I’m so glad you bought another clarinet Emily, from the moment you said you’d sold your first treasured Boosey and Hawkes I was hoping that by the end of listening you’d tell us that you had! And you did…
I believe that if something gives us the joy of a creative sparkle we should practice it as often as we can !!
You know mine already - I never go anywhere without my camera !
I hope we get to hear you play! Have a lovely Sunday 🌸🍃x
You photographs bring me so much joy too Susie 💛 I’m so glad we connected here. I might share some music if I have the courage! My fingers have not forgotten how to play, despite the years that have passed. 🎶
I always wanted to play the piano but never did. I had an alto sax for a while too. Absolutely agree that you can’t help feel good listening or playing 😊
So beautiful, Emily! Congratulations on your return to the clarinet - and thank you for sharing this important message of creativity, for all the right reasons!
So great that you bought yourself a new clarinet! When I was a teen, I wanted to learn to play guitar because I just thought that was possibly the coolest thing. I got one, got lessons, enjoyed it a lot until a few years ago life just got busier (I grew up, mainly ;) ) and now my beautiful Fender Western Guitar is sitting in a corner. I've often thought about selling it, because I'm not sure if I will ever play again. I just haven't yet, because of nostalgia. Maybe, when no one is watching, I will pick it up again this week and think of you and your clarinet. :) Thank you for this gentle push towards play and joy (usually I'm also more end-result and goal oriented).
Oh how wonderful Mareike 💛and guitar is 100% cool!! I hope that you do find some time and quiet to play just for you and for joy 🌸🌸 I’d love to hear about it xx
I am so here for this, Emily!! Thank you for the reminder.
I am reading Your Brain on Art (Magsamen & Ross) at the moment and it is blowing my mind in the best way. It's helping to remove some of the guilt and stories I had about the frivolity and unseriousness of my creative outlets. Now I feel like they are necessary! Not just for me but for people around me and wider society. When we create and play for JOY it feels great but it also keeps us well, helps us to stay curious, helps us to make connections, feel part of something bigger. I mean, it's just a massive WIN.
Also I loved reading about your Grandad. Mine also loved photography, had his own dark room and put on slide shows for us. These memories are so precious to me. I felt quite magical.
That’s so wonderful to hear Janelle. I will look up the book - it sounds just the kind of book that would light me up. Thank you for sharing about your grandad, it’s made my heart smile. I am creating a series where I want to celebrate creativity of all kinds and would love to share something from you if you were interested. Send me a DM if you are 💛
Cultivating something for your own joy is so overlooked, or at least it feels that way! There have been so many instances were I am told "you should monetize that" in one way or another, but I dont want to. I do not want my creativity turn into work, then it loses all its joy for me.
Someone lent me a trumpet after I left rehab, 11 years ago. It wasn't in good condition I wasn't a good player (i hadn't played it since I was a teenager), and after a few months I passed the trumpet onto someone else. I've taken up sketching instead. I'm better at playing the trumpet but at least with sketching I can practice and get better and not disturb anyone else. Enjoy
Its so lovely to have many creative pursuits and to give them all a chance to be a part of our lives - whatever our ability, it's joy that matters. Thank you for sharing 💛
I love this, cultivating joy just for joy is the best use of our time and creative energy! I’m a silversmith as well as a therapist and love to get lost in making things that are wildly impractical!
Thank you Kate - and oh wow, a silversmith! That conjures such wonder in me. I love the thought of wildly impractical silversmithing - I'd love to see them. I'm going to be sharing letter celebrating creativity and inviting creatives to share their passion - send me a DM if you are curious to find out more 🥰
This is how I am with piano. I only know a handful of songs, but I play them over and over again in my basement on my synthesizer keyboard, and I do it because I enjoy it. The only one listening is my border collie, who couldn't care less.
Brilliant David. Always wanted to play the piano. And what better audience. My dogs howled and barked their heads off when I played my clarinet the other day! I had to shut them out 😆💛
This is wonderful, Emily! You’ve given yourself the gift of music and there are few things better than that. Enjoy every moment of rediscovering the joy 🧡🎵
I'm SO happy that the rise-and-grind/everything-is-a-competition mentality is finally making space for this approach to life. Just... enjoyment. See what flows from there.
