🎉 Celebrating progress (even if glacial 🧊)

Hi Reader, 

We’re at that point in the year when most people’s New Year’s Resolutions have fizzled. (I’m not trying to be a Debbie Downer, it’s just statistically true!)

But that really doesn’t matter!

You get to restart and recommit to your creativity as many times as you need to.

I decided that I was doing a slow January this year, without many time-bound personal expectations, but the one habit I have really focused on is improvisation, mostly in the Brazilian/jazz realm.

As someone who has always been stronger with reading notes off a page than playing by ear, I am always striving to strengthen that ear-mind connection. I have a decent ear, but it can always improve, allowing me to more soulfully express the music.

All of the best improvisers have a very strong connection between their “mind’s ear” (what notes they hear in their minds), and translating that to what comes out of their instrument.

Practicing by internally hearing, then playing takes more mental dedication (like a mindfulness practice) than just the intellectual, music theory rule-based, “I know what scales and riffs to use on this chord” autopilot muscle memory. (There’s a place for that, too, but I don’t want it to be my default.)

So, despite my full schedule, my goal has been to keep these minimum parameters:

1. 1 hour of dedicated practice every weekday
2. At least part of the session has to be dedicated to ear training and improv like I described above
3. Log what I worked on in my practice calendar/journal (just very brief notes in Notion)

If those aren’t all possible, I do something to strengthen my ear, whether it’s just 5-10 minutes of singing/humming and trying to play along with myself, or just using an ear training app.

Some days I feel like I’m making progress, but sometimes I really can’t see it. I want to be able to play faster, with less effort, but I have to go slow before I can go fast!

🌱 Progress isn’t always tangible, like how seeds growing underground can’t be seen until they burst through the surface of the soil.  🌱

Sometimes we need to zoom out to see the progress, like comparing Current You to Past You who was just starting out, or having someone outside of ourselves reflect back what they see.

We don’t have ultimate control over our results, but we can definitely guide our efforts. 

Making effort-based goals ensures that we keep making progress, even when we don’t like what’s coming out of the pen/instrument/etc.

Even if you’re not being as disciplined as you’d like in your practice, you’re still making progress!

Personal growth is slow technology (credit to Mara Glatzel, from whom I heard that term), which is actually great, because spending more time on whatever you’re working on ingrains your habits more deeply.

If “not quitting” is all you can muster today, cool! Just do something tiny that moves you toward your creative goal. 

Every single thing we do is accomplished through lots of tiny steps.

So what’s your tiny step going to be today?

If you reply and tell me, I will cheer you on!

Also, if you need a bit of outside accountability (no shame!) to help with making progress on your creative projects, you’re invited to join us in Compassionate Creativity Coworking Club, to get stuff done together, in friendly community!

(You get to try your first session for free!)

What are you working on lately? I would love to hear about it - hit reply and let me know!

Stay well, my friends - I'm always rooting for you. My inbox is always open, so please feel free to reach out if I can help in any way. 

I always love hearing from you!

Have a lovely week! ⁠

Rebecca

• This snowboarding 4-year-old has a good attitude about growth, and is also hilarious! 
• Mastering the Art of Letting Go - Such a lifelong practice!
• Currently listening to (and enjoying): Your Mother Should Know: Brad Mehldau Plays the Beatles

BAWP is currently on winter break, but I popped in with a new year update: 

• Ep. 71: My 2023 Word of the Year + Reflecting on 2022

I still love the practice of choosing a theme word for the year, to help guide new year intentions and goals. It can be a wonderful filter for what feels intuitively right to do and create, whether in place of or along with more structured planning and goal setting.

In this episode I share about my intentions for my 2022 word PLAY, how it turned out in practice, why I’m excited about my new word for 2023, and some tips for choosing your own word of the year.

Join us in Compassionate Creativity Coworking Club 

(Your first session is free to try!)

Book a free discovery call to learn more about coaching and get a mini-session

Coaching Offerings:

• Rise Above the Overwhelm: laser-focused 1-time sessions

• Creative Season (3 months)