ART BLOCK - watch this if you feel stuck

It's weird how even though art, music and other creative stuff we do can be overwhelming. We start comparing ourselves, judge everything we do and get into a negative spiral.
I have experienced burn out and art block, and every once in a while I feel really really stuck. That's why I decided to make this video and talk a little bit about what I think about it and what helps me to get over it.
There is no one way to heal and to deal, so please feel free to share what helps you!
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[@beatrixguitar]

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[@paulauksztulewicz4803]

I walk my beautiful dog when in a block. It helps. I owe him for walking me! 😊

[@igorshakirov]

These ideas are really helpful. When I just practice for the sake of practice, I feel like I'm standing still. There really is a fear that you will play worse, but this fear deprives creativity. Then I remember why I started playing the guitar: for the music, to express emotions, to make someone smile, to share joy, to convey a mood. Once you get it, it doesn't matter how smoothly you did it. Practice is not a goal, it is a tool. Very accurately said.

[@marxistpolitics1717]

I wish I would have know this advice in college when I was studying pipe organ. I dropped out of school unfortunately. I’m teaching myself classical guitar right now and I’m loving it. This is amazing advice!

[@mer1red]

Nice video, where many of us will recognize experiences of their own life and find some inspiring tips. From the very beginning, playing guitar was for me intertwined, or combined with learning to read, music theory, improvisation, etc. I simply cannot learn a piece if I do not understand everything of it. Relying only on mechanical muscle memory does not work and is error prone. So when I take a composition, I analyse the structure and harmony, the style, look for reusable structures, improvise on the harmony, ... . For me, doing this is a need, a way of being, and a source of joy. I don't care if it will be good enough to play for others or if I ever will reach the highest grade. There are days that I feel less good and start doubting, but the love for music and the guitar always wins and brings me back. I like the Zen approach: doing something relaxed, with concentration and focus on the now and how you do it, whatever the result may be.

[@flaviamuccini5681]

Thanks. Loving oneself is always the best thing, even while making music...

[@Flight368]

That’s a good topic to address. I had many art blocks in my life

[@hrburrell7587]

It's important to develop other hobbies aside from guitar or whatever your instrument may be. I practice photography, surf, hike and do a variety of things. This really helps with burn out and keeping things interesting. My guitar is always next to my couch on the stand and I just pick it up play when I get the urge but I make sure I have other things to keep my interest as well. I may only play for fifteen or twenty minutes at a time but fifteen minutes several times a day adds up. I also don't play every day, I think you should feel inspired when you practice or at least have a small goal to work towards and sometimes that means you take a day off here and there. Great video Beatrix ❤!!

[@paulauksztulewicz4803]

Great advice! Respecting composers is rather existential I believe. They are dead. Maybe the respect is via mere acknowledgement of using their compositions and celebrating them, mistakes and all. Maybe even personal renditions of the originals? Just thoughts from a heathen. 😊. Thanks for your insight. Delightful!

[@JoshGUITARofolo]

Such an awesome video! Thanks for sharing your creative process and tips for striking a balance as a musician and content creator. Super helpful.

[@LeoConte80]

Duck Eyed Socks, wow! Thanx for the video. Sometimes I feel the same about drawing and painting.

[@nukhanlee1618]

Intimately shared and presented, Dear Lady! Love it really! 💓🌹

[@conlamusicaaotraparte6206]

Thank you for this video, Beatrix. It's spot on. I agree that working on one's musicianship as a global concept is better than devoting all our time to practice one single instrument with no other purpose than performance perfection. Unless you are a pro performer, most of us here are amateurs and play the guitar for enjoying the beauty of music, not for making a living. In that sense, I also think it's a healthier approach to take care of other aspects of music beyond the guitar practice, such as music theory, harmony, music culture, playing (a little) other instruments, composing, etc. In my case, last year I was feeling a little stuck in my guitar practice, always feeling compelled to keep my repertoire, to polish my pieces endlessly (without never succeeding 100%)...until I decided to change my approach and do other things like composing pieces (though they won't receive many yt views or likes), resuming my piano practice to some extent, listening to various musical genres, reading books about music, studying a little harmony, and so on...True: all these activities take me some time away from the guitar, but I find it's more rewarding and provide a more balanced experience of self-fulfillment in the field of music. That said, I still feel (even more than before) that the classical guitar is my favourite instrument and I realize how lucky I am to have the capability to play it. I come back to it with loving eyes and hands over and over again. Cheers Rodrigo

[@grawp45]

This is some good advice. I been hitting a wall the past few days. Music theory here I come (as I drag my feet).

[@beatrixguitar]

You got this!!

[@DiyWithAnaBei]

So true words! I am very divided on what it is all about in music, especially classical. It used to come from the heart of the musician and was created for the soul comfort during different events. Now we all got so judgy, fearful and probably completely forgot the true meaning of music. I realize now I played and practiced music only out of fear and I really don't want to do that anymore. Haven't picked my guitar for about 6 months and have no idea how to start over..just too sad.

[@jacquesfarmer1171]

Great video which I relate to, it’s the guilt of not doing what you think you should be doing. I have learnt to live with that, I have to feel motivated or inspired, so I wait or do something different, pick up my steel strung Collings guitar or my Strat. Thank you for being human.