Thanks Jane, I think in all the rush to be the best, earn a living, hustle and squeeze everything in, we forget that surely joy is the best reason to do anything - when I get to the end of my life, I want to say that I enjoyed it, not that I won.. because, in the end, what is there to win?
How lucky you are to be surrounded by such a creative family. They must have understood that spark and fire that gets set alight when we connect with our creative outlet.
I am so happy for you that you have bought a clarinet again.
It's such a cliche, but life IS short and we have to do what lights us up. Jo xx
Thank you Jo, I’m not sure I appreciated it properly until I was much older, and despite many things that were difficult in my childhood, I’m grateful for the love of creating and the outdoors that I gained from it. 💛
I was talking about this idea with my partner, how do we encourage our kids to pick up an instrument or art but in a way that encourages playfulness rather than trying to be the best? Is that just a natural piece of growing up, focusing on skill heavily at some point?
It’s a tough one. For me, I knew that I wanted to play and I loved it, but I did still need the encouragement (very strong at times) encouragement from my parents to keep persevering. I think time teaches us things that sometimes our parents try to teach, but that our young minds can’t quite comprehend 💛
You’ve really inspired me to start sketching again.. just for fun.. without judging myself on how it turns out, but just to enjoy the process, which I really love 👍💕
I’m so glad you bought another clarinet Emily, from the moment you said you’d sold your first treasured Boosey and Hawkes I was hoping that by the end of listening you’d tell us that you had! And you did…
I believe that if something gives us the joy of a creative sparkle we should practice it as often as we can !!
You know mine already - I never go anywhere without my camera !
I hope we get to hear you play! Have a lovely Sunday 🌸🍃x
You photographs bring me so much joy too Susie 💛 I’m so glad we connected here. I might share some music if I have the courage! My fingers have not forgotten how to play, despite the years that have passed. 🎶
I always wanted to play the piano but never did. I had an alto sax for a while too. Absolutely agree that you can’t help feel good listening or playing 😊
"For joy alone.
Just because, creativity."
So beautiful, Emily! Congratulations on your return to the clarinet - and thank you for sharing this important message of creativity, for all the right reasons!
Thank you Sydney, it’s been wonderful to play again, for joy alone 💛
So great that you bought yourself a new clarinet! When I was a teen, I wanted to learn to play guitar because I just thought that was possibly the coolest thing. I got one, got lessons, enjoyed it a lot until a few years ago life just got busier (I grew up, mainly ;) ) and now my beautiful Fender Western Guitar is sitting in a corner. I've often thought about selling it, because I'm not sure if I will ever play again. I just haven't yet, because of nostalgia. Maybe, when no one is watching, I will pick it up again this week and think of you and your clarinet. :) Thank you for this gentle push towards play and joy (usually I'm also more end-result and goal oriented).
Oh how wonderful Mareike 💛and guitar is 100% cool!! I hope that you do find some time and quiet to play just for you and for joy 🌸🌸 I’d love to hear about it xx
I am so here for this, Emily!! Thank you for the reminder.
I am reading Your Brain on Art (Magsamen & Ross) at the moment and it is blowing my mind in the best way. It's helping to remove some of the guilt and stories I had about the frivolity and unseriousness of my creative outlets. Now I feel like they are necessary! Not just for me but for people around me and wider society. When we create and play for JOY it feels great but it also keeps us well, helps us to stay curious, helps us to make connections, feel part of something bigger. I mean, it's just a massive WIN.
Also I loved reading about your Grandad. Mine also loved photography, had his own dark room and put on slide shows for us. These memories are so precious to me. I felt quite magical.
That’s so wonderful to hear Janelle. I will look up the book - it sounds just the kind of book that would light me up. Thank you for sharing about your grandad, it’s made my heart smile. I am creating a series where I want to celebrate creativity of all kinds and would love to share something from you if you were interested. Send me a DM if you are 💛
Cultivating something for your own joy is so overlooked, or at least it feels that way! There have been so many instances were I am told "you should monetize that" in one way or another, but I dont want to. I do not want my creativity turn into work, then it loses all its joy for me.
