Words of affirmation in the private music studio…
“All expression has two noble intentions: to try to say what is unsayable and to bear witness to what is.” -Mark Nepo, from Drinking from the River of Light: The Life of Expression
As artists, we are vessels. We master our art in order to pour out our souls, to say the unsayable, to bear witness to what is. But if what we pour out comes from within, we need to look within. If we listen more carefully inside, what is being said? What are we witnessing?
We can most authentically express our art when our hearts are healthy. If we are truly creating music authentically, that expression starts inside, and that expression will then be felt outside. As an artist, this is one reason I am so careful to do inner work. And it is my deep desire to teach young artists how to care well for their hearts and minds while they learn to become masters at their art.
How do I cultivate a beautiful and peaceful inner world from which my art flows? One way I do this for myself is speaking kindly to myself as I hold conversations and dialogue within. We are all talking to ourselves internally. What we say to ourselves and about ourselves shapes us. What we give attention to will guide us, and we will live into whatever that attention is focused on.
This past year, each day I chose to daily speak affirmations to myself even if I did not totally resonate with the affirmations at first. For instance, speaking “I am radiant” to myself every morning for a week had a huge impact on me. I started to believe that I was radiant, that my life was meaningful and full of light and possibility. I said this to myself as if it were already happening and already a reality. And by the end of the week, it was my reality. I was radiant. And then my art was radiant, and my teaching was radiant, and my interactions with myself and the world were radiant. This practice of positive affirmations directly and beautifully shaped my inside and outside world.
As a pedagogue, I have the privilege to help my students create this internal dialogue for themselves. I can speak affirmation to them every lesson, but what also matters is how they speak to themselves. The path of mastery is one where self-evaluation and critique are needed and necessary in order to succeed and grow. I don’t deny this.
I believe there is a way to simultaneously see the weeds, pull them out, and also water the flowers. I am great at pulling weeds! But can I be equally good at teaching my students how to water themselves? I want to hear them say, “I am radiant!” And if they believe this, their art and growth will start to reflect this inward affirmation.
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I’ve created a 52 Week Affirmation and Mindfulness Journey for my private music studio where I pair affirmations with the Little Renegades Mindful Kids exercises. My goal is that every week the studio will focus on one affirmation and one mindful exercise. My hope is that, over the course of a year, they will witness, for themselves, the transformative power of internal, positive affirmation.