In this mini-class from Deborah Henson-Conant (“DHC”), you’ll learn more about how to set up your workspace AND your mind to help support your creativity and learning.
The goal of this mini-course is to help you learn how to organize your workspace so you can focus better and have more fun.
This was originally a module of “Hip Harp Toolkit” but I realized it’s an important foundation for any course people take with me – and for anyone working to develop a creative life practice.
It’s about how to set up your workspace AND your mind to help support your creativity and learning. It’s about creating conducive conditions for your creative expression.
What is a “Condition”?
According to webdictionary, condition is “the circumstances affecting the way in which people live or work” and the synonyms are “circumstances, surroundings, environment, situation, setup, setting”
The conditions you set up for your practice are more powerful than will-power and more effective than simply adding more practice time – because they allow you to completely focus on your practice.
The conditions you create for practice are another example of using structure as a foundation for freedom: when you structure your practice conditions, it frees you to focus on practice.
I recommend setting up conducive conditions in 3 and structures for your work:
- Your Project Notebook
- Your Workspace
- Your Privacy
So we’ll be looking at all 3 things in this mini-course.
Why set up conducive conditions?
Working hard is easy …
Setting up CONDITIONS so that your effort is effective …
That’s what’s difficult.
There are two main reasons for that:
#1: It can’t be this easy — It’s cheating!
The first is that once you’ve set up conditions to make your efforts highly effective, then it just feels like the work is easy. It almost feels like you’re NOT WORKING AT ALL. It feels like we’re CHEATING.
That can be confusing both logistically and emotionally. Many of us are taught to value struggle: that we need to work hard to be successful. So when we make it easy for ourselves, we feel like we must be doing something wrong – when, in fact, we’re being deeply effective.
#2: But then I have to actually … (gulp)!
The second reason is that when we remove the logistical barriers to doing something we’re scared to do we’re faced with actually having to do the scary thing.
It can be much easier emotionally to avoid revealing ourselves by ‘contending’ with the logistics of everything from tuning our instruments, to finding our music, tuning keys – or getting hungry, or thirsty or needing to find out eye-glasses.
DISCUSSION
(Add your thoughts about the following in the comments area below)
Have you ever experienced this paradox? That the way you set things up (i.e. the conditions you create) can change something that seemed very difficult into something that was so easy that it seemed like you must be cheating or doing it wrong? Describe the situation.
Do you ever fuss with logistics, or create obstacles to avoid having to truly express YOU? What are some of those things that you put in the way of your own authentic, unbridled creative expression?
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I always had competing interests as my harp stood in my study along with my work desk. Work and family demands always came before dedicated harp time. It was very much a stop/start/stop process. Now as an empty nester, the time has come, or better put, the harp’s time has come. Setting new goals and being asked to play at local community events has changed the landscape. There are still distractions, but keeping a practice diary and having a dedicated ‘harp’ space has helped improve focus. Working on smaller elements i.e. specific parts of pieces that are very tricky has helped with focus. The most difficult part now, is managing the beginnings of arthritis (I’m not giving up!), slowly building stamina to consistently practise for increasing amounts of time and accepting that sometimes the ‘slow way’ is the fastest way to mastery.
I often play the harp when I’m passing it which sums up my life style !!!which is aiming to do something but then get easily distracted and start doing something else – so I could be going to the kitchen to prepare lunch and on the way – pass the harp and end up playing for 1/2 an hour !!!However i’m Addressing My flexi – style of life in 2024 & i’ve resolved to be more structured and disciplined at least for part of the day and giving the harp an hour priority time everyday !!!
I have my own office space – but it is tight with organ, computer set up, sewing table, and my DS and lever harp. I need to stay organized. When I get too disorganized – music piled all over the table, and other notes etc, its not as conducive to sit and practice. It adds to my feeling that I am flaying in every direction instead of focusing on one or two things to practice.
Yes. Space..Time.. Other people around.. I can find an excuse in anything :).
