let me tell you, oh my brothers and sisters, that I struggle greatly learning anything at the piano … to the point that it sometimes feels futile, psychologically unsafe, and all-consuming, compounded by a feeling of diminishing returns …

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but I have come 'round to insights of great importance for me, and I would like to share those. these are axioms worth repeating whenever you are engaged in any sort of work that challenges you to the nth degree, to the absolute limits of your physical/mental apparatus.

These days I have been asking whether or not I am "The Enjoyer". Are you forgetting something special and unique about your activity as you are doing it? Can you bring yourself back to becoming an enjoyer of your work? What would this bring out of you?

"Anyone who does not have the courage to be themselves commits a crime against themselves." — Grigory Sokolov … the great Russian master sums it up in a powerful and succinct statement. To really internalize this will yield unexpected results.

"Have the emotional intelligence to not rush things." — Andra Knox … this is another way of saying don't play faster than you can think. Oh how this simple dictum carries so much weight.