Uploaded September 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Like many folks, I got into music because it was FUN.
Also like many folks, at some point it became all about the “next level,” or the next accomplishment—almost like in order to succeed you need to leave fun behind and get SERIOUS.
Over the years I’ve worked with dozens of clients who are super-skilled musicians with established careers & long lists of accomplishments, yet they’re secretly exhausted & feeling like they’re losing themselves in their work.
On the outside, they’re crushing it—working for big name clients, getting impressive gigs—but on the inside, they’re feeling lost, wondering where that joyful spark from 10yrs ago went.
That spark is still 100% within you—you just gotta make space for it 🙂
I used to tell myself stories like:
“In order to be taken seriously I need to take MYSELF seriously”
“I need to *work hard* to stand out from the crowd”
^^Both valid & true, but when taken to extremes can suck the joy right out of things.
I became laser focused on “doing it right” & “doing enough” & lost myself in the process.
All of this pressure is the perfect recipe for creative block & burn out.
So, I made the decision to embrace JOY in my practice, instead.
To seek it out.
To prioritize it.
To let go of the belief that joy & play were somehow separate from “serious / legit” music, and instead embrace the belief that the more fun I have, the better I create.
You get to be silly AND insanely skillful.
You get to be playful AND productive.
You get to be joyful AND at the top of your game.
My very best music comes to me when I let myself have fun & be myself—& I can only imagine what you’re capable of.
These things are not mutually exclusive.
So, here’s a supremely silly video to drive this point home. I often make such goofy sounds I cry with delight 😂(hello, drowsy cow 🐮)
It creates a connection with my instruments I cherish, & provides fuel for deep creative exploration, which always leads somewhere special. ❤️)
Like many folks, I got into music because it was FUN.
Also like many folks, at some point it became all about the “next level,” or the next accomplishment—almost like in order to succeed you need to leave fun behind and get SERIOUS.
Over the years I’ve worked with dozens of clients who are super-skilled musicians with established careers & long lists of accomplishments, yet they’re secretly exhausted & feeling like they’re losing themselves in their work.
On the outside, they’re crushing it—working for big name clients, getting impressive gigs—but on the inside, they’re feeling lost, wondering where that joyful spark from 10yrs ago went.
That spark is still 100% within you—you just gotta make space for it 🙂
I used to tell myself stories like:
“In order to be taken seriously I need to take MYSELF seriously”
“I need to *work hard* to stand out from the crowd”
^^Both valid & true, but when taken to extremes can suck the joy right out of things.
I became laser focused on “doing it right” & “doing enough” & lost myself in the process.
All of this pressure is the perfect recipe for creative block & burn out.
So, I made the decision to embrace JOY in my practice, instead.
To seek it out.
To prioritize it.
To let go of the belief that joy & play were somehow separate from “serious / legit” music, and instead embrace the belief that the more fun I have, the better I create.
You get to be silly AND insanely skillful.
You get to be playful AND productive.
You get to be joyful AND at the top of your game.
My very best music comes to me when I let myself have fun & be myself—& I can only imagine what you’re capable of.
These things are not mutually exclusive.
So, here’s a supremely silly video to drive this point home. I often make such goofy sounds I cry with delight 😂(hello, drowsy cow 🐮)
It creates a connection with my instruments I cherish, & provides fuel for deep creative exploration, which always leads somewhere special. ❤️)
