Practice
Is there anything more annoying than following a blog that never has any new posts? Obviously yes, there are many things more annoying than that. But I will never get rich off this blog if I don't have new material. And I won't have new material if I don't do something worth writing about. And I won't do something worth writing about unless I get off my couch, so...
I have this drum kit that a friend loaned me, oh, 3 years ago maybe. I had it all set up in one of my spare rooms but then I got a roommate and needed to rearrange things so she could, you know, have a place for her stuff. Also playing drums in a small room is really, really loud. So I never really played those drums. Last weekend I decided to drag them out. Because what 30-something woman doesn't need a drum kit in her living room? It makes me look really hip, I think. Anyway, I set them up and get quite a bit of satisfaction out of banging on them for about 7 minutes. before I realize I am not actually good at playing the drums and I get annoyed and move onto other things, such as lying on the couch.
Stay with me here, this might be going somewhere. See, I had this realization. I have very little concept of working toward something to get better at it. When I decide to try something new, I go in with the assumption that I'll be able to do it. If I'm not good at it right away, I'm like meh, this is not fun, and I move on. I took tennis lessons a few years ago. I am not a natural athlete. I did not continue lessons and I don't play tennis now.
I decided to take up watercolors. I bought some supplies and found a beginning watercolor tutorial. My first attempt was not a success. So, supplies- into the craft hole, not to be heard from since. I don't know why I have this idea that I should just be able to pick up any random thing and be an expert. Things take practice. You have to be disciplined. You have to work at it. That's how people improve and become great tennis players or watercolorists or writers or trapeze artists or photographers or whatever. I don't know why I'm surprised by this. It's how the world works.
I lied. This isn't going anywhere. Just thinking, thinking.
I have this drum kit that a friend loaned me, oh, 3 years ago maybe. I had it all set up in one of my spare rooms but then I got a roommate and needed to rearrange things so she could, you know, have a place for her stuff. Also playing drums in a small room is really, really loud. So I never really played those drums. Last weekend I decided to drag them out. Because what 30-something woman doesn't need a drum kit in her living room? It makes me look really hip, I think. Anyway, I set them up and get quite a bit of satisfaction out of banging on them for about 7 minutes. before I realize I am not actually good at playing the drums and I get annoyed and move onto other things, such as lying on the couch.
Stay with me here, this might be going somewhere. See, I had this realization. I have very little concept of working toward something to get better at it. When I decide to try something new, I go in with the assumption that I'll be able to do it. If I'm not good at it right away, I'm like meh, this is not fun, and I move on. I took tennis lessons a few years ago. I am not a natural athlete. I did not continue lessons and I don't play tennis now.
I decided to take up watercolors. I bought some supplies and found a beginning watercolor tutorial. My first attempt was not a success. So, supplies- into the craft hole, not to be heard from since. I don't know why I have this idea that I should just be able to pick up any random thing and be an expert. Things take practice. You have to be disciplined. You have to work at it. That's how people improve and become great tennis players or watercolorists or writers or trapeze artists or photographers or whatever. I don't know why I'm surprised by this. It's how the world works.
I lied. This isn't going anywhere. Just thinking, thinking.
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