Practicing Practicing

So here’s the thing, I got out of practice on how to practice. During lockdown, and the for the majority of 2020, I fully dove into creative endeavors. I wrote, I sang, I banjo-ed, and for the first time in my life, I enjoyed the luxury of expressing myself without time limitations. Pre-2020, I had to fit my practice time in wherever I could while living the grinding work life of an NYC artist and the stark difference made me realize how exhausting that lifestyle really is.

My newest struggle has been balancing the lessons I learned during quarantine with the return to regular life. I don’t want to go completely back to the way I was pre-pandemic; working long hours, running from work to rehearsal to audition, but at the same time, it is unrealistic right now to create with that much freedom.
So in short, I’ve had to practice practicing. 

I say all this to remind you that the entire act of living is a practice and we should stay patient with ourselves.

Being creative and being PERSISTENT with being creative inevitably has ups and downs. There are some days where I feel incredibly motivated and prepared to take on the world and then there are days where I am sure I’m actually just making garbage that no one needs or wants. But all those negative voices, all that imposter syndrome shit is a reminder to persist. It’s a message to come back to the process and find the little things that move creativity and inspiration forward. Like writing a short blog about practicing practicing. 

I’ll leave you with a quote from a former voice instructor, “Relief from a terribly sung phrase is only an inhale away.” It helps keep in perspective that even if you’re in the midst of something going less than perfect, just keep breathing and set yourself up to succeed the next time. 

<3 Reb

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