Why am I doing this? A response.

My “Why am I doing this” post last week struck a nerve for some people! There was an unusual amount of response. Thank you all for your thoughtful replies and conversation. 🖤

I received a particularly excellent reply from our friend Alex Spencer — who, it should be noted, is 22! I am proud already to have people on here ranging in age from teenaged to retired, all of whom share a passion for diy music-making that I find so incredibly inspiring each day.

And I would like to turn the rest of today’s post over to Alex:

I really appreciated this one, as someone who spends lots of time introspecting! In the short amount of time I've been on this planet I've noticed more and more, every year, it seems we don't have time for stopping to think (or can get very easily distracted from it). Less time to be curious and ask questions. 

But I'm certain that the times we spend thinking, daydreaming, asking ourselves questions — are the very times when creative sparks ignite!

When I'm not actively working on something, I'm resting. And resting, 90% of the time, means being bored. And boredom brings my mind to thinking, daydreaming, and questions like these:

Where is my focus? Am I distracted from my vision? 

Where is my vision? What am I doing to get there? 

Am I doing too much?

Am I creating, or consuming?

Have I been following through on learning what I wish to learn? Have I been practicing what I wish to practice?

Am I polishing my work to the standards I wish to hold my work to? 

Has my flow been disrupted? Should I take a rest and work on this later?

When I rest, is it true rest? Do I come back to work feeling nourished and creative? 

What are the results of my current process? Should I switch it up or stick with it?

I feel subjects like this are overlooked and not often talked about, but can have such a drastic impact on shaping our mindsets and workflows. It keeps us focused on our paths and our visions. Great stuff!

Stay curious — Alex

Emphatic cosign — jamie