Create Your Sunshine

Over the last few months I’ve been hearing more and more that masters of a certain craft were students once. Everyone has to start at the beginning, some have to try harder than others. Now, I’m what some might label as a perfectionist. I absolutely EXPECT for me to get it right the first time. No practice, no excuses. I should just be able to envision myself doing it and then do it. PERFECTLY.

Sound familiar to anyone? Well if it does, I’m going to have to burst your bubble. IT’S IMPOSSIBLE! You can’t possibly pick up something and be an expert at it right away. It just can’t happen. It takes time and patience and persistence. Now, there are some things that we are just naturally good at and will pick up right away, but it will still take practice to fully know everything there is to know about that particular thing (which can go on into infinity, ever evolving, ever growing).

This weekend hubby and I went to Delfest, an all bluegrass music festival in the mountains of Cumberland, MD (which turns out the mountains themselves are actually in West Virginia!). IT WAS INCREDIBLE!!! There was so many amazing and talented musicians there. There were many many bluegrass legends and really kick ass new bluegrass bands. We had a fantastic time (even though at night it would get so cold I thought I wouldn’t make it through! LoL) and I know that we will be back for many more years to come.

One of the musicians there was 22 year old Sarah Jaroz. Saying that she is talented in a huge understatement. I have no words. I was lucky enough to see her in an intimate venue on the lower east side in Manhattan 2 years ago and she has done nothing but grow even more in her craft since. She played a lovely set on the main stage and then later on that day she did a workshop else in the festival. Not wanting to miss that hubby and I scurried over there. Little did I know I was about to get a HUGE wake up call.

Sarah and her band answered audience questions and played songs in between. They played originals an covers and they were all fantastic. Towards the end of her set someone asked her if she was learning any new instruments. This isn’t a very far fetched question, Sarah is a multi-instrumentalist playing mandolin, octave mandolin, guitar and banjo. Sure enough she was working on a new instrument, the violin, and once the audience found out the urged her to play a song.

Tentatively Sarah picked up the violin and played a little nursery rhyme (or something along those lines) and I was amazed at her courage. This is a hard instrument to play and one that she’s just learning and she played it in front of a few hundred people. I thought that she was a rock star and I realized that this is a girl that has mastered SO many instruments, but she still had to start somewhere. She still had to learn how to play it, she didn’t just pick it up and know.

If there is something that you are trying to accomplish and you don’t get it right away, or after a few tries or even after a few months – DON’T GIVE UP! If it’s something that you love to do and it bring you joy just keep practicing! Remember, the master was always, ALWAYS once a beginner.

♥ xo