Firsts

A helpful exercise for rekindling musical (or indeed any creative) enthusiasm is to go back to what first grabbed you to pick up a guitar/keyboard/flugelhorn and make music.

For me, I grew up in the golden age of 80s pop music in a brief moment when quirky and creative was actually mainstream;  being "interesting and weird" were looked on as positive, "hit" qualities!  It helped if you were British or acted British too.   Songs like Thomas Dolby's "She Blinded Me With Science" and Wall of Voodoo's "Mexican Radio" were huge hits, artists like The Police, The Cars, Talking Heads, U2, and David Bowie were dominating the radio airwaves and charts.  I'd listen to Casey Kasem's American Top 40 and every song would be interesting.

Whenever I get frustrated, I can go back to this music.  Whenever I need to rekindle my beginner's mind, I can listen to "Roxanne" or "New Year's Day" and it takes me back to my "tennis racket" guitar that I'd mime with in the mirror which eventually became a real guitar.   There is spark, energy, creativity, and power in that music for me.   Thankfully, I have a lot of different kinds of music that does this for me.

What about you?  What did you imitate as a kid that you do now as an adult, or want to do now but won't let yourself?   Did you go around singing with a wooden spoon?   Maybe you had a tennis racket guitar.   Whatever it is, let yourself go there today.  Find that original spark music and cue it up.  See where it takes you.

Above all, stay open, eager, and enthusiastic!   Practice beginner's mind.