The Perfect Time to Start a New Project

 

I’m sitting here in my office looking out the window at the rain over the harbour. It’s the kind of day that inspires cups of tea and cozy sweaters–even though it’s technically 71 degrees here in Bermuda–and I just got another DM from a reader about last week’s post about Growth Tasks vs. Maintenance Tasks, I’ve gotten a few of these messages from people who were, in some way or another, feeling stuck in maintenance-mode, but unsure how to make a move out of it. 

They all have ideas for projects of some kind. One had a desire to move to a new city, and another one had a brilliant idea about starting a summer workshop series for adults. 

They all had a different reason for not getting started, but they all revolved around the question: 

When, exactly, is the perfect time to start a new project?

One was “too busy.” With their own freelance work, teaching, and taking care of their kids. One was “too old” to start over, and today’s was “too young” to start such a serious endeavor. 

The only situation that was missing was “I have time but don’t know which idea to start with” 

 

And there you have it: The four horsemen of artistic stagnation:

 

1. Too Young
2. Too Old
3. Too Busy
4. Too Confused

 

But before we dive in, let’s answer one looming question. Is there ever a wrong time to take on a new project or make a big change? 

Yes. I think there is, but even then, there are ways around the obstacles. We’ll get to those later on.   

 

 

Problem #1: You’re too young

Too green. Or maybe you’re just not considered an “expert” in your field. In the arts, especially when we have such a reverence for our great masters like Itzakh Perlman, Pablo Casals, Martha Graham, or Margaret Atwood. We have always revered these legends and looked to people like them to create opportunities for the rest of us. They are the ones who are asked to lead conservatories and dance companies, and be the headliner at a retreat, or masterclass session. 

You? You’re just an up-and-comer. You should focus on your career and your craft. Just do the thing you’re trained to do, and wait until you’re old and famous. Then you can start doing other interesting things. 

Right? 

Well, no. Maybe not.  

I remember listening to the now hugely popular podcaster, Cathy Heller from Don’t Keep Your Day Job, back in her early EARLY days. She was talking about how, as a singer-songwriter with moderate success, she decided to create a course on how to write songs. She was full of self-doubt and imposter syndrome and bemoaning the classic “I mean, who am I to teach people how to write songs?” This should be taught by Bob Dylan, Sheryl Crow, or Lady Gaga!” 

“Maybe.” her friend replied, “But they aren’t teaching it. You are. And Someone needs to, so it’s a good thing you’re doing it.” 

I struggled with similar thoughts of imposter syndrome. Who was I to start a big international cello festival ONLINE in March of 2020? Who was I to gather the most famous cellists in the world and expect them to spend their summer with me and my students? Showing up in my Zoom Room to play scales with us at 8 am? 

Surely Juilliard, NEC, and Curtis should be doing it. But they weren’t. I was. And there were a hell of a lot of talented cellists who needed it. 

You know who else needed it? Those famous cellists–who needed an opportunity to learn how to teach online, who needed a bit of summer income, who needed and wanted to teach in a summer that had just been canceled on them. And somehow, even when things opened up in 2021, they came back for more. 

Who was I? I was the person willing to do it. 

So you’re NOT too young. You’re the person who has the idea, and hopefully, you’re the person willing to take it on. 

 

 

Problem #2: You’re too Old

It’s too late to change. It’ll take too long. People will be confused. People will feel betrayed. 

I’ve heard it all! 

Seriously, half the population is saying that they are too young and inexperienced to do something, and the other half is saying they are too old and washed up to do something. Which leaves a handful of, what, 37.5 year olds? To do all of the things. That’s just not fair. They’d like to take a vacation too. 

Making a big pivot later in life does bring about its own set of mental calisthenics. When you have an established reputation, it can seem like there is more at stake. When life has gotten somewhat comfortable with your usual day-to-day tasks, it can feel like a big lift to change things up in your routine. 

Also, when it comes to changing location, there’s the question of leaving behind a community of long-gathered friends and neighbors. The trick here is to focus on what you will gain on the other side. An expanded community, new friends, new colleagues. A new perspective. 

But if it’s an idea that has been gnawing at you. Tapping you on the shoulder, again and again, then it’s probably worth taking the leap. 

I guarantee, no one else thinks you’re “too old” to do anything. If anything, you’ll garner respect and admiration for having the courage that so many struggle to find in themselves. 

When you hear those stories about the 85-year-old who went and finished their college degree. You don’t think “That’s ridiculous! They’re too old for that! What’s the point?” 

No. 

You’re saying ‘Wow! That’s amazing! Good for them! We should all have such courage and determination.”

