. Don’t let the short nights get the better of you – be sure you’re still getting enough sleep. Getting enough sleep will not only help you play better but will also help stave off the blues.  Those long nights will be upon us before we know it (even if it feels like they’ll never come) but you can still arrange to get plenty of rest.
4. It’s VACATION TIME! You can take this a number of ways. You’re going to go away and have a frabjous time somewhere else doing nothing (including not playing).  Or you’re going somewhere amazing and taking your harp with your time away.  Either way – use the down time to rest and recover.  And maybe devote a few quiet moments to reminding yourself of how much you love playing the harp and that the work is just a path to enjoyment. [And if you want to plan ahead – you could never go wrong spending your vacation on a trip with us!  Harp the Highlands and Islands 2020]
5. Use those long sunny (hot) days to spend time in your favorite chair with your favorite libation thinking about how lucky you are to play the harp! That should perk you up and make you want to play (and maybe even to practice?). Of course, that libation should be part of your hydration plan – it’s so easy to get dehydrated in the summer and that will throw you off your game, sap your motivation, and probably give you a headache – all no fun.
6. Think about Christmas – every year Christmas comes racing up and we’re never really ready, so give it a little thought now. Maybe plan out your cold weather strategy while it’s still nice and hot. When will you start?  What tunes are you going to add this year?  What have you played in the past that needs more work  (and inevitably, more than you think)?  Where are you going to play?  What non-holiday tunes will you keep in the rotation to avoid boring the socks off your listeners?  See, there’s loads to think about, while you’re sweating and not wanting to play.
7. Just sit for 15 minutes. Promise yourself that you’ll only play for 15 minutes – after all, it’s hot and you won’t be able to concentrate for too long, so don’t think you will – just do it in bite sized chunks throughout the day.
8. Have ice cream. Really? You’re going to question this?  Fine, I’ll have yours.

Power through – it’ll be autumn soon and before you know it, we’ll be complaining about how cold it is!  There’s eight ideas – do you have others?  How do you stay motivated throughout the summer?  Leave me a comment and share!