Waiting for Perfect

I'm always struck by the negative impact that perfectionism can have on my life. Frequently, I'll find myself procrastinating for no apparent reason, and when I delve a little deeper I find the root cause to be my perfectionism, and my fear that I can't accomplish something exactly the way I want to.

My perfectionism has gotten in the way of learning music, teaching, reed making, mothering, taking on new opportunities, writing this blog, etc. You name it and I can probably find an example of my perfectionism getting in the way. I can't tell you how many times I have had to sit myself down and say that this behavior is silly and that I need to get over it. Once I've done that little bit of self-examination I can usually pick up and get going on whatever it is that I've been putting off. What I haven't figured out is how to not have the reaction in the first place.

I also see this behavior in a few of my students, and I'm learning to help them correct it as well. I think that perfectionism in general is viewed on the whole as a positive quality by our society. We don't talk about it getting in our way very frequently, and people who procrastinate out of perfectionism are often lumped into the same category as people who procrastinate out of laziness. This is a mistake, as the two types need very different corrections.

Believe it or not, this is the result of perfectionism

The best way that I've come up with to deal with my perfectionism-procrastination when it's getting in my way is to analyze exactly what it is that's holding me back. I haven't posted on this blog in a year because I don't have as much time to write and take/edit pictures for 3 posts weekly. I've let my Facebook page lapse for many of the same reasons. I'm going to correct it by making an effort to write one post weekly. Instead of holding onto a standard that is too much for me to achieve and getting absolutely no result, I'm going to change to a more realistic standard and be happy with the progress that I can make.

Do you see the negative impact of perfectionism in yourself or your students? I'd be happy to hear about any ideas or coping techniques that you've come up with, so please share!

Busy, Busy, Busy....

Sorry I've been MIA lately...between growth challenges with the baby and business in the shop really taking off, I haven't had much time (read: none) to write here on the blog. I think things are starting to settle in though, and hopefully I can get back to a regular posting schedule soon!

How to: Maintain your Reed Supply

I think one of the most difficult things a young reed maker faces is the challenge of having to maintain their own reed supply. Over the last 10 years I've developed methods and tricks that help me to always have a steady stream of reeds, and I wanted to share them with you today.

The number one thing that I do to maintain my reed supply is to work through each step on 3 reeds every day. This means that I tie on 3 reeds every day, I do the first scrape on 3 reeds every day, and I do the second/final scrape on 3 reeds every day. I work on a total of 9 reeds daily in this assembly line fashion. Doing this allows me to have 3 reeds in the hopper for the next step; each day I'm taking the previous day's work a step further.

Students frequently want to work through all three steps on one reed and then move to the next reed and do it all again. The result of doing this is that they only have finished (or what they think of as finished) reeds in their box. This can be devastating when their teacher isn't pleased with the result and table tests all of their hard work! If they had done their reed work in stages, they would at least have 3 blanks and 3 reeds started to pick up and start over again with.

The other thing that I do that I think helps with my reed supply is to track my reeds in a reed notebook. All of my staples are numbered to help me know which reed is which. I write the date that they are tied on, with their number, the color of the thread, and the type of cane that I used. The next time I work on the reed I note what day it is, and when I finish the reed I do the same. I also can notate if I end up destroying a reed and the reason, i.e. the cane was mealy or I shredded the tip. I frequently note when I have a really good piece of cane, or if I'm using a different type of staple. I also use this system to keep track of which reeds are going to which students (so I can keep track of how old their reeds are) as well as the reeds that I sell online.

Both of these systems help me keep on top of my reed making process and ensure that I have a really steady reed supply. There isn't a magic wand that gives you perfect reeds, but hard work and consistency will help you become a solid reed maker. Of course, if it all seems like too much for you, I'd be happy to maintain your reed supply for you!