Indeed—we should. You should, too. 

 

 

Problem #3: You’re too busy

Life is full on. You’re in the middle of your PhD, with a baby at home and a performing life to boot. Or maybe you have a thriving freelance career and a stuffed-to-the-gills teaching studio. Maybe all of the above! 

Artists tend to be busy people. Taking on new opportunities without the need to shed old ones. I remember when I was living in Boston and was hired to be a cello coach and run the chamber music program at Boston University’s Tanglewood Institute. I already had a position as head cello coach and director of Chamber Music for a big Youth Orchestra Program, and when I told my brother about the new position at Tanglewood, he asked me if I was sad to be leaving the youth orchestra. 

Why would I do that? I asked. After all, the two jobs didn’t conflict. The youth orchestra ended in June, just before Tanglewood started, and Tanglewood ended just in time to get to the youth orchestra’s summer camp in Maine.  Who needs a vacation? 

We pride ourselves on fitting every new opportunity into a giant Jigsaw puzzle and running in circles every chance we get. 

So why would I recommend adding even more to that mile-high plate? Because more often than not, that is the only way off the hamster wheel. 

Ideally, one would take a good, hard look at what they are doing, and they would kick the low-paying, long-commuting, or generally-not-worth-it items to the curb, leaving copious amounts of time and space to take on the more fulfilling and revenue-generating projects. 

If you can do this–even if it means reducing your income or relying on a partner’s income for a while, do it. 

Trust me. 

Sometimes that’s just not a possibility, but it doesn’t mean you can’t move forward with your ideas. 

• They might take longer
• You might need to bring on a collaborating partner
• You might need to do your project on a smaller scale until it gains some traction. Maybe your dream of a live, in-person, week-long retreat starts off as a two-day online workshop. 

THEN…

Once you’ve created something–and something that you know you can repeat, you can start letting go of other things, clear some space, and set your life up with proper balance in place. 

My mother is a perfect example of this. Miserable in her corporate job with a long commute to downtown Chicago and the boss from hell, she knew she wanted to get into Education. With a Master’s degree, she’d make more than she was making, and her hours would be far better aligned with her family’s needs. But she couldn’t afford to quit working and take classes because my dad had just been laid off and was “figuring things out.” 

So she took one credit at a time, in the evenings, and spent her other nights and weekends doing her classwork. Eventually, she got her Master’s and got her dream job in a school nearby that she loved. 2 years of very hard work, but it paid off in spades. 

 

 

Problem #4: I have loads of time, but don’t know where to start 

Let me guess-you have about 5 great ideas and you keep bouncing around between them, unsure which one to start with. 

Should you start a festival or a chamber group? Or run a summit? Or a performance series? And that idea you have for a novel isn’t going away, and maybe you should travel around South America taking photographs. 

When faced with so much confusion, there’s only one question to ask: What DO you know? That answer will often lead to one small action.  

• I know that I want to gather wonderful people together = getting 10 of those people on a Zoom call to brainstorm ideas. 
• I know I want to play more chamber music = inviting some friends over to read quartets. 
• I know I want to be inspired = attend someone else’s summit 
• I know I want to explore new places = take a day trip to someplace new and snap some photos. 

 

Confusion causes paralysis. If we don’t know what to do first, we end up not doing anything at all. And that’s how you find yourself in your PJs at 3:00 in the afternoon binging another Netflix series. 

Clarity, however, comes from taking action, so if you can take 1 tiny action based on the answer to that little question “What DO I know?” You’ve just created a bit of momentum for yourself. From there, you’ll either say–no, that’s not it. It wasn’t about going someplace new, it was about taking photographs, and what you really wanted to photograph were…buildings, or you’ll feel that lightbulb moment– “That’s it! This is the right direction!” 

Each small, minuscule action you take will better inform the next, and then the next, and then the next, until you’ve finally settled on THE THING. And before you realize you’ve even started, you’ve done it. 

I’ve been talking now about how there is no such thing as too young, too old, too busy, or too confused. That any time is a good time to take action, make a change, or start a new project. But there are a few circumstances that might warrant taking a pause. 

• The upcoming birth of your child. 
• The impending death of a family member.
• War or civil unrest makes in-person events dangerous. 
• Coinciding with a major life event, like a wedding, or defending your dissertation. 

But other than life, death, war, and weddings, there is no time like the present. You might move quickly, or you might need to take it one slow baby step at a time, but do it! 

Flex that courage muscle and take your first action. Because the perfect time? It’s right now.

Cheers, 

Kate

 

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