VIDEOS & GUIDES

How to motivate yourself to practice or make art - without willlpower! You've probably had times when you just don't feel like practicing or working on your artistic projects. When you feel this way, there's nothing wrong with you - you've probably just become disconnected from what brings you truly alive. But relying on your willpower to muscle through your rut won't help. Nearly everybody uses willpower to force themselves through the hard times, but willpower is a finite resource and is easily exhausted. When you run out of willpower and you keep forcing yourself, then you'll get tense, stressed, and burnt out - and is that really what you want for your creative practice? The solution is to get in touch with what truly brings you alive and make that the center of your artistic practices. See the journal prompt below (included at the end of this video) for a powerful start to this process. 00:00 The biggest mistake everybody makes about motivation 02:20 The War Against the Self is a poor basis for the creation of transcendent art 04:14 Overusing willpower causes the very problems it's trying to solve 05:51 The answer is connecting with what brings you truly alive 06:30 But wait - won't doing what feels good turn me into a lazy bum? 07:50 Following the innate intelligence inside you vs. the "lesser gods" 11:00 True motivation is not about learning better ways to force yourself to do things you don't really want to 11:50 Journaling prompt (see text below) 13:30 Conclusion This video features an excerpt from Chapter 5 "The Yoga of Art" from my upcoming book. Read the full excerpt from this video on my website: JosephArnold.com/blog Be among the first to know about my upcoming book "Soulforce Arts: The Vital Role of Musicians & Other Artists in a World That's Lost Its Mind" by signing up for my mailing list at JosephArnold.com. Joseph Arnold Violinist, Alexander Technique Teacher, Director of the Soulforce Arts Institute "Journal Prompt — The role of willpower in your life" Consider the role of willpower in your life. What are the times when you most often force yourself to do things you don’t really want to? What motivates those decisions? Reflect on moments of physical tension, emotional stress, slow progress, creative ruts, or burnout. What’s the role of willpower in each of these situations? What stories or feelings come up for you when you consider letting go of willpower and letting yourself do what feels good, instead? What fears or judgments might you have about yourself or someone else who did this? Spend a few minutes journaling about what you discover.

About Patti: Patti Shaffner appeals to varied audiences and music tastes. Equally at home with jazz, rock, blues, and musical theater, she possesses a solid understanding of dynamics and stage presences. Her lyrics have depth and her delivery engages. Patti lives in Illinois, USA. About this concert series: This is part of monthly concert series, hosted by Joseph Arnold. This series will feature NAAS musicians from all around the world. Most concerts will feature a single artist, and some will be like an open mic.

Do your arms and hands get too tight, stiff, tired, or even numb and tingly when you make music or do your art? In this video, I share three simple, powerful ideas from the Alexander Technique to help you use your arms and hands effortlessly, even while doing something difficult like playing music. 1) "Whole body arms" 2) Whole hand/open wrist/sensing 3) Use less grip strength At the end of the video, I share how using your arms and hands more effortlessly is important not just for your well-being and the sustainability of your artistic career, but to help tap into and release your Soulforce, your vital creative energy. Be among the first to know about my upcoming book "Soulforce Arts: The Vital Role of Musicians & Other Artists in a World That's Lost Its Mind" by signing up for my mailing list at JosephArnold.com. Joseph Arnold Violinist, Alexander Technique Teacher, Director of the Soulforce Arts Institute

It's possible to put in an enormous amount of effort into your art, and to have perfect technique, but still feel unmoved during the creative process. This is because no amount of effort or technique can compensate for a real connection with the authentic source of creativity within. When you're disconnected from this source, and what you're creating won't feel emotionally or artistically satisfying, and so you may be tempted to simply use more effort. This is what "trying hard" and "really feeling" it (think "guitar face") implies. But when you are connected to the source of authentic emotion and creativity within, then all effort drops away. Your body relaxes and you become a channel for what's inside you that wants to be expressed. This is what I call Playing From the Heart. In this video, I introduce Playing From the Heart, read an excerpt from my book, and speak a little about what it takes to bring your art alive. This video features an excerpt from Chapter 4 "Playing From the Heart" from my upcoming book. Read the full excerpt from this video on my website: JosephArnold.com/blog My video on "Soulforce Mastery": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiCP_2_KSZo Be among the first to know about my upcoming book "Soulforce Arts: The Vital Role of Musicians & Other Artists in a World That's Lost Its Mind" by signing up for my mailing list at JosephArnold.com. Joseph Arnold Violinist, Alexander Technique Teacher, Director of the Soulforce Arts Institute

