Art As A Spiritual Practice

As well as we may know ourselves, we can never see our selves from the outside. This is the reason even veteran athletes work with trainers and coaches. These people can spot things the athlete is doing that they don't even realize. The same can be said for artists. Sometimes we need a fresh perspective from another person. This happened to me. As a drummer, I was having some problems with my drumming. I just didn't feel comfortable and relaxed anymore. It took a friend to notice and tell me that I was holding my breath when I played. I never noticed that, because it had become something natural to do. But by holding my breath, I was inhibiting the natural flow of things. If you play brass or winds, the breath is integral with making your music. You are taught how to breathe with the phrasing of the music. The same can be said for string players and other musicians. But as a drummer, no one had ever discussed breathing with me. No one. So I never gave it much thought.

Wake up. Wake up and stop sleeping. Wake up and pay attention to what you are doing, to what is going on around you.  It's so easy to fall asleep at the wheel and wake up later, not knowing where you are or how you got there. This sort of artistic somnambulation is something we often struggle against everyday.  WAKE UP ND PAY ATTENTION Paying attention, it's just being aware of what you are doing at all times. One way to get through artist's block is to pay attention. There are messages and inspiration all around us. When we sleepwalk through life we miss connecting with them. A big part of our artistic spiritual practice is just being aware of our lives. When you find yourself dozing, or just going through the motions, snap out of it. Be present. Be awake. We use the term practice because you have to actively practice it, and like all things, the more you do it, the more it becomes a natural part of what you do. Teach yourself to pay attention. ~ MB P