Creativity Dies a Lonely Death

Do you find yourself alone in your passions?

I have, especially with violin.

For three years, four(ish) times a week, I’ve pulled the case down from the shelf, tightened my bow, tuned the strings and practiced.

As with any hobby, the delight of starting fresh faded within weeks.

"Damn. This is tough. This feels like work."

And it’s only the beginning.

But with small steps, well-paced practice and a little discipline, I crawled out of the pit.

"Yeah, it is tough, but I’ll manage."

Once you’re past the beginner’s slump, the grass looks a little greener…

…until it’s eaten by wildfire. Twice.

You’ll never avoid slumps. No matter how far your skills fly, struggle will be there to meet you.

While I was left dazed trying to find out where the hell a b-flat is, a violin master on the other side of the world is stressed over his Paganini performance the next day.

It’s harsh, but this basic truth frees us to focus on what we CAN control: the angle we meet challenge from.

And this leads me to the turnaround.

As months became years in my violin practice, the fire began to dwindle.

I didn’t really care anymore.

My practice was half-assed, sessions grew shorter and I had to use every last scrap of discipline to pick the instrument up.

I fell into the slump, and never left.

So where did the passion go?

I rediscovered it while procrastinating on Youtube.

For old times sake, I watched some videos from TwoSet Violin -Brett and Eddy are the violinist duo behind the channel, and they’re amazing musicians.

Their love for the craft first inspired me to start.

And what should have been mindless consumption became a reflection.

I started to care again.

Hearing them tell stories, laugh about tropes and scold sloppy violin mistakes in movies made me realise the treasure I had at my fingertips.

I could relate.

Even through a screen, I felt an invisible belonging.

One which let me appreciate what I neglected moments before.

And it made me think: no wonder I stopped caring… I made my violin playing as lonely as washing the dishes.

Beyond practice sessions, it never crossed my mind.

I never talked about it, I never saw the creative outburst of others, and nobody but me cared about how hard third position was…

If all it took to see the light again was a Youtube video, imagine the power a community has.

Joint triumphs.

Shared meaning.

Common battles.

A forum for learning, friendships and rivalries, all pointed to creative excellence.

And the best part is, it takes a hundred unique forms, from clubs to forums to subreddits to schools. There's something for everyone, everywhere.

Ever since the playwrights of Athens , we’ve been building communities to make our interests matter.

My devotion to violin got lonely, so it died.

Through community, it springs back to life.

May your creativity find it’s people!

Odysseas