By consciously trying to get out of my comfort zone I water and feed my creativity - a simple challenge which first step can only be planned and the outcome is bound to be a surprise.
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| Photo: lusi |
Rachel spoke of the beauty of stepping out of your comfort zone and how it can help other people as well. At the same time, Anabel wrote about her decision to expand her comfort zone and learn Web Design. By herself, of course. And I thought, aren't we kindred spirits! See how excitement, motivation and creativity are genuinely contagious? We are scattered around the world live in different time zones but the flame in our words bonds us and pushes us forward, up, and out!
I have to admit that I took your suggestions seriously and I am preparing to play for you all. Whatever happens, I will be playing for you tomorrow, Tuesday, January 29th. You have to be here, mark it in your calendars! I will be only playing the right hand, of course (it is so challenging that at the time being I cannot imagine how I will include the left one... ), and even so it won't be perfect but I will record it and play it as it comes, no stitching and remakes. It has to be real.
As real as it is now when I look at the piano, having played for more than an hour. After the initial excitement I am bewildered by the darts of frustration and impatience that went through my heart today. How could I allow negativity on this beautiful journey out of my comfort zone? The question still stings. Why would I not enjoy the outcome of my efforts but chose to be critical and unsatisfied?
Have you been in a similar situation? What are your thoughts?
On another note, if you have written a blog post about leaving your comfort zone and want to share it with us, please link to it and I will pin it to my Comfort Zone board on Pinterest!
Follow the rest of my journey:
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 5
So what's wrong with just playing with one hand? I spent 6 years being taught how to play the piano, made it (but didn't pass) to Grade 8, (just scraped through Grade 7, and that was the first piano exam I'd ever tried. My present skill (just the first 3 bars, with the right hand, of The Blue Danube!). You've got to be better than that!
ReplyDeleteIsobel: www.ColdhamCuddliescalling.blogspot.com
Well, I think that playing with one hand is too basic, not that I know anything about playing the piano! Plus, the song I chose is for 2 hands... luckily the piano cooperates on the left one :)
DeleteThe Blue Danube is a favorite melody and 6 years is a long time, you must be literate in notes, unlike me.
Let's see how I will perform tomorrow for you, I already feel nervou.
Sonya, I applaud you for sharing your journey with us, openly and courageously. I can relate to those moments of frustration and impatience and am learning that in order to temper them, I have to work on silencing my inner critic. An ongoing challenge! I also think it's important to allow ourselves to feel a sense of accomplishment for each step we take along a new path. Progress is made with each of those steps! Wishng you all the best with tomorrow's "step!"
ReplyDeleteLisa, silencing the inner critic is a challenge indeed. Mostly because I think that without the critic I cannot grow. Or can I?
DeleteAnd thank you, again, for you warm support!
I am so hard on myself when it comes to learning new things! I get very, very frustrated when something doesn't come as easily "as it should." I often get those "tears of frustration" moments. I don't know why I put so much pressure on myself ... learning is half of the journey. And, in that journey, you may find another branch of creativity, or even a shortcut to what you are trying to do. ;) I hope you are able to accomplish your goal with playing!
ReplyDeleteYou are so right, Dawn. Thinking of how it "should" be creates such pressure that I sometimes get paralyzed... Thank you!
DeleteAw thanks for the shout out, Sonya! I'm so glad your still loving piano. I feel like everytime we perform in front of someone, we realize something that we didn't hear before, and it helps us improve way more than just playing by ourselves. And most instruments you can get away with playing just the melody, youknow--we hype up piano a lot with using chords and stuff, to a point where the bar is really high for piano players, but flute solos, guitar licks, violins, they mostly play just one melody line and it's beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking the time to check back on my challenge each day, Rachel. You are the person that speaks piano language the most from all my friends, so I kind of look up to you for guidance :) And I am sure that you will hear and see a lot of flaws tomorrow but I will hold my little recital nonetheless, so that I can hear, just as you say, in a different way!
DeleteI will be here tomorrow Tuesday! This is very exciting, and I love that we can connect like this despite the fact that we're spread all over the world.
ReplyDeleteThis is such an inspiring post! It is so important that we stretch and release ourselves from the comfort zone we have built around us. In today's world, we set our own limitations, and it is ever so vital to go beyond them.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Megan. You are right, the limitations are set by us and very often unwittingly. It takes quite some effort to first realize that and then work on overcoming them! Thanks for reading!
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