One of my personal practices, and one which I love to share with every musician who studies with me, is this:
Kiss or thank your instrument at the end of every session.
Why is this important or helpful?
Like magic, this gesture amplifies our appreciation and our good feelings. “Thank you” means we have received something valuable – help, inspiration, light – and the words bring home to us that blessing.
That kiss or “thank you” further strengthens the bond with our instrument. We are collaborators, co-creators, and friends.
Gratitude and warm connection set the tone for the relationship we have with the instrument itself and also with our artistry and creativity. These feelings invite us back again and again to practice, to create, to explore, and to feel the friendship and safety of deepening our mastery and extending our artistry.
It’s beautiful and it works for writers with their pens, notebooks, and laptops, for artists with their brushes, paints, and canvas, and for you, whatever your art and your tools and collaborators may be.
We can create a warm, joyful world in which our art and artistry can flourish – one kiss or “thank you” at a time.
Try it!
