Lauren, obvious question. Why smoke weed if you get panic attacks? Because the creative playground afterward is invaluable.

But when someone compliments me on something that I’ve earned or worked for, I know they SEE me and my effort, and are bestowing a genuine acknowledgement.

I suppose this is the true goal of any passion- to develop your own reasons and experiences that enhance your commitment. It’s all part of the growing process and deciding what aspects of the game and the players’ work ethic I can apply to my own life.

By learning music theory first, we’re learning the “correct” ways to play scales and chords, we drill the patterns into our heads, and recall them from memory. Conversely, when we allow ourselves to “mess around” for as long as possible and get familiar with the sounds that we enjoy hearing and playing, we develop our skill free of limitations and attuned to our natural instincts.