Here’s the “no” part.
This is what our culture tells us: if something doesn’t work for you or makes you uncomfortable, move on to something else. This is probably some deep psychology advice, but it’s okay to sit with the discomfort for awhile. It has something to teach. It has something to tell us about ourselves. Quickly moving on to something else can gloss it over and repress whatever is really happening underneath. I mean, going fishing is probably a good thing, for a day. A different perspective. The deep introspection can only happen given some time though. Maybe spend time just listening to music (if that seems to help) - the great records that inspired you in the first place - rather than trying to make music or redefine it.
Here’s the “yes” part.
There is another day. There is a tomorrow. Life evolves and moves on. I like magic too, but I think that when the magic disappears it may suggest we have some work to do. More of the inner work than the outer work. The magic really comes from within - who we are and what we are creating from the inside - rather than external sources.
This was part of my recent experience, detailed on another thread, of coming to a point where I felt things weren’t working for me anymore. It felt like stepping in doo-doo, and I can’t tell you exactly what it was that came up, but I’m cleaning off that shoe now and when I’m done I’ll probably have a clearer sense of it. Perhaps the Two Bare Hands message had something to do with it.
Oh, I agree with this. I’m not saying to quit something when it gets hard (even though I do that all the time, I don’t think that’s a good thing). I’m saying it’s ok to quit something when there are other better things to do. Obviously there’s some midway point between muscling through everything until the bitter end and chasing every new exciting thing that comes your way.
There’s no end to possible new good, fulfilling hobbies. You can’t chase every one of them. You have to be able to say no to good things. But it’s equally important (and for some reason equally as hard) to say no to bad things.
I think we are all thinking that if it is a hobbie and your sick of it, you can move on and find a new hobbie. If it’s a career you kind of stick it out until you can’t take it anymore. In our society 70 years ago, if you got married and it was not a good thing a few years later, many stayed together and stuck it out until the end. Today couples get married and it seems at the first few bumps in the road they file for divorce. So I agree that there is a trend to quitting anything now that seem difficult. My guess is takka360 is saying this is a hobbie and he’s been doing it long enough to know it’s time to take a break.
Thanks for sharing where you’re at, Alan. FWIW (and this is obvious from all the replies to your post!), you are much appreciated here.
Hah, no wonder your feeling burnt out, the way you were kicking out your mixes! You were popping these things out sometimes 2-3 a day! And decent mixes, too. Makes sense to me that you need a breather.
The other thing that’s running thru my mind is the importance off balance in one’s life. It’s so easy to hyper-focus on just one thing. Regardless of what that one thing is, my experience is that if it comes at the expense of healthy balance, I don’t do well. By balance, I’m thinking social, sexual, spiritual, hobbies, exercise, community, relational, hobbies, creative stuff. I’m a bicyclist and bike about 150-200 miles per week. I’m reminded of a time a few years back when I was out in the middle of nowhere when one of my spokes broke. A bicycle wheel is an amazing thing. Very light spokes finely tuned to keep the rim and wheel in perfect balance around the hub. When that one spoke broke, it screwed everything up. The neighboring spokes, without that spoke to counterbalance, pushed the rim hard out of round. Other spokes compensated. In a split second that wheel was so screwed up it wouldn’t turn cuz it couldn’t fit between the brake pads. Too much detail (sorry about that!), but for me, life is the same way. There are so many “spokes” necessary to keep things running smoothly.
Heck, you already perhaps alluded to that when you mentioned the other stuff going on in your life. Here’s to you, Alan. Attend to that stuff. Make it a priority. Find the bent spokes and maybe even find a decent bike mechanic who can help you “true” your wheels. Will be prayin’ for you, my friend.
Glad to hear you’ll still be pokin’ your head in around here! I’ll be looking for some bashes from you from time to time, cuz you, like so many on this forum, have made me better at what I do.
Seriously you people on here are totally amazing and give me the strength to want to fight this negativity .I do feel i have come too far to just give in now.As i said i will have a little break for a while and hopefully come back refreshed and ready to take myself to the next level i have been fighting so hard to do.As the saying goes nothing worth while comes easy .
Sad to hear you’re having a rough time and not enjoying something you are obviously good at. I have to say the amount of mixes you’ve been uploading… man that was some production! So I can well imagine you need a break.
I have an idea. I don’t know you of course other than from your mixes and comments, so I might be completely off the mark. But here it is: Maybe next time take it slow. Start recording yourself or someone you know well. Something simple and basic, but make it your own in a way that mixing stems from some impersonal site can’t. Don’t just work on a perfect mix, you’ve already proved you can get pretty close to that. Work on a song that gets you emotionally involved.
What I love about mixing is all about taking a simple song I wrote, often years ago, and turning it into a complete recording. But the result isn’t always what I hope for. Often I get side tracked by all the possibilities of the technology. I’ve been telling myself I should just try recording only me and my guitar and learn to do that really well. So my advice is as much an advice to myself as to you .
I actually feel a bit better about things today and been encouraged a lot by the community here…
Im not going to let things grind me down and today i had a play around with the Lewitt mix contest files .Onward and upward .
Sending my support too Alan-- am at this moment back on my music rig for the first time in many weeks myself. I’ve got a bunch of tracks recorded and all the basic work done on them, and they’ve been sitting there not mixing themselves. But breaks are good, as has been said many times. Hang in there!
Perhaps the Two Bare Hands message had something to do with it. 
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