But now I have my beautiful harp in the bedroom and a convenient table with all my harp stuff in front of it and a very sturdy stand for my laptop so I can sit behind my harp, be alone, and have everything handy. No more excuses!
My husband and I live in a beautiful house with a big yard, but it’s pretty small, there’s no place to put my harp apart from where it’s standing now, in front of the glass doors. It’s a perfect spot, although when my husband’s at home I have trouble playing. It’s not because he doesn’t want me to, he likes it when I play, but it’s my own feeling, that I can’t be completely free when he’s watching. Also, he’s a musician too, and when he’s home he plays a lot so I can’t. I still have to find a solution for this.
I had 9 people living with me during COVID. I moved my harp into my bedroom.
Best. Thing. Ever.
My project notebook helps me keep on track of what I’m doing what I’m striving for. Conducive conditions- the living room in my house is the music room. It’s a place to keep all my instruments and also makes a private out of the way spot for quiet times and conversations. A couple of years ago I added French doors (instead of just an opening) and really helps making it a safe and secure place to practice, away from other noises, distractions and little fingers turning all the gears on my guitars and getting them of tune. I love having my place where I can leave my music on the stand and be sure it’s there when I get back.
Sylvia on October 8, 2023 at 9:36 am
I can relate to playing the harp during the first hour of the day. That works for me too, and if I don’t play first before doing other things, I will get so involved with the other things, that the day becomes spent. My idea of a prepared space is to come to the harp with a plan concerning what I am going to do with the harp for that day. This is one of the reasons why I want to learn how to include improvisation so that I will have a different way of approaching the harp.
Yes. It is east to procrastinate rather than tackle a hard or scary task.
Since I moved my harp in a new space in my house… the veranda. I feel much more motivated to play… the place is small but it is as if I was outside in the green garden, I hear birds singing along and the cats are around. In this new space I can play almost every day..
But I sometimes travel for work so I can’t practice .. I used to think that I would lose everything I had learned and that my brain would not remember anything … I realize these thoughts were a way of keeping me away from playing . It was one more thing which created obstacles to avoid having to truly express myself !!
So I now try to change the way I think about music that’s why I am here in this harp Improv challenge.
Also, I write down every day in my notebook my practice and my progression. it motivates me an allows me to see how far I’ve come.
One of your sentence caught my attention: the belief that we need to work hard to be successful. This belief takes up space in my mind..; I wand to change this absolutely.. if I don’t pay attention to this I am tense in my body, my hands, my fingers, my shoulders.. and of course and don’t play with pleasure! Being aware of this helps me to be more relaxe, open, and I hope creative and free .. that’s where I want to go.. play more freely and be more creative.. for now I am still afraid of being heard or seen …
(I am between late beginner and intermediate as an adult learner (if we try to put ourselves in a box) .
I moved my 38 string harp to a main spot in my living room with a proper music stand and now feel more serious. I have my smaller 29 string harp next to my computer to take work with the lesson. I’ll tune before the challenge begins and have water ready, so I don’t have a reason to be distracted.
I try to always have my harps ready~
Wish: to be able to sit down at the harp, tune, turn to my music/ plan, take a moment for composure and play; share the beauty of the harp. To be able to replicate this mindset no matter what the venue.
Outcome:
Enjoyment. Relaxation. Beauty. Connection. Healing.
Obstacles: consistent focus. Stage fright. Self-judgment. Fatigue. Having to move harps to room with Internet.
Fear of rejection and no gigs. Indecision.
Plan: Put 25-minutes blocks on calendar for playing and marketing.
Set up harp the night before if need the Internet.
Take deep breaths and relax body.
Have music plan ready.
Break down pieces to smaller parts.
Think of people who love me.
Bookend with harp buddies by 10 am.
Pencil in rest and exercise and don’t overdo it.
E: give myself a high 5 and draw star by completed tasks.
I have an extra bedroom in our apartment where I keep all of my Music equipment, including four harps and two large piano/keyboards plus my music books and other music doodads. I have ring binders with set lists devoted to individual classes and gigs and other projects. However, the harp is my second instrument and when I’m getting a piano/keyboard gig ready the harp practice suffers and vice versa. Getting organized and staying organized feels like nailing jello to a fence post sometimes.
