Instrumental Learning

A New Language

I'm finally doing something I always promised myself I'd do: 

I'm learning how to play piano.

I'd never taken any instrumental lessons in my life, only voice, and I thought it was about time I tried, even if I was in my 40's.

I suppose this later-in-life artistic self-expression has been passed down to me genetically. My paternal grandfather, "Paw Paw", as we grandkids called him, took up painting at age 80. He was a meat cutter and grocery store owner for several decades before he retired in 1970.

One of Paw Paw's first works

But one day, in between leisurely golf games and hanging out with my sweet grandmother, "Rita", in their tiny and inviting South Florida cottage, Paw Paw decided to give painting a go. And paint he did, converting their garage into a studio filled with easels, canvases, tubes of acrylic paints, brushes, and mixing trays. He even went so far as to fashion his own frames out of reclaimed wood, long before using reclaimed wood was über cool, mind you.

(Full disclosure: I'm positive he never once used the term, "reclaimed." His description was probably more along the lines of, "found", as in, "Hey look, Rita. I just found these ol' pieces of wood on the side of the road. I'll bet I can use them for a frame.")

Now dozens of Paw Paw's paintings- framed, mind you- are hanging in homes scattered all over the country, divvied up between his kids and grandkids. And yes, I did indeed say "dozens": he lived to be 97, and enjoyed 15 solid years of painting during his twilight years.

While my grandfather had no reservations about starting something 40 years past 40, I'll admit to possessing a pesky little naysaying voice. It likes to hang out on my shoulder when I sit down to play, whispering disparaging remarks such as:

"Music lessons are expensive. Shouldn't I only be paying for the kids to learn something new?"

or

Shouldn't I be working?

and

 How can this feel so satisfying? You know, like I'm accomplishing something? Accomplishments should, by definition, further my career, right?

 Chinoiserie detail on piano,
by Amanda de la Colina,
my maternal great grandmother,
who painted this piano well past her 40's.

Thankfully, the notes quickly drown out those pervasive "should's", leaving me completely engrossed in my own little musical world.

Playing an instrument, I've discovered, is an incredibly fun and constructive activity to incorporate into my days of working and parenting. For one, playing allows me to exercise my brain in an entirely different way than I'm accustomed to. Not only am I speaking a different language, that of notes and intervals and rhythms, I'm forcing myself to use each hand for a separate task.

Coordination of left and right brain hemispheres?

Oh. Yeah.

For those who don't play, allow me to explain: the left hand typically covers the bass clef and the right hand the treble clef- which means I have to simultaneously perform two different activities. (Kind of like patting your head with one hand and rubbing your stomach with the other.) However, thanks to muscle memory, the more I practice, the more my hands just "remember" and I find I'm more easily able to split focus between my right and left hands.

Apparently, I'm hardly imagining the mental stretching taking place. Many studies have shown the cognitive benefits of playing an instrument, from brain stimulation to specific motor control and coordination to positive effects on the aging brain. In fact, the analytical and emotional complexities of piano performance alone allow for the brain to efficiently challenge its plasticity, according to neuroscientists.

Ruth Silk, watercolor
My maternal grandmother painted the above at age 60 +

But countless studies aside, beginning a new instrument quite simply triggers a playful sense of letting go and being okay with making mistakes. And many mistakes doth I make, since I am, most assuredly, a beginner. And one of the ummm... let's just say, more mature students.

Before and after my lesson, young, Dr. Seuss-loving tykes skip in for their weekly lessons, swinging their little piano bags merrily behind them as they plop down on the piano bench- which, by the way, is scooted in all the way so their feet can graze the pedals. And thanks to a great teacher, many of them sound incredible, their nimble little fingers gliding along the keys with ease. And yes, listening to them feels a trifle humbling. But most of the time it feels good to be a beginner again, or, more specifically, to allow myself to be a beginner again; the hope of improvement stretched out before me in a vast, promising horizon. I look forward to the time when I will actually start to make beautiful music that sounds more, ummm... let's just say, accomplished.

Take time to take pictures.

What about you? When was the last time you invested time in yourself for the sole purpose of growing your mind and body? For the singular objective of enriching your mental, creative and/or physical well-being? Even if it means going back to being a beginner again?

