Something I used to do everyday for hours without even thinking about it now is something I have to consciously schedule time for. Yes, I’ve been playing guitar for about 15 years now, and yes I’m married and own a home. None of those are excuses to not practice, though. No, the boring truth is that my talent peaked a while ago, and my creative ideas are more sparse and are often funneled elsewhere. Instead of something I initially binged on, losing myself in the art, playing the guitar is just something I do occasionally now, and I’m really just largely known for having played it more than actively plucking the strings.

This makes me sad.

However, a training stint at work a couple weeks ago allowed me to go into the office later than usual. With about an hour each morning of consciousness that wasn’t filled with watching Let’s Play videos while eating yogurt and drinking coffee, I turned to my trusty first acoustic guitar, Big Red, and the iPhone’s Voice Memos app. At one point, I even broke out my electric guitar and amp and noodled around, just like the old days. The former made my hands hurt more than I remember them doing in the past, but the latter felt free and easy. I’ve had roughly the same instruments, amps, and effects for over a decade, so I get sick of the same ol’ sound as it ends up existing on a recording, but when I’m playing live, it’s all good.

It felt good to just play, man.

I played old Nebyoolae songs. I played Pure Yellow Colour. I played pop and rock songs I’ve played countless times before. I just played. The physical act of strumming a guitar continues to calm the savage beast. It gets my mind going and makes me wish I had actually written something in the last 8 months. Maybe I will. Who knows? I’m fickle and I jump from creative project to creative project much too often, so it’s impossible to tell.

Regardless of when the next time I actually release some new music, I’m going to try to play at least a few times a week. I may be pushing 31 now, but I’m gonna keep the rock alive.