Don’t forget to have fun.
There are things in life that we do because they’re fun. For me, it’s songwriting. I started songwriting as a pleasure – a recreation – a creative outlet. But now there’s a bit of pressure attached – expectations – goals – publisher stuff – co-writing – whatever. These things sometimes make it more of a “have to” and not a “get to.” So how do we maintain the element of Play? The element of Fun?
I’m intentionally returning to writing songs for PLAY. It’s the only way I can maintain that sense of fun… Writing songs that are silly or experimental or just – pointless. (These are usually the really interesting ones, btw – ala Hector). Anyway, this maintains a sense of play. Fun. AND it motivates me to take that excitement – that passion – and bring it back to the “have tos” again.
Suddenly, even the scheduled writing times and emails and lyric tweaks become fun again.
What are you doing that has lost it’s fun? Can you find ways to Play again? Return to that original joy. Return to what made you want to do it all day.
And enjoy it – again.
Thank you, Mandy, for sharing that. It is important to have fun with what we “get to do” rather than feeling like “we have to” or “got to”. I have printed that and using it tonight for training with my Mary Kay ladies. YOU are amazing. I feel blessed to know you.
Providence strikes again!
I’m so glad I decided to come read your blog today, pretty lady.
I woke up this morning thinking “Right now, today, I do NOT enjoy performing/opera. Today I enjoy it because I’m supposed to…”
I’m under SO much pressure with everything that needs to be done so I can survive grad school. It can really sap the joy for what I do. Songwriting, singing…these things that most people consider hobbies are in fact our careers/lives/passions. It takes a lot to love it still once we get to the other side of life.
So today, I’m going to sing because it’s fun, joyful, and because I love it. NOT because I need to make the grade.
For me, it’s not a matter of forgetting to have fun – it’s more of losing the ability to have fun doing it. This is a great challenge, though, and hopefully I can get some of this mindset back into the day to day stress that I have to deal with. Thanks.
That’s why I haven’t pursued a career in writing. I’m good at it, and I think I could make a career out of it…but right now it’s something I do for me, and while there is a certain discipline attached to it, I don’t have to meet anyone’s deadlines or standards but my own. In my creative career I have to constantly submit my work to be critiqued and judged…not so with my writing. And I think I want to keep it that way
Needed this! Thanks!
I draw for fun. But, recently, I’ve stopped doing it…too much life…too many responsibilities…AND an offer to publish took the fun right out of it! Now it’s scary and the possibilities of screwing up have hit me right between the eyes. Is that called a fear of failure?
I need to find the joy…the fun again!
What are you doing that has lost it’s fun? Can you find ways to Play again? Return to that original joy. Return to what made you want to do it all day.
And enjoy it – again.
Timely word. I have lost my passions … even my blog suffered at the tongues of those who cried me down for writing about personal stuff…
I have decided to go on a personal mission to find my passions and explore new ones – and this post is write (right!) up my alley! Here is to poetry, video games and blogging – amongst other things I haven’t figured out yet!
Mandy! I’m with you, specifically with the songwriting stuff. I hate when I find myself worrying about what other people will think of a song, or how commercially viable it will be, rather than about the song itself and the fun I have (or used to have?) creating it. I think the whole Scripture to Music project that we have talked about has brought me back to fun. I’m not really planning on trying to “sell” those songs, or even play them live. I’m just writing for fun. There is a goal involved, yes, but it’s so fun too. I relate to SO much that you write about pertaining to songwriting on your blog! Glad to have your wisdom, thoughts, and partnership!
Heh.
Did this just for fun:
http://thenoreaster.wordpress.com/2009/08/30/horror-stories/
Try reading it out loud as fast you can.
It’s very entertaining.
(Or I’m just nuts.)
I’m naturally a pretty silly person.
So when people invite me to go to bars, I am ALL about that, because then I can act with the utmost silliness because I appear drunk, when in reality, I haven’t had a sip of alcohol. Haha.
I’ve had a really stressful past seven or eight days. I’m probably about to get laid off. But tonight I went to a birthday party for my two friends, and I played Jenga, and we laughed and I act pseudo drunk, and I played guitar, and I ate two cupcakes and got a nice hug.
I forgot how fun it is to be silly and to let myself enjoy that.