Is virtuosic technique sufficient for true mastery of your art form? Well, it's certainly necessary, but it's not sufficient by itself. Any approach to artistic development that focuses too much on technique will just end up feeling effortful and unsatisfying. That's because it's missing two thirds of the whole picture! The missing pieces to true artistic mastery are *effortlessness* and *the Knowledge of the Soul*. After all, can you really say you've mastered something if it isn't effortless? And without connection to your soul, what would you even be trying to express with all that technique? True artistic mastery balances all three strands of what I call the Three-Fold Braid of Soulforce Mastery. This includes technique, effortlessness, and the Knowledge of the Soul. This video features an excerpt from Chapter 3 "The Soulforce Arts Approach" from my upcoming book. Read the full excerpt from this video on my website: JosephArnold.com/blog Be among the first to know about my upcoming book "Soulforce Arts: The Vital Role of Musicians & Other Artists in a World That's Lost Its Mind" by signing up for my mailing list at JosephArnold.com. Joseph Arnold Violinist, Alexander Technique Teacher, Director of the Soulforce Arts Institute

One of the essential roles of musicians & other artists is to help humanity celebrate the mystery of life. This activity is central to all human cultures and is responsible for some of the greatest works of art ever made. These celebrations have taken three different forms: Inspiration, Healing, and Connection. These are the Three Celebrations. They are the specific avenues through which the transformative energy of the arts takes place. This video features an excerpt from Chapter 3 "The Soulforce Arts Approach" from my upcoming book. Read the full excerpt from this video on my website: JosephArnold.com/blog My video on "Moments of Truth": https://youtu.be/MJInWRzKOeQ Featured quote from interview of John Anthony West on Joe Rogan: Episode #266 Be among the first to know about my upcoming book "Soulforce Arts: The Vital Role of Musicians & Other Artists in a World That's Lost Its Mind" by signing up for my mailing list at JosephArnold.com. Joseph Arnold Violinist, Alexander Technique Teacher, Director of the Soulforce Arts Institute

About Libby: Singer/songwriter Libby Kirkpatrick's music is a divine confluence of intimate story-telling and haunting poetry. She has an astonishing vocal range and is a polished musician. To experience Libby live is to connect with your own soaring, traveling, and expansive heart. Libby lives in Vermont, USA. About this concert series: This is the first of a new monthly concert series, hosted by Joseph Arnold. This series will feature musicians who are members of Charles Eisenstein's social media community, "A New and Ancient Story."

Do the arts have a purpose? If so, what are they meant to actually *do*? Our society says that the arts are nice, but are essentially a luxury. But deep down, every musician and artist knows the arts are more than this. It's just that many of us have forgotten what that is. So here's the low-down: the arts are meant to be transformative, helping individuals and society grow, heal, and evolve. A work of art fulfills its purpose when it initaites a "moment of truth" for audience members. A moment of truth is a shift in consciousness that puts you in touch with something bigger, where something new is recognized, something old is reintegrated, or a boundary softens to include a larger picture. The initiation of a moment of truth is the essential function of a work of art, and is what marks the difference between one that is truly great and one that is more pedestrian. Having an understanding of this essential function of the arts is vital to reconnecting with your Soulforce as an artist - your vital creative energy. This video features an excerpt from Chapter 3 "The Soulforce Arts Approach" from my upcoming book. Read the full excerpt from this video on my website: JosephArnold.com/blog Be among the first to know about my upcoming book "Soulforce Arts: The Vital Role of Musicians & Other Artists in a World That's Lost Its Mind" by signing up for my mailing list at JosephArnold.com. Joseph Arnold Violinist, Alexander Technique Teacher, Director of the Soulforce Arts Institute