Love your comment re nailing jello to a fence post, Carol!!! I think you nailed it there!! It’s great that you created more space in the way you have.
I have moved my harp from my living room to my study to be beside my 27″iMac desktop to watch you as I practice. Sometimes changing things up helps focusing and commitment!
During COVID I had 9 people living with me for 18 months. I took my harp and tucked it into a corner in my bedroom.
Best thing ever.
I took this course some time back in my harp journey, but decided to take a fresh look at it along with this Fall ’23 improv challenge. I really have not a spec of space on my overloaded calendar, especially this week, but when the opportunity came up on my email, I couldn’t resist! And, of course, my harp space can use a bit more spaciousness!!
I have never tried to make obstacles to my creativity. And I’ve always set up my space to inspire me.
I have been trying to learn to play harp for about 3 years now. I can play at late beginner level when alone but get too nervous when playing for someone else. I feel like the songs I can play are too simple and anyone who knows music will think I am playing at a child’s level. I am 76 yo. So I don’t play for anyone.
Opps! I answered the wrong question. I had just watched your video on playing simple tunes. As far as logistics- I have a dedicated room for my harps. I have my music and learning books organized. What I don’t have organized is my practice time, goals for practice and logging in when I practice. I have tried. I have the journals but avoid using them. Why??
I can so relate, Lana! I am right there with you. It’s either too simple or too advanced for my skill level. That’s what’s great about studying with Deborah! There’s plenty enough to go around for everyone at any level!!! Keep it up!!
Lana, simple is beautiful. It is much better to play something simple and play it well, and let the beauty of each note shine, then it is to rush into complicated music, play it too fast, and be stumbling all over the strings. (Ask me how I know…)
You are exactly where you can shine. Simplicity shines beautifully.
Complexity gets tangled buzzes, and it’s hard to keep up with.
Give yourself time.
Learn the simple things well. Play them for us! We understand.
Relaxing and enjoy Debra‘s class, I think you’ll get a lot out of it.
And one of Debra‘s most influential sentences for me, is, it’s about connection, not perfection.
… besides, it’s a Harp.
They’re gonna love it.
Creating conducive conditions for creative expression. What an interesting concept for me to consider in terms of playing my harp. As a painter, I have a whole beautiful studio space with all my materials right at hand, always out and available with no pressure to clean things up at the end of a painting session, and pull them out at the next. It has made a huge difference in my painting to be able to go to my studio (in the back of my house) and just dive in.
As for my harp, it is in my living room, right nearby, with my music stand and music at the ready but it takes more effort to get to playing even though in my head I really want to play and improve. I’m not quite sure why this is. Why does it take more effort to take the first step of sitting in front of my harp and getting out my music, than squeezing out some paint and picking up my paintbrush, when I really want to have both forms of creative expression be part of my life??
I moved my harp out of the corner and into the center of the room. Now I feel like I have space. I have the current music I am working on in a tote near my stand. The rest of my music has been neatly organized on a shelf behind me. It is within reach if I just want to play for a while, but out of sight to keep from distracting me when I need to focus.
I’m famous for my procrastination prowess. The paradox I have encountered with my music room is it becomes an out-of-sight, out-of-mind situation (just ask my poor neglected hammered dulcimer).😉 If I have my harp out, I’m more likely to grab some time here and there to practice, but there are so many distractions, so I don’t feel it is mindful and meaningful (enough) practice.
I have a harp corner in my bedroom. It is my space for trying to focus. It is so true, having a space to think, absorb then create is wonderful. I kinda feel Monique . My perfect spot is not what I use most. I end up in the living room with one of the 9 harps in there and the chaos of the family.. although, early morning alone out there is amazing. My neatly organized music in my creative space is dragged to heaps around the living room harps. I guess my ‘space is ever evolving to family circumstances.
