I’ve been reading The War of Art, which is about overcoming resistance in creative work. Though I’ve been making things my whole life, I still have to do battle with Resistance.
For example, I’ve been writing and practicing tunes for an album with the working title “Fiddle Stories.” I’m exploring ways of re-inventing these tunes by playing them with an Indian-style raga drone. It’s both liberating and challenging to work within this open form. I’m playing with traditional and original melodies.
This tune is an original called “So Long Bud.” It’s in G Major, so I play to a G drone. I’m trying to simplify it, but still a bit stuck…I’m doing a recording session with my old friend Joe Rut next weekend. Excited and strangely nervous!
Resistance is sneaky! One strategy is to personify it.
Resistance: I see you’re working on a new project with a funny title of Fiddle Stories.
Me: Oh hey Mr. Resistance, nice to see you again. What are you trying to tell me?
Resistance: Look, you don’t need to make this album. You have other more important stuff to do with FiddleHed and your personal life. Get your shit together before you do this!
Me: Well, making this recording is just a well-deserved vacation. And it will be a good way to catch up with Joe. And it might somehow help people in the FiddleHed community.
Resistance: Who are you making this for?
Me: For myself and others?
Resistance: Why are you doing it?
Me: I guess I just want to create something good and share it.
Resistance: Nobody’s going to listen to this album. Fiddle players will find it too weird and exotic, while non-fiddle players will think it sounds…too much like fiddle music. You might as well just play this music on your own, saving yourself a lot time, energy and money.
I think it helps to have some dialog Resistance. It brings awareness to what’s happening in the mind. And to some degree, it drains Resistance of its power.
When and how have do feel Resistance in your life? How do you deal with it? And How can you create your own fiddle story?
Further
That is beautiful, exotic….love it! I want to learn to play it :).
love this jason! i liked the conversations about it being too weird for fiddlers and too normal for the experimental lovers. I guess a better way to look at it is its the best of both worlds, and hopefully for everyone. it sounds like a shuti box! have you ever heard or used one? I’ve been really wanting one for a long time. i love drone music which is why i first got interested in violin. anyway i wanted to share this video with you if i can. its my favorite shuti box performance I’ve ever seen. beautiful, and maybe an inspiration in there somewhere for fiddlers? i don’t know.
Love the raga blend!
Just ordered this book. Looking forward to a good read.