Powering Down -- Weekly Inspiration from Adam

This week's Weekly Inspiration Blog post is another great follow up after a relaxing holiday break for most Fifth House Ensemble Members from our pianist and Director of Artistic Programming, Adam.  

If you work as a performer, you're probably used to working hard. The average day includes solo practice, group rehearsal, and as we've talked about many times on this blog, all the extra work: marketing, sales, planning, financial forecasting, networking, etc.

A tendency amongst those of us who are drawn to entrepreneurial enterprises is to go, go, go. There's always something to be done, learned, talked about, etc. But you know what? Sometimes, you just have to stop.

I mean really stop. Stop thinking, stop working, stop talking. When I was an undergrad at Brandeis University, I had many classmates who observed Shabbat (Hebrew for Sabbath). They would do absolutely no work from sundown on Friday until sundown on Saturday. I distinctly remember a conversation I had with one such friend, who was an extraordinarily productive student, painter, and teacher. I asked her how she could possibly get everything she does done taking an entire day off every week. She looked at me, dumbfounded, and said, "how can you get everything done if you DON'T?"

At this time of year, we all enjoy at least a slight break from the regular pace. Not that I haven't been working, but I haven't been running from rehearsal to teaching. I haven't been on the phone all day every day talking to presenters, schools, colleagues, and advisers.

So what have I been doing?  I've been going to a lot of movies, taking full advantage of the Twilight Zone marathon, and indulging in senseless internet memes. (Nonono cat anyone?)

Why? Because I can. And as I get back into the regular swing of work with a meeting in Atlanta on Wednesday and a full day of rehearsals on Friday, I can look back on my time off with joy.

But there's more to it. It isn't just good for the soul to take time away and indulge in the pleasures you deny yourself when there is too much work to be done. These same activities fuel your work more than you know. I like to reflect on things I've experienced and often, I've learned far more than I ever intended. After all, we all begin as audience, right? It's important to allow ourselves to enjoy that role, and have that experience. How else can we create meaningful experiences for others? So yeah... I basically wrote this post to rationalize how much TV I watch. I can live with that. And for reals people, if you haven't see the Twilight Zone episode "Eye of the Beholder," you are missing out.