I know I do not have the perfect ‘spot’ currently.. but I work on it. Most of my best learning is done away from the harp. I listen to your videos driving to and from work.. then put them into practice either before bed or first thing in the morning before work. It would be wonderful to make music without paper.
I’ve found the only way I can really accomplish fruitful practice is to de-clutter my space, otherwise I find myself focusing on the mess around me instead of dedicated practice and playing (which goes for my writing also). My front room is my music room. The first thing unexpected visitors may see when they enter my house is the piano, two harps, a hammered dulcimer, two mountain dulcimers, and the stacks of music and books on the floor or cluttering the top of the baby grand. That procrastination of putting stuff away gets in the way of productive music making and something I must get a handle on. My husband will sometimes look around and say “we need to invite someone over” which is about the only way the job really gets done. I definitely need to be mindful of putting stuff in the proper place when I’m through with it. Strangely, it’s only the music room and my computer desk that has this clutter problem. I have no problem with the rest of the house being clutter free.
I had the idea to change my workspace into a tiny “open stage” area. My brain injury isn’t off-track with clutter, and I will feel at home in this setting for when I do go out to play live somewhere
I spent all day Saturday de-cluttering, tuning my instruments, practicing the DGCA variations and now feel reasonably ready for tomorrow! Excited too!
I think a big key to me is this idea of prepared space and THEN it is START THE DAY HARPING.
If I play in the first hour of my day, I play again. If I do not play early, I may not play at all. After I get up (I am on my laptop in my cozy warm bed now, at 3:30 am, after not being able to fall back asleep) I will get play BEFORE I start improving my space organization… cause even getting ready by organizing can be a trap and for me, start the day with harp is the best way to progress.
Rose, I can relate to playing the harp during the first hour of the day. That works for me too, and if I don’t play first before doing other things, I will get so involved with the other things, that the day becomes spent. My idea of a prepared space is to come to the harp with a plan concerning what I am going to do with the harp for that day. This is one of the reasons why I want to learn how to include improvisation so that I will have a different way of approaching the harp.
I understand there is a harder and an easier way to do almost anything. To prepare a space in a way that materials are at my fingertips is a great start to make whatever I am doing easier. I find that being able to sit and relax while folding laundry makes that chore easy. The harp unfortunately feels like a chore. I am sitting but can not relax. I avoid playing until basic things like reading music becomes difficult. My current harp teacher told me I don’t believe I will ever be able to play the harp. Unfortunately, she is right. I picked up my first harp at 19, I am 41 and there are a myriad of tries and fails in those two decades. I struggle to stay consistent and I keep starting over. If there is a way to make this easier, to feel more rewarding, I want to learn that way. This all feels vulnerable and embarrassing to say but I also don’t plan on giving up.
I just organized my space and feel so much more able to be creative. I have set up “stations” so that I can just sit down and have my things ready right there to get started with.
I have never experienced that paradox. Everything I do seems harder than I think it should. My harp space is messy, but serviceable. Maybe if it was neat and welcoming, things would be easier. I’m going to work on that. And get a notebook. I usually just put the to-do list in my head.
Staying organized is something I had to learn, it did not come naturally. I was a total scatter brain as a child! I now live in a small space but my bedroom is spacious. I have my fairly large desk set up and my harp/ music stand is next to it. I have a pouch to keep my tuning key in that clips on the back of the harp. I have my metronome on my desk. I have a brush that looks like a porcupine that I keep on the desk to dust off my harp with its soft bristles. I just started to use a harp journal to keep track of my practice time and I need to work on, etc. I have my pens, pencils, Post-It notes, notebooks also on the desk. I also have an essential oil diffuser nearby to help keep the space energized. As a beginner, I have lofty goals but miles away from achieving them. I have been taking classes and they are jam packed each week with awesome information which I need to progress to playing. I barely start to learn a piece and then we have to move on. I really have learned so much in 9 months. I could not even read sheet music when I started. Even though I am excited to learn, I have waves of feeling overwhelmed. When my desk is organized, I feel I have some control. I still need something to organize my music books and my printed papers. I won’t call this an issue, but I am mindful of my neighbor directly below me. He works nights and I try to be considerate but I end up putting off practicing until a certain time. If I put it off too long, I may run out of energy.
