by Erick GarciaI sit down in my room, pick up my guitar, place it on my lap, and begin to play. Not sure where I’m going with the ideas in my head, I play and play. And then, I just stop. For some reason, I just can’t bring myself to continue to play. The desire is there, and it is very strong, but I don’t continue. I feel like a ship just stalling at sea on a very calm day. Is it because I have writer’s block? Is it because I have to think for a bit in order to continue? Or is it simply because I feel discouraged? Whatever the reason, something in me is missing, and it bothers me. I have found that for some reason, even though someone does something that he or she loves passionately, sometimes he or she loses his or her way and that thing that usually brings him or her joy doesn’t seem to do so anymore. If you have ever felt this way and are someone who is artistically inclined, let me be the first to say that you aren’t alone. We can’t explain it, but sometimes we become disenchanted with the specific art form that we choose to express ourselves with, whether it’s writing, painting, drawing, or in my case, playing an instrument. However, there is one thing that I find is the only thing that matters above anything else, and what really matters is that you have fun with what you’re doing. It sounds very bland, but allow me to explain. Whenever we enjoy doing something, particularly if it’s a hobby, we do it because we feel good and fulfilled when we do it right? If your hobby is an artistic form of expression, you don’t just do it because you love it, you do it because to a certain degree it’s an extension of you. You paint, draw, write, play an instrument or what have you, not just because you enjoy it, but also because it’s how you express yourself best when regular words fail to say how you feel about something. And when you really want to express yourself, sometimes you even create something beautiful out of nothing with those artistic talents that you have, which is probably an artist’s greatest dream. Unfortunately, sometimes you hit a roadblock, and all of a sudden you feel discouraged and no longer want to engage in that artistic form of expression that made you feel so happy. Why is this? In my case, I play the guitar, or at least try to as much as I can. As I mentioned in my previous article on career choices, one of my dreams is to play in a band and to write music. However, sometimes I will completely abandon the guitar for prolonged periods of time, even if the desire to actually play is there. This is something that I feel happens from time to time to people who artistically inclined. Even though they love to express themselves in a certain artistic way, sometimes that form of expression can become joyless and even tedious, and in the worst cases, can feel like work instead of something that makes you feel happy, which in my opinion is the absolute worst thing that can happen, because anything that makes you feel happy shouldn’t feel like a chore. Speaking about myself and my flaws, I guess one of the reasons why I can become so disenchanted with the guitar and with playing music in general is because of my level of experience. I am by no means an expert, and I still consider myself a beginner in a lot of ways, partially because I’m so on and off with playing the guitar. I know that practice makes perfect and that no abilities worth possessing are developed overnight, but sometimes when I look at the multiple posters and album covers of my musical heroes that adorn my room, I can’t help but feel discouraged and even intimidated at how far behind I am in my journey to be like them. Any artist will tell you that he or she has heroes or idols, and more often than not, anything that he or she does will be inspired by his or her heroes. The thing about heroes is that sometimes their achievements seem so monumental to us that just the thought of trying to achieve a level of greatness similar to theirs all of a sudden becomes impossible and far away, and therefore we sometimes ask ourselves “why am I even trying” or “what’s the point of doing this if I’ll never be like them?” I know I’ve asked myself this question many more times that I cared to. If you are an aspiring artist reading this article, or if you’re someone who expresses yourself through an art form and is looking for a little bit of inspiration, I have some advice for you. First of all, you should always try to be yourself. Before you roll your eyes and say “oh great, another person telling me to be myself,” stop and think about it for a bit. Why is this so important? And what does this even mean? Well, in my experience, it means that however you end up expressing yourself artistically belongs to you and only you! No one has ever expressed themselves that way before you, and that alone is gratifying in itself. One of the most important things I learned from my music theory teacher in high school was that even though influence is great, technique never fails. To me, this means that there’s nothing wrong with trying to be like our heroes, but if we really want to be like them, we have to be unlike anyone else, because that’s how one creates a legacy worth respecting: by being bold enough to be different. Second, nothing worth having comes easy, and it certainly doesn’t come overnight, in a day, a week, a month, maybe not even a year. I say this not to discourage you, but to tell you that just like life is continuous, so is art! You can only get better at what you do if you keep on practicing, but that can only happen over time. Life in general is one huge learning experience: it never stops! So don’t put a time limit on something that’s always evolving and getting better. The more you develop your skills, the more powerful you become. And third, and perhaps the most important thing of all, even more important than being original or having experience: what really matters in all of this is to have fun!
Yes, there are artists who want to push the boundaries and create beauty out of nothing with their skills, but if you’re someone who draws, paints, writes, acts, plays an instrument (the list goes on), not so much to create, but to simply express yourself as a hobby, having fun is your driving force. If you ever find yourself in a situation like mine, do what I eventually did, and ask yourself this: why did I fall in love with this in the first place? This goes for anyone who is a writer, painter, photographer, sketch artist, musician, etc. What made you fall in love with what you do? If you ask yourself this and you’re still at a loss for words, try going back to the roots of why you express yourself in the way you do artistically, and if you find that what made it so much fun in the first place is still there, if that something still burns just as passionately as it did on the first day, then bring that with you into the present and get back into it! If you’re into art for the hedonistic value it can provide, have fun and enjoy it to the fullest. And if you’re in it to leave your mark on the world, don’t ever be afraid to fail and don’t let yourself be intimidated by your heroes, because just like you, they had these very same doubts at some point themselves. Being an artist isn’t hard. What is hard is convincing yourself that you can be one. Be yourself, work hard, love what you do, but most importantly, have fun while you do it! As long as you have fun, the rest will work itself out.
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