There's obviously something in the water.
I joked last week that making music is my version of a midlife crisis. In a subsequent email conversation a friend said they were glad I was using it to do something I want to do and that it was better than getting a divorce and buying a red sports car. 😆
Austin Kleon yesterday quoted John Higgs saying "Never waste your midlife crisis":
"You can do great things with a midlife crisis. If you just waste it on like a car, it's just a lack of imagination."
In a separate email thread, another friend said the following:
Don't see it as a midlife crisis thing, though. That suggests you're trying to return to your youth, and when you've concluded that you can't, you'll give up.
That is such a wise way of looking at it.
I've suffered from that exact scenario a number of times; I did something in my younger years and, in my mind, immediately expected to be back at the same level when starting again. It's so frustrating when you know how good you used to be at something and can't come close.
Recognising that it is a fresh start, a new beginning with something that will only grow (if you let it), is the way to approach things. I'm doing things differently to all those years ago so there is no direct comparison to be made.
And that is for the best.
"Recognising that it is a fresh start, a new beginning with something that will only grow (if you let it), is the way to approach things."
Yeah, the trick is looking forward, not back.