And what if you were to go crazy and give yourself permission to monetarily invest in yourself?  Whether it be acquiring a new camera, booking a weekly yoga class, or taking yourself to the movies on Sunday afternoons, you will help to satisfy your mind's instinctive hunger for knowledge and expansion. (Dare I add that it may even feel revolutionary!)

If Paw Paw were still with me, I'm sure he'd agree. No fancy research required.

Making a Difference in the World: Mulala Yousafzai

Like many girls at age 16, I worried about boys, my grades and what I wore. I badly wanted to make the cheerleading team, and fretted over where I would go to college in two years. I cried when I didn't make the lead in the school play and secretly craved being part of the "in" crowd.

In short, life felt rather grim at the time.

This young lady, Mulala Yousafzai, age 16, is fighting for the education rights of young women and for peace in her homeland of Pakistan. She miraculously survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban for her vocal and very public opposition.

Kind of puts things in perspective, doesn't it?

Watch her interview with Jon Stewart here.

Freedom to Create

I hope you had a great Independence Day.

I always feel extremely lucky to be an American, especially on the Fourth of July.  I love how we all come together to recognize our freedoms in this country, especially to appreciate those in the military who protect those freedoms.

It also makes me realize how lucky we are, as people in a democratic society, to create and express ourselves freely. We have so much to be thankful for, as people who are privileged enough to create ourselves, our work, our businesses, and our paths. To take that freedom for granted seems like a waste of precious resources.


I recently posted an article about how our cravings can diminish our creative pursuits; how, by being inundated with choices and information and material must-haves, we neglect our freedom to innovate.  We are at liberty to consume so much, yet often at the expense of personal creativity.  


But now, like a good American, I'm coming to our defense.

We the Cravers of Many Many Things

If you stop and think about it, we're constantly being groomed to consume, not to create.  In fact, we're taught to strive for this value of consumption- from Frosted Flakes and Mattel Toys to endlessly memorizing trivial facts- from an early age. I recently found a great article in Forbes Magazine about this dominant philosophy informing our education system. In her article, author Erica Swallow contends that "America's last competitive advantage: the ability to innovate," is squandered by contemporary education's emphasis on consuming. She makes quite a good case, in my opinion. 


Starting the moment we begin school, we're rewarded for learning everything we can about everything. We learn about hundreds of things an inch deep and a mile wide, as they point out in the fascinating film, Race to Nowhere. We consume lots and lots of information, too often at the expense of using our talents to create and innovate. Of course, this type of learning allows young people to learn what fascinates them; however, as with all things, how about a little moderation? Or perhaps a focus more on application and less on information gathering?


And lest you astute readers deem me an outright hypocrite, I must confess that I do indeed realize the irony: when I create a link for readers to click I'm luring them to absorb more information! (...and giving authors and creators their due acknowledgement, of course.) 


But perhaps it's less about shutting out consumption entirely, and more about being selective and choosing well.  As Anne Morrow Lindbergh writes in her soulful, exquisitely tranquil book, Gift from the Sea:

One cannot collect all the beautiful shells on the beach.  One can collect only a few, and they are more beautiful if they are few.  One moon shell is more impressive than three.... Gradually one discards and keeps just the perfect specimen; not necessarily a rare shell, but a perfect one of its kind.  One sets it apart by itself, ringed around by space- like the island.

sunset shell

Today's information age obviously doesn't allow us much of that relished "space" Lindbergh describes; in fact, lingering in a state of solitary contemplation oftentimes feels downright absurd! I've found, however, that replacing even a small fraction of this noise with quiet time goes a long way. When I give myself space it's refreshing.  I can create from a noise-less inner place that is solely mine.

In his powerful memoir, Man's Search for Meaning, Holocaust survivor, neurologist and psychiatrist,Viktor E. Frankl, also writes about the freedom found in space: 

"Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom."

We could all stand to become choosier about what we allow to penetrate our brains.  When everything is there for the taking (thank you democracy/free speech/capitalism!) we have to make a concerted effort to regulate the noise we choose to absorb.  Careful selection frees us to experience and make our own new discoveries. It allows us to replace over-consuming with purposeful doing, creating, being and feeling. It also allows us to protect our mental health and well-being. 


The act of living inwardly and replacing consumption with innovation takes some concerted efforts on our part.  It involves some reconditioning and major unplugging once in a while, but it's well worth the effort, don't you think?  