Carol, I connected with your writing. “When my desk is clean, I feel like I have control” I live in a large house, but have my son’s young family here. They have the upper floor. I have pulled my harping into my room and it can get overwhelming in here…. too much stuff!!! But when my desk/space is clean, I feel like I have control. I tend to space out when clutter is involved… or maybe spend too much time online. So, today. I will tackle the messy corner where my harp sheet music and songwriting notebooks are stored… hoping to free energy for things that matter most to me
I live in a small house that is one story. My first thought to where my harps should be is in close proximity to the front door. l have managed to find a place where I can quickly select the harp I want to play, and keep out of the way of a very active Labrador. In the spring and summer I like to play outside. I work more efficiently if I have my tuning key , my notebook, my chrome book, and a big container of cold water close by. Lighting is alway a problem so make sure that my stand light is good to go and have extra batteries on hand.
Me and my Harp – When I was a child, I played as a child. I had my child books, child markers and child setup. Now I am a pre-teen (inbetweenie). Time to put away my childish toys and rethink my goals. Reduce the unused literature and make believe music and get real. The dining room is no longer a dining rm. It houses my computer and communication devices. My harps each size it’s own stool. My four binders are neatly on a shelf – labeled, completed, active, tomorrow and future.
I have added a DHC work binder (to house my challenges and notes, objectives, short term and long term plans) to my active Christy-Lyn binder of works. I have folders, of courses that I have taken, and easy access to harp terminologies. Each binder has an section of notes and reminders to be completed. I can not rely on my internet access to do on the spot searches so usually print and file important info. I love information and the ability to help others with it. I wish my hands were as well behaved as my data base I may get somewhere. I am tired of being captive to video learning and sheet music. Altho my harp playing will never get faster than my tremors, I want to do my own thing. I have no idea how to link what I create with my right to accompany with my left. I’m missing the link that connects everything. Maybe one day it will just click. Is it really that easy as cheating, or maybe I’m just looking for something that I think should be more difficult.
Since I wrote my first comment I’ve reorg’ed my notebooks and lists (thank you Connie La Porto!) and have a short list to work on during a given week. I also bought leather straps I like for my three small harps, and put their tuners in little velvet bags inside the soundbox (along with a list cheat sheet.). I leave the straps on the small harps so I can grab-and-go. And I go outside! Then I can play tunes and trouble spots and drills for the birds as long as I have time, with very few distractions. 😃
Helen, I think you are very organized. I love your frequent outdoor’s with nature and harp. Also thank you for helping me with the Baroque Challenge. I think you only need 3 binders, One for out door music, one for hymns and a DHC Challenge book. a pencil, paper, and a communication device. So we can chat. lol!!!! just kidding.
❤️❤️❤️
I feel like practicing etudes is cheating. It’s like books full of skill points, ripe for picking. I play them all the time and often rely on them for practice instead of ever learning music, convincing myself that if I practice etudes enough, I’ll be able to play anything. Which is it’s own weird sort of road block
and I 100% absolutely get in my own way in order to avoid self expression. Ancient school yard mockery has crippled my ability to self express with music, but recently finding the roots of the problem has helped along with the most excellent timing of the courses you offer here. We all want to “grab the bull by the horns” but you need to actually jump in front of that feisty bull before you can grab hold!
Over lockdown I rearranged my dining/ music room as a music studio with dining on the side! Massive improvement to the use of a small space and now I can sit down to digital piano or harp or computer easily and start concentrating quicker. It focuses my mind so much better on what I really need to address in whatever time is available on my own!
I have recently moved and have set up a specific music space . This seems to enhance my desire to focus just on music. No distractions.
The paradox: I have this issue at work all the time. By not taking time to pull certain thing s(reports, emails, bits of information) that I need before I begin the task, I get side-tracked searching for information and then get distracted and the task takes even longer.
