Eeek it out... how being bad at music can give you a faint hint of the good tunes to come.

I just started learning the violin. 

I am no good and it is awesome. 

I have taken a few adult beginner violin classes with an amazingly gracious and talented instructor and with a good hearted group of adults. It is possible I am the worst one in the class and I get a little nervous every time I go to class, but I am eeking out some sounds on my rented instrument and I am fulfilling a childhood dream. When I set aside my 15-30 minutes a day to practice, it is slow and steady, but as I eek out and squeak out the notes, I can hear the foreshadowing of actual music. 

The song is there. The notes all exist. I have to tune in with my hands, arms, ears and get sensitive to find out how to do it. I have to listen to the teacher. I have to practice. I have to show up to this beloved task of learning these notes, songs, techniques otherwise, they wont be learned and understood. At least not by me, but maybe by someone else out there willing to show up and do it! 

But I love this... seriously... the kid in me is giddy every time I open my rented case and pull out my shiny, beautiful, wooden, rented violin. 

I am working those parts of myself, my brain and muscle coordination that I have likely never worked before. Researchers say that this type of brain stretch is good for the body and mind and can actually prevent some of the effects of aging, such as memory loss. Some people even try mind exercises to help with brain plasticity to gain these positive benefits. I suppose you could equate this to getting your brain a gym membership. I just prefer to take mine out for a run and set it free by continuing my curiosity with the world and anything I find interesting or intriguing. 

I realized that as a visual artist and as a professional 'creativity encourager' that I am not the person I say I am when I ask people to step outside of their comfort zones, unless I too do the same. Thus, I realized that my long time dream of learning to play the violin must begin. That I could not sit around in the world of visual art in which I could have a tendency to feel comfortable in and tell others to stretch themselves.

So, I wanted you to know I am doing the same. I am not sitting around in my overly familiar haunts being a hypocrite. I wouldn't have it! I wanted you to know that I am stretching myself and it is scary and it is challenging and sometimes puts butterflies in my stomach, but that I am having so much fun! I am eeking it out and you should too. We all have to start somewhere and we can only start where we are. 

If we are beginners... then so be it! 

Better a beginner now than a regretter later, regretting that we allowed life to slip by without taking the risk to become a beginner!

The red tapes are to remind me where to put my fingers! Gotta love the tell-tale signs of being a beginner!

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