After all, it would be a shame to take our freedom to create for granted.

Clay Shirky: What I Learned About Creativity By Watching Creatives

Check out this amazing presentation on the creative process. 

Clay Shirky, a leader in technological design and an assistant professor at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, discusses many of my favorite ingredients to successful innovation, including:

1. The power of collaboration and the interdisciplinary approach to problem solving 

In this case, engineers and techies collaborate with artists and designers, which he likens to a philharmonic orchestra.

2. The pleasure principle of just having fun for fun's sake (not merely "play"- which can be dictated)  

Who knows where having fun can lead?  Does it matter?

3. The consideration of individual creative needs 

What works for one group or person doesn't work for all. Sound like personal career design??

4. The importance of making your innovations interesting 

This leads people to care about what you are doing. 

5. The fuel created from working on problems from silly to serious 

Perhaps some cross pollination happens to happen?

He also happens to be a terrific communicator, so enjoy!

What you're looking for? It's just around the corner, right in front of your nose.

Perhaps you're just not stopping to listen and really look in front of you.  Stop searching and it may even come up and bite you on the nose!

(Which is actually a good thing, by the way...)

Here's what I mean.

Ah, Sanibel,  you sweet little island...

It was the last day of my Sanibel Island vacation, and I'd found bupkiss on my shelling expedition thus far.  Sanibel is known for its extraordinary shells, and I'd brought home many beautiful bounties in past years.  


But not this time, unfortunately, despite days of combing the sandy beaches.
I felt despondent, not just 
because I'd soon be going home empty-handed, but I'd also be leaving the beach, one of my most cherished spots, where I have always found solace and hope and peace and possibilities.

I decided to plop down on the sand and relax.  "Enjoy the moment, I told myself, "just relax and stop searching... for everything and nothing."  And, lo and behold, as I was sitting on the sand, listening to the waves, noticing how picturesque my sandy bare toes looked against the ocean's blue green tint, I saw them:  tiny, intricate shells- fully formed miniature versions of seemingly every shell I'd ever discovered on Sanibel Island.

I savored the terrifically gratifying moment that I'd created myself.  I'd looked around the corner!

************************************

Often times when people discover their ideal "sweet spot" of a career path, they'll admit that they'd been considering at least some version of that path but pushed away the possibility.  I remember when I was in my twenties, looking at a career book, thinking, "I wonder if I could do what these people (the authors) do.  I mean, I actually like careers as a subject.  All of the choices are really fascinating.  Maybe that's why I explore so many of them...."

Then I instinctively turned the book over to the back cover.  Yup, just as I'd suspected, the writers had PhD's.  So much for that, I immediately determined.  Didn't have the money or the desire to enroll in Psychology classes for the next decade.  But what I didn't consider is exactly what I ask clients to consider:  how can you use the subject that fascinates you as a tool?  A means to an end?  For instance instead of thinking, "I'd have to get a PhD to write a book," I needed to consider the possibility that a)you don't have to write a book to be a career consultant and b)there are other, very successful books about careers that are not written by PhD's .

Obviously, being a career coach was a possibility, and when, nearly a decade later, I really explored that possibility I found out that I had a fantastic set of aptitudes and skills that were perfect for coaching others on how to thrive in their careers and lives.

So next time you are searching for something, try this on for size:  stop panicking, lamenting and naysaying.  Rather, take a deep breath, close your eyes, and ask yourself, "Could my answer be just around the corner, right in front of my nose?"

Then open your eyes and see with a newfound optimism for discovery.

Many Roads Lead to Success

I have a friend, a fellow Virginian, who refers to himself as "Highway Man."  He has a large sales district in Virginia and Washington D.C. that he services, thus the road reference.  However, as the Highway Man will gladly admit, he doesn't always take the highway.  He prefers to liven things up by taking shortcuts, bypasses, dirt roads, side streets, however he feels like getting to his destination on a given day.  Of course, with Washington D.C. traffic, you'd better have some alternate routes in your back pocket, so Highway Man does alright going where he needs to.

Highway Man is no Radical Dude, right?  Using different tactics to get to a destination is not that wild and crazy of an idea.  And after all, taking the road less traveled isn't always a bad thing.  It may take longer but scenic views and fresh air are plentiful compared to the exhaust-filled, clogged up main thoroughfares.

