Weekly Studio Update + The Demotivation of Winter

I've finally come to accept that yes, it is winter; and yes, it will be winter for a while yet. Why would I want to be in denial of that? Well, I don't like the cold. It's uncomfortable. It's dry. And it can suck all my motivation to practise out of the air. So, how do we get on top of a seasonal slump?

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I want you to firstly make a note of anything and everything that you've used as an excuse to not start a practise session. Be completely honest with yourself - there's no right or wrong, and certainly no judgement from me! In the last couple of weeks, I've thought:

1. It's cold and I'm warm where I am so I'm not going to move.
2. I don't what I'll play.
3. I don't want to disturb the neighbours.
4. I'd rather play another 30 minutes of Stardew Valley on my iPad.

All those things were enough to stop me from starting. If you're anything like me, you probably come up against obstacles in your motivation for lots of tasks. Those blocks might also be quite different in one part of the year to another! For example, if the room with your piano is cold, then you're probably less likely to want to play in winter.
So it might be time to give yourself a motivation evaluation. Start with the excuses, and see how many you can overcome with some changes. Maybe it's heating your room 30 minutes before you start. Maybe it's making a plan of what you'll practise before you sit down. Maybe it's having a household member help keep you accountable each day. Maybe it's putting a screen time limit on your favourite app. Maybe it's changing the time of day that you sit down to learn - the unbearable heat of the middle of the day in summer means that it's pleasant at the same time in winter.
The other good news: winter is nearly halfway done! The days are getting longer, and I dream of one day wearing shorts again.

Things I've been watching/listening to this week:

1. VULFPECK /// Radio Shack - if I ever forget to link a new Vulfpeck song when it comes out, you should check that I still have a pulse. 
2. Ian Kirkpatrick's Twitch Livestream 2 - Don't Start Now Breakdown - the producer of Dua Lipa's hit Don't Start Now runs through how he made the song. He likes to swear. A lot.
3. Albums beginning with the letter O: Beck (Odelay) [man, what an insane album...], OK Go (Of the Blue Colour of the Sky) [one of my all time favourite albums]
4. Other music not beginning with O: Haim (Women in Music Pt. III), K.Flay (Solutions)

Be sure to let me know what you've been enjoying lately and if there's anything you think I should check out!