[@moussochocolat779]

Hi! ☕️🎸 If i replay my good old 4P it will be infinite mistakes😂 Few years ago i replay guitar and it was very good to me, but... another time, again frogoten in her case...🫣 Maybe one day Love classic music on guitar, never forget childhood memory and my father gift ❤ Thanks for your vidéos

[@merlesass-petersen7209]

Hi Beatrix. Everything you said resonates with where I'm at with my music presently. At the moment I've been binging on all your videos, since I've only discovered you now. And boy, what a blessing !Thanks so much for your insights and sage advise. ❤❤

[@beatrixguitar]

Thanks for sharing that, I appreciate it a lot! I’m glad my work resonates with you 🙂 Have a wonderful week!

[@carlosshishido2122]

@@beatrixguitarwhen is your birthday ??🎉😊

[@RajDias]

@@beatrixguitar hi, I m a complete newbie. Just got a guitar 3 wks ago and I already feel like I can't do this. So I can relate to things u say. But I discovered something interesting even before I watched ur video. That is when I get frustrated at not being able to play set pieces correctly I just recline back in my chair for about 5 mins and then go on to doing my own 'experimentation' with various notes which I thought was a little crazy at first (my self judgement). But I find doing that to be more fun and kinda improving my fretting n fingerpicking. Just your thoughts on whether Im going to make real progress this way or I should stick to standard tutorial pieces? Love ur room. Its beautiful.

[@simplemind5370]

Thanks for sharing =)

[@Yteg2]

I was watching Elliot Fisk's concert from St Mark's in San Francisco last week and he has a slightly imperfect quality but he is an utterly amazing musician. He is beautiful to listen to. I can't tell where the mistakes are but I know that it just has slight imperfections.

[@Trinity30585]

I can see how much passion for playing is in you when you playing i have that too . When were there its just wonderful and i doubt our thoughts have very little to do with it. Everyone musician is there own puzzle what your feeling is perfectly normal for us all. This is your thing your situation don't get hung up it's gonna be the same 20 yrs from now. However if you wanna get a different perspective that maybe refreshing it will still be your thing. I'd like to talk more atm I'm out the door❤ . Tc .

[@7thdaybeliever]

🐝, I couldn't agree more about allowing ourselves to make mistakes and even being creative with pieces of music 🎶 that we want to respect the composer's notes. I truly believe that JS Bach would be very impressed with some of the ways that his music is played today and he'd be the first one to say. I like the changes that you've made. Mozart also even the Spanish class of guitar people. Think about it. Many of these pieces that we play in Spanish repertoire were pieces that the composer got from simple people. Living near the streets are on the streets or in the cafe's or maybe street musicians or folk melodies, even gypsy melodies. And so who are we to think we got to play it exactly perfectly when they played it the way they heard it?

[@beatrixguitar]

I think you're absolutely right! We are so serious about classical music, we sometimes forget that these reat composers were people too

[@joezhou4356]

If I practice hard long enough, I too might have this problem one day😀

[@vagamorneval8451]

thanks.

[@documentalist-NL]

Good video on an important topic for anyone who is trying to improve on anything in general, because the same concepts apply to so many things, not only to making music. As I was listening to your explanation, I was suddenly surprised to hear you mention Kenny Werner's book. Now I am not completely sure, but did I mention that book to you a little while ago? I am glad to hear that you read it and found it helpful, I have it on my "to read" list, but haven't come around to it yet, but I think I should do that very soon

[@beatrixguitar]

Yes you recommend it to me, and I’m so glad you did!!! There are some parts in it for which I’m too grounded but I highly recommend reading it to any musician. I found it really hard to pick up reading again but I’m working on it little by little, sometimes it’s just 5 pages but that’s more than nothing, right?

[@marcfernandez69]

you are beautiful and talented.

[@StrongErection]

Hi Beatrix. I think I am experiencing something similar. I'm not a professional, I play 1-2h a day, 100% of that time I spend learning new pieces or revisiting the old ones, so I'm 0 at improvisation, don't know how to compose anything, played couple of simple melodies by ear. So when I encounter any technical difficulty, it is quite frustrating, because that's the only thing I spend all my time to train and I fail in it. And seems like the only thing to overcome it is just to practice technical moments more, which isn't, probably.

[@paulauksztulewicz4803]

What’s interesting is when asked, Allan Holdsworth responded multiple times in public that he did not practice. Only the most innovative guitarist the world has seen.

[@tommorrowriver]

❤

[@lukaspslm4734]

Hey....im try lesson play Patience from gun n roses....

[@Marco-nj1dw]

Linda

[@jacobhempel1855]

Just listen to some relaxing Skyrim ambient music to relax a bit before practice and you'll be fiiiiiine. 😁

[@jacobhempel1855]

(Kidding. Thanks for the wonderful video!)

[@Karl_Papu]

I'm not an artist, but as a professional of Electronics, when I need to find a solution of a complex problem, I feel something like an art block. I hope that this help me! 🙏

[@beatrixguitar]

I hope so too!

[@Alex_Martz]

😍😍😍🥰🥰🥰😘😘😘

[@user-ub4xb2eg7t]

🧐🤔

[@mestresplinter9774]

Europe is a beautiful place without wars.