Such a good reminder :)
and I am happy you bought yourself that clarinet!
It is overlooked isn't it? But in the end, better to get to the end of life and say it was joyful, than having monitised everything and be miserable.
Someone lent me a trumpet after I left rehab, 11 years ago. It wasn't in good condition I wasn't a good player (i hadn't played it since I was a teenager), and after a few months I passed the trumpet onto someone else. I've taken up sketching instead. I'm better at playing the trumpet but at least with sketching I can practice and get better and not disturb anyone else. Enjoy
Its so lovely to have many creative pursuits and to give them all a chance to be a part of our lives - whatever our ability, it's joy that matters. Thank you for sharing 💛
I love this, cultivating joy just for joy is the best use of our time and creative energy! I’m a silversmith as well as a therapist and love to get lost in making things that are wildly impractical!
Thank you Kate - and oh wow, a silversmith! That conjures such wonder in me. I love the thought of wildly impractical silversmithing - I'd love to see them. I'm going to be sharing letter celebrating creativity and inviting creatives to share their passion - send me a DM if you are curious to find out more 🥰
This resonated with me. Just for the joy of it. Taking pictures. Crochet. I'm so glad you bought another clarinet. Just for the joy of playing.
So glad this resonated with you Klamo. Is there anything that you do, just for the joy of it? 💛
This is how I am with piano. I only know a handful of songs, but I play them over and over again in my basement on my synthesizer keyboard, and I do it because I enjoy it. The only one listening is my border collie, who couldn't care less.
Brilliant David. Always wanted to play the piano. And what better audience. My dogs howled and barked their heads off when I played my clarinet the other day! I had to shut them out 😆💛
This is wonderful, Emily! You’ve given yourself the gift of music and there are few things better than that. Enjoy every moment of rediscovering the joy 🧡🎵
Thanks so much Hannah. I think that I may have been inspired a little by you talking about your love and enjoyment of music and playing the sax 🎷🎶
I’m so happy to hear that! ✨
I'm SO happy that the rise-and-grind/everything-is-a-competition mentality is finally making space for this approach to life. Just... enjoyment. See what flows from there.
Thanks Jane, I think in all the rush to be the best, earn a living, hustle and squeeze everything in, we forget that surely joy is the best reason to do anything - when I get to the end of my life, I want to say that I enjoyed it, not that I won.. because, in the end, what is there to win?
Wow, this is so profound. And true!
😊
It’s wonderful to be reminded of this from time to time. Thanx. 😁
Thanks for reading Sharon. I’m glad it’s a lesson I’ve learned in my life 💛
This is a beautiful composition Emily.
How lucky you are to be surrounded by such a creative family. They must have understood that spark and fire that gets set alight when we connect with our creative outlet.
I am so happy for you that you have bought a clarinet again.
It's such a cliche, but life IS short and we have to do what lights us up. Jo xx
Thank you Jo, I’m not sure I appreciated it properly until I was much older, and despite many things that were difficult in my childhood, I’m grateful for the love of creating and the outdoors that I gained from it. 💛
I was talking about this idea with my partner, how do we encourage our kids to pick up an instrument or art but in a way that encourages playfulness rather than trying to be the best? Is that just a natural piece of growing up, focusing on skill heavily at some point?
It’s a tough one. For me, I knew that I wanted to play and I loved it, but I did still need the encouragement (very strong at times) encouragement from my parents to keep persevering. I think time teaches us things that sometimes our parents try to teach, but that our young minds can’t quite comprehend 💛
I LOVE this! I’m so glad you bought your clarinet - fantastic! Enjoy 👍💕✨
Thank you Eva. Me too. I am glad to have it in my life again 🎶
You’ve really inspired me to start sketching again.. just for fun.. without judging myself on how it turns out, but just to enjoy the process, which I really love 👍💕
That’s wonderful Eva, it sounds like a cliche, but it’s so true, enjoy xx
Maybe I'll be brave enough to share some of it one day 😬
I would love that Eva. If you wanted a space to share your joyful sketching, message me. Everyone is so kind and encouraging here 💛
Aw, that’s so kind.. Thank you! ✨💕
Yes, Eva! Please do it :D