Works in Progress
Discover more from Where Pianos Roam
Works in Progress
When the Doing Far Exceeds What Gets Done
Learning and experimentation are integral parts of my creative process. There has never been a time in my life when I was not studying something new or fine-tuning a skill through trial and error.
These days, I learn and experiment as a way to fill my days with joy and combat distractions from my cell phone and social media. Creating something beautiful gives me a sweet adrenaline rush. As I work and get better at a skill, I start to feel excited and refreshed by the piece of art that is revealing itself. To me, this is such a gratifying experience especially when I started from scratch and was not confident in what I was doing.
When I get the urge to check my phone, I turn to one of my works in progress and focus on that. This becomes a much better use of my time.
A lot of my paid work involves staring at a screen or some other freelance design or editing project, and any break my eyes can get from a computer is always worthwhile. I use my hands when I play piano, and I love the tactile feel of actually working with physical objects (as opposed to sedentary screen time).
This year in particular, I have taken a break from filmmaking, and it has felt good to devour other creative activities. Next year’s inevitable return to the camera will be enriched by all I have done in its absence.
As I have previously shared on WPR, I have started to learn embroidery. I had no idea how fun and relaxing this art form is. After much deliberation, I have started on my next project, and predictably, it is going to be a whimsical flower portrait.
Another new skill I am learning is the art of mending clothes. My friend Soirée has been teaching me Sashiko, which is the Japanese art of mending clothes with a variety of stitches. My first project has admittedly taken forever, and I had to start all over once already because I was not satisfied with what I did. It is coming along and may actually be finished soon. A sleeve of one of my favorite shirts had a large hole in it. I cut fabric from a different shirt that was uncomfortable to wear, and I used embroidery floss for the running stitches.
Many of you have seen my pencil drawings, but a recent undertaking has been a deeper dive into digital illustration. One new piece I am working on is for a future post on social media regarding trans rights. I have been taking my time with it, but here it is so far. I still have a long way to go.
If you are wondering how I find the time to do all of this, I only work on these projects for a few minutes at a time every day (usually maybe a half hour at the most). Once a week, I allocate two to three hours for one of these undertakings. I really do treat them as a break from the bigger projects that I am working on. They are low-stress and low-stakes side projects that simply make me smile and geek out when I do them.
(Also, I do not watch much TV. My rule is to see only one movie per month and to binge only one show per month. I would rather spend my time elsewhere at this point.)
These little projects are also tiny exercises in problem-solving, which I actually love to do.
I will keep you all updated on how these projects turn out down the road. For now, I am fully enjoying the making and the tinkering of it all, and regardless of how they turn out, I gain the most insight and satisfaction along the way.
P.S. For those of you who live in the greater Nashville area or in Sarasota, Florida, here are my upcoming shows:
12/03/2023: the French House in Nashville, TN
12/10/2023: Piano Sessions at Aviva in Sarasota, FL
Please mark your calendars and come out to a show!
This week, I took a long walk at a local park. It has been unseasonably warm out, and I took advantage of this delightful weather by taking a quiet, solitary stroll along a paved path. The distant rumble of cars in town and the laughter and yelps of kids at a playground were all I could hear. It was a chance to be alone with my thoughts and to take in some fresh air. I sneezed about ten times and probably startled a squirrel or two. (I come from a family of loud sneezers.) Needless to say, it was a beautiful day.
To listen to my music, watch my films, or see my visual art, please visit:
WPR is my weekly labor of love. Please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber to receive a thoughtful, ad-free, and algorithm-free issue every Friday. Every cent supports all my creative work. Thank you for reading.