Everyone needs to work. Even a lion cannot sleep, expecting a deer to enter his mouth.
—Hitopadesha
While I’m on the computer, the cats take over my desk.
I’m on my fourth day of the Writing Diet, and to my astonishment and gratitude, my energy and productivity levels are still very high. While on the one hand it’s depressing to think that all my unproductive time in the past might have been due solely to eating too-big portions of too many carbs and sweets, for now, I’m just glad I’m getting as much done as I am. I went to dance class in the morning, then came back home and pondered what to do with my afternoon. As I was saying yesterday, my new approach is to decide on one thing at a time to do and then stick to it, and somehow that really makes it easier. I took a mental inventory and realized the open loops that bothered me most were all the emails I needed to address, so I dedicated my afternoon to those. Whew, it was a lot! I had several messages that dated back to February and even one from October (right before the FabMo show). But I powered through them all, and felt a huge burden lift as I did so. Not that my inbox is empty, but at least there are no more longstanding, outstanding messages that need replies. Thank goodness.
I want to share a lovely little piece of creative inspiration with you: Stravinsky’s Concerto for Two Pianos, set to a gorgeous visual soundtrack.
Not only is it a striking piece of music, it’s also personally meaningful to Erik and me, because we once performed it together while we were undergrads at Berkeley. Yes… I used to be that good. Not as good, obviously, as the Labèque sisters — whose recording I believe it is, and who are fantastically fun to watch live — but still good enough to play a piece like this in public. Alas for tendinitis! Whenever I hear or see very talented musicians doing their stuff, I still get a twinge of longing for how good a pianist I used to be. I was never good enough to be a professional of any caliber, but for an amateur I was excellent, and I don’t know if I still have that level of skill at anything I do. Poop.
satsumabug.com | Lisa Hsia 
You don’t know if you have that level of skill at anything you do…yet. Let it come. Don’t let it poop.
Thank you, darlin’. 🙂 I guess what I mean is I don’t have that level of practice at anything I currently do. Maybe writing? But I miss the facility I used to have with my fingers on ze keys!
again, the key word is…currently. Give it time. 🙂 I mean, consider how long it took for you to build up the facility for playing the piano! But you got there nonetheless.
True, augh. 18 years!!
I’m a little nervous about writing a long comment, just in case it doesn’t go through, but I’ll just say that I’m so glad your energy levels are high and that you were able to tackle all of those emails! I know exactly how much that can weigh on your mind.
You’re a pianist!! OMG. You never cease to amaze me with your boundless talents. 🙂
Woo hoo! The comment went through. I’m back in the game. 😀
Yay!! So glad to see you back on here and with no funky spam-filter detours!
Heh, I was a pianist. I’d love to pick it up again someday, but with my sensitive wrists (the tendinitis is mostly gone, thanks I think to yoga, but I still have some trouble in this area) I can’t do much, and I’ve got so much on my plate already that I can’t devote the time to practicing regularly. 😦 But lately I’ve been thinking I should at least be listening to more classical music than I do. I love it so much, I can’t put it on just as background music, so I have to really pay attention when I listen to it. Sounds like a good thing to do while stretching during breaks from work. 🙂