August 22

Ever play a tune or a classical piece and notice that there is a spot in the music that you always feel kind of uncomfortable? During your improvisation you ever feel there are a few measures that you always feel awkward or confined? But, you've been playing this song for months or even years. Why are you still feeling restricted in the same place? Have you avoided isolating that spot and spending days or weeks working that spot out? Technical studies could easily be created and practiced to eliminate the awkwardness. My real question is why do we avoid the problem areas? Even when we are completely aware (and most likely everyone around us knows as well) of the problem area, we continue to avoid it. Why don't we attack that area? That small place in the music seems to take on a power of it's own. Maybe we completely avoid playing the whole piece of music just because of a few measures. How can fear be created like this in our heads?

August 21

Noticing that there is a major distinction between creating ideas and doing the necessary execution to bring the idea into reality.

I'm wondering if there could be a right-brain left-brain connection problem. People that are great creating ideas seem to have trouble sometimes with the step by step methodical execution of the idea/plan. The "grunt" work involved in making the idea into a real thing appears to be boring for some.

There's really nothing creative about sitting in a room [for hours, days, weeks, months, years] and practicing scales/chords and technical studies. That is a very left-brain kind of activity. However, it's quite necessary if one has any hope of being able to do the execution required to bring out that idea that's floating around in the inner ear.

August 20

Haven't been spending any time preparing for this blog during the past several weeks.

My idea about writing and/or exploring creativity and improvisation has moved from the blog to a "real life" project. Been involved in the upcoming (Nov. 9-15) Japan Music Week and the Jinnan Jazz Festival.

Actually, I would rather be "living it" rather than writing about it anyway.

August 19

http://sivers.org/desperate2

A follow-up post by Derek on the question of the effectiveness of desperation as a potential plan of attack on the road to success.

Desperation conjures up images of fear for me. Scarcity....
For me, it might cause me to do negative things with my energy. Actually, becoming like a black hole instead of projecting good energy out onto the project.

August 18

http://sivers.org/desperate

In this post, Derek raises an interesting point about setting-up the context
that you operate from on your way to finding success for yourself. I'm not sure (after reading the post) if desperation is the word for Branson's style of forging ahead. I'm more inclined to use the word commitment. His level of commitment to his projects is extraordinary. Playing as if his life depends on it.

August 17

http://sivers.org/steps

Derek highlights a very important point. I've noticed for years in Japan while in the company of people studying Japanese and/or English. Some seem to really enjoy learning a new language, never really speak about the difficulty and progress rather quickly. Others are always talking about how hard it is to learn the language and how much time it takes. Consequently, they never seem to make much headway.

August 16

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/7541/tokujin-yoshioka-camper-store-london.html