Creating obstacles in my practice: Fear of failure. I struggle with this in everything that I do. Or fear of not being good enough. Desire to achieve a certain standard I have set for myself in advance which isn’t always a healthy way to work. Also, if my space is physically messy or cramped/crowded, I have a very difficult time focusing.
I am always wanting to video my playing but setup is so time consuming. Lighting is always an issue as well. I found that I practiced more by my computer than downstairs where I have a music/ craft and sewing room. However it is distracting. I plan to try and set up things better because opportunity to play is key and I feel more opportunities exist in my computer room.
Whether it is work or play, I have always found that having a deciated spot that is purpose fit always gets you in the mood for what is to be done in that spot and eliminates the “get ready/organized” time required to begin. I worked from home as a consultant for years and a dedicated home office made it easy for me to get up and “go” to work everyday. A dedicated space for crafting and watercolor makes it easy to do something creative even if i have ony a short amount of time. A dedicated place to play my harp with soothing light and color all around makes it easy to sit down and play. Even if I am “not in the mood” when I start, I can very quickly get into it!
I think a big key to me is this idea of prepared space and THEN it is START THE DAY HARPING.
If I play in the first hour of my day, I play again. If I do not play early, I may not play at all. After I get up (I am on my laptop in my cozy warm bed now, at 3:30 am, after not being able to fall back asleep) I will get play BEFORE I start improving my space organization… cause even getting ready by organizing can be a trap and for me, start the day with harp is the best way to progress.
“Do you ever fuss with logistics, or create obstacles to avoid having to truly express YOU? What are some of those things that you put in the way of your own authentic, unbridled creative expression?”
Daily at work. Often at home. At work there is plenty of logistics and very little expression involved. That does tend to rub off at home. And I make plenty of lists of what I want to play and I try to assemble sets from what I know; and all this takes time away from just PLAYING.
I also need to streamline the furniture in my studio. I have two chairs, a knee-high lap-Harp-bench (kind of like a picnic bench or piano bench) and then a genuine piano bench for the baby-grand piano. I spend too much time shuffling harps and chairs and benches!
When I was free lancing, years ago, I remember having trouble to get to practice. Or if I did sit down I wasn’t able to sit for any stretch of time.
After a while I realized that what I was missing was light! The good light on my music and instrument was missing.
So I had to fix this very important aspect of my room.
Since then I have always looked for the light source that would make my sitting at the harp a pleasure not a chore!
I am always finding excuses to avoid anything I enjoy. My music, my hobbies even my life. My room that has my sewing and music in is currently an unorganized mess. I am slowly getting it in order and with every baby step, I get excited.
I always had trouble playing with any speed at all. In my last apartment, I used to play late at night, so I would play very quietly to not disturb my neighbors. I found that playing lightly prevents fatigue on my arms, allowing me to play more quickly and handle ornamentation. I guess the paradox is that I had first thought I wasn’t really “practicing,” but it turned out to be a great practice technique.
Now the logistical nightmare is that my new neighbors go to bed much earlier than the previous ones. I haven’t gotten used to switching my practice to an earlier time. Too many days I feel like I can’t fit it in. I need to fix this!
The setup-paradox is the strangest thing. It was always hard to impossible for me to keep focussed, every sound not produced by myself was a distraction, even cars passing, or the rain on the windows. I decided this had to stop; I had to learn to play without caring what was around me. I started to play in front of the television and at first it was hell. I had to struggle to focus, and I continued to register everything. But it seemed I needed that, because after some time my double focus improved, I started to be able to direct it to a main focus and ended up to be able to play through every surround sound happening.
As far as ‘logistics’ are concerned, there’s only the problem that if there’s no deadline coming up, I tend to play mostly the pieces and/or the instrument that I like best at that moment.
Yes I’ll find all kinds of things to avoid doing things like changing harp strings, organizing music, etc. A few days ago I reorganized my underwear drawer that I hadn’t done for a long time, just to avoid it.