So why is it that whenever the idea of changing careers comes into a person's head the first thing he or she thinks about is taking the Super Highway of How It's Done?  Like assuming you must go back to school?  Or enroll in an extensive training program?  Or come up with exorbitant amounts of upfront capital? When it comes to the mindset of millions of Americans, it appears as if hefty monetary and time investments have the ONLY proven track record when it comes to successfully switching gears and taking a new path to fulfillment, success, and happiness.   These are the superhighways of career change and you'll pay a hefty toll. (Okay, I know.  Enough with the road analogies...)

Thinking of only the most drastic, expensive, life-altering tactics can be a huge pitfall when it comes to career changing.   First of all, this philosophy keeps many people (if not most) stuck;  they avoid taking a necessary step in a new direction.  Secondly, it impedes the creative brainstorming necessary to really jump into a unique market.  Thirdly, this mindset plays into fear, and fear keeps a brain in its preferred status quo comfort zone.  Lastly, it misses the point of finding an elegant, cost effective, simple way of creating new opportunities for oneself.  No pain no gain theory debunked!!  Pointless worrying for nothing.

Of course (and this I have to say) some career changes are going to entail monetary investments and going back for another degree.  And for those who don't want to admit that's the case to get to their dream and are putting off taking any monetary risks... well, that's a whole other blog post.

No Cost Solutions

The following are 10 simple, cost-effective, alternate routes in career changing:

1) Read books on your own to educate yourself about a new field. (I call this the Abraham Lincoln method- homeschool yourself!)

2) Barter your current expertise with that of an expert in your newly chosen field.  If she/he wants to learn more about what you know, teach one another. 

3) Network with friends and family and offer your up-and-coming service for free to these people.

4) Meet new people, especially those in your new field of interest, to broaden your social circles and garner potential clients.

4) Find a mentor who has experience in the new career path you would like to embark upon.

5) Join free networking groups, associations, social groups (or, even if there is a membership fee of, let's say, $50-300/year, it's still cheaper than going back to grad school for $50-100K+!)

6) Go on informational interviews with people who haven't gone the most traditional routes.  Even if they're in a different field than you're interested in, they can give you some interesting ideas about how to take a non-traditional route.

7) Relocate.  (Maybe not simple, but it could be a perfect solution.)  Who knows, maybe you'd actually like being in a different locale where your new field has more demand or the overhead is much cheaper.

8) Create a niche that uses the expertise you already possess.  (Blending fields works well in this case.) 

9) Shadow someone, intern or work part-time in your desired new field to make sure this is really what you want.  If not, perhaps you are half way there, and just need to tweak a few elements of a new career path to make it fit perfectly.  Most notably, you are doing the experiential learning before going back to school for theoretical learning.  This helps ensure that when and if you do go back to school, you're investing money in something you're truly committed to.

10) Collaborate.  Partner with a professional who complements your field of expertise.  Form a team that combines two different specialties and therefore provides two equally good but diversified services.

So you see, there's no need to panic unnecessarily, right?  There could be a way to get where you want to go without doing anything too drastic. 

Stop Swearing and Switch Gears!

Here's an example.  Let’s say you think you might want to become a published writer and teacher like the guy that wrote a bazillion books you see filling up a whole shelf at Barnes and Noble.  This is because you suspect you’d enjoy being a teacher who writes and is rich and well respected.  Heck, why not?

So, the first, and very typical, line of thinking goes like this:

“I want to teach, and maybe even write but I don’t want to teach elementary school or even high school.  I would only want to teach at the collegiate level, if anything.  But then I would have to go back to school yet again and for how long?” 


[Do research online and find it takes, ummm, many years.]  

Holy @&*%^$ !  I’m totally screwed!  My goal to teach will never happen!  How can I ever go back to school and still work and pay my rent and eat something other than Spam.... not to mention I don’t want to write a dissertation on some obscure topic like the esoteric nature of medieval cheeses and their ingestive correlation to obtaining knighthood or ... whatever!”

Using this line of thinking, you would be looking at only one, very standard, way of teaching- in a classroom.  Major roadblock there.  But what other ways are there to teach?  And WHAT do you want to teach?  And to whom?  In what other settings besides the classroom could you teach?  Those are pretty important parts of the equation that you just might want to tackle before a full blown panic ensues.

