I feel like sometimes I have the gifting, and the right tools, just not the wherewithal to actually finish out a creative musical idea I have. There is this paralysis that sets in and prohibits me from taking a song from start to finish.

I get a good bridge idea, a good chorus idea. I struggle with verses yet like a child forced to eat broccoli I press on and write one.

I am wondering if I am wired to require collaboration to finish the creative process once it gets started, or if I am just a “musical co-dependent” and it’s a character flaw.

Do any of you struggle with this? What are your keys to overcome limitations? What are the processes you find helpful to push you toward completing a song or blogging, etc.?

I stumbled upon this blog post I wrote last year in another blogosphere and thought it was worthy of incorporating into my own personal blog.

Excellence vs. Perfection

originally posted Mar 12, 2010 10:56 AM by Bill Kunkel   [ updated Mar 12, 2010 10:58 AM ]

Below is an excerpt from some training I attended that addressed the difference between perfection and excellence.

Striving for excellence is a different goal than striving for perfection. While perfectionists never seem to be happy with their work, people striving for excellence know when they have provided excellent performance.

Perfectionists:

• Often miss deadlines because “it’s just not good enough” – and it never will be
• Want everyone to believe they are perfect and that their work is perfect
• Constantly question their ability
• Don’t delegate because no one can do the work as well as they can
• Are often stressed and can easily become burned out

Excellence:

• Always doing your best
• Providing exceptional performance
• Meeting realistic deadlines
• Delegating when appropriate

Rather than setting unrealistic goals and expectations of perfection, you need to expect and accept excellence from yourself and others.

I believe we should always be striving for excellence in what we do, not perfection [which is unattainable until we get to heaven ]. I think that this can definitely apply to musicians, sound production, video, etc..

• @chrisfromcanada putting “Worship Rises” is our 2011 new music roster. #
• @crystalrenaud This will convert it to PDF http://www.pdfonline.com/convert_pdf.asp in reply to crystalrenaud #
• @inworship I totally missed this yesterday I don’t even know what happened, but I’m glad you’re feeling better! in reply to inworship #
• @WillDoggett Wonder how their ‘Fax Services’ division is faring? in reply to WillDoggett # Continue reading →

• Merry Christmas and may God bless us all, everyone! #fb #
• @robdoner Let me know if there are any inspired, well-timed, vibrato-filled vocal runs in there. in reply to robdoner #
• @robdoner are you tweeting at me from said bed? in reply to robdoner #
• @robdoner yes if it were you dancing I believe there would be a different sort of “clatter” happening…. in reply to robdoner #
• @PlanningCenter Merry Christmas to you too and thanks for all you guys do that improve music ministries! in reply to PlanningCenter # Continue reading →

One of my favorite songs to lead our congregation in for our Worship [Music] service is “Everlasting God”. It is the song that starts “Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord”. I used to [incorrectly] mentally link that lyric with the ability to do “more stuff”.

I started to make the concept of “strength rising” part of my prayers. It lead me to praying part of Psalms 51:12 “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation”

Continue reading →