You could begin by teaching in your arena of expertise.  Perhaps it's something non-academic but if it comes naturally to you and people need your knowledge or skill, who cares?  Then, gradually, build your knowledge in another expertise.  Take a class here and there that really benefits you.  Acquire some new "tools."  Research on your own.  Talk to people.  Take the time to go deeper into your new subject area while you still have some income flowing from your existing pool of knowledge.  Then, if you really want to go The Road Less Traveled (and blow MapQuest out of the water!) you could creatively mesh the two fields, offering something fresh and new to the public.  And there may be no need for traditional credentials because you have become the expert in your newly created field.

This may sound pie-in-the-sky-what-is-in-Katie's-coffee-as-she-writes-this-nonsense;  however, look out there and see what I'm talking about.  Look for the pioneers of services and products and programs and see that they created their own expertise by filling a need, then developed a following, then fostered demand and... voila!!!!  They published a series of books!

Easy?  No.  But nothing worth doing is.  And investing more creative capital upfront than monetary investment involves little to no debt and reaps unlimited rewards.  Just ask Highway Man...

The Last Resort to Career Change: Going Back to School

It should be the last resort?!
What??? You may say, isn't that the first step?  Learning??

Yes.  But there are other ways to learn a new trade than by going back to school.  But that very expensive and time consuming step is the first thing many people take.  I highly suspect that advertisement is to blame, along with a hefty dose of fear.  Think about how inundated we are with continuing education ads.  It's important to remember that higher education institutions are businesses, and businesses need to make money to survive.  College marketers direct their efforts toward individuals confused about what they want to do, which mostly includes high school students, college students, people in their 20's, 30's, 40's,  50's and 60's as well as anyone on Facebook, Twitter, or the internet in general.  So I believe that covers... pretty much everybody.   I'd consider that a very expansive target audience, wouldn't you?

The fear comes from our inborn need to feel as smart and knowledgeable as the next guy.  It's all about the credentials! We feel a need to prove ourselves to colleagues that we are qualified to do our job.  But let's face it, our inborn talents can go a lot farther than any degree can provide.  For example, you may go back for an M.B.A., but unless you have the appropriate aptitudes for a given job or, most importantly the interest, you are not going to thrive in that position or find fulfillment stretching yourself beyond your abilities.  Sure, many want ads include "degrees preferred" in their descriptions;  however, want ads are not the only way to get into an organization.  Referrals are a crucial way to sidestep the gatekeeper at human resources who doesn't know you very well.

While I am a huge proponent of education's invaluable aim to further knowledge (I absolutely love learning), I know from the career trenches that going back to school (or even starting too soon as a recent high school graduate) can create a diversion to answering the tough but important questions of what makes a person tick. 


Many people look to continuing education as a means of delaying the career decision making process. 

In the time it takes to find schools with desired degrees and apply to those schools, they could be focusing more of their energy on looking at:

a) what they really want to do and are capable of doing by taking career assessments and
b) all of the alternate ways to get to where they want to go.

One alternative to going back to school is to partner up with another expert, someone who can complement your own expertise and experience.  For example, let's say you like the subject of drama and also enjoy helping people.  The natural solution is to combine the two and get a degree in drama therapy, right?  Well, yes and no.  While that might be a good option for some people it's not the only possibility. If you have a B.F.A  or M.F.A. degree and/or solid theatre experience you might try partnering up with a clinical psychologist or licensed therapist and offer workshops using some tools from drama therapy.  Of course, you would have to make sure you were above board in your collaborative work, but that is where a good clinician would have knowledge of regulations and ethics.   And while you may not enjoy being a drama therapist per se, you might enjoy using drama and therapy as tools in your career.  These are the important distinctions to figure out before embarking on a degree.

On the other hand, if you were to shadow a drama therapist and take the necessary assessments to find that it's really what you want and would be good at, then go for the drama therapy degree!  In the three years+ it will take you to obtain that degree and certification, you will want to take advantage of every ounce of confidence that it's the right fit for you.  Otherwise, those three years may either prove a waste of time and money or, at the very least, provide a lot of agony and confusion instead of an enjoyment and fascination with learning.

My bottom line to learning in an academic institute: enroll with as much self-knowledge and direction as possible.  Naturally, your goals and vision may evolve while you are there, but you will start with a strong foundation to build upon.