6 Steps to Master any Art form

1- Empty Your Cup

Once a man went to a Zen Master to learn from him. He told the Master that he knew a lot about Zen and now wanted to increase his knowledge. He tried to impress the zen Master by uprising him about his vast knowledge.

The Zen Master asked him for a cup of tea. The Master started pouring tea into an already filled cup. The tea in the cup began flowing out. The man tried to stop him, but the zen Master kept on pouring and pouring more tea into the cup. Later the zen Master said, “Your mind is just like this cup. It is already full with no space for new knowledge. Empty your cup, empty your mind and start afresh.”

We should always treat our mind like a blank canvas to learn something new. If you are already full with stuff, then there is no space to learn more. So, empty your cup and start afresh.

2 – Your Blank Canvas

The mere representation or thought of having an idea about yourself can lead you in the direction of monotony. We all have an idea or image of ourselves. Once we have created an image, which some unknown genius called “the mirror image effect,” it becomes hard to adapt or come out of that zone to learn new things. Once we become victims of this mirror image or the dumbest idea of being something, we slowly create a shell around ourselves.

One must not get stuck to the idea of a mirror image. Treat your mind as a blank canvas so that you can learn, draw and play anything at any given point in life.

“You cannot become anything when you are already something, Only, nothing can do everything and become anything,”

3 – Find Inspiration

Look at the works of the masters in your field to find some inspiration. Create a collection of your favourite works. It may be an Inspirational board or a folder on your computer. When you feel low about your craft, just open your inspirational board. Imagine what the Master of your field would be thinking while creating that piece of art, design, or a poetic extravaganza.

4 – Visit Your Mind Palace

Your mind is a palace, and there are individual rooms for family, music, sports, work, and many other things.Visit your mind palace and visit the room of your chosen art. That room can be for your writing, painting, music, or whichever art form you want to master.

5 – Stay in the Room

The hard part is not opening and entering the mind palace but staying there for a while. Try to stay there until you start feeling blissful, heavenly, and beautiful.

You will not be able to stay in the room and even come out if you think about the result. There are no results for creativity. If you are a musician, then don’t just play music for money or fame.

Play for your soul. It will fill the void in your heart and soul, and that feeling would be majestic. The feeling even money can’t buy. Play every day for your blissful soul, and when you do that, everything around you will play music.

You will need no one, just you and your music. You will start finding music everywhere, from the ticking clock to birds chirping. In thunderstorms and in winds. In words and even in your own thoughts.

6 – Decode the Brain of the Master

Let’s suppose you like Yanni, a famous Greek composer.

Read him. I did not say to listen to his music because it is apparent that you have listened to him. I am telling you to read him. Read his thoughts and interviews. Try to peek in his mind palace of music, and then you may find clarity in your own.

All the brains are connected and get ideas from one single source. All the music is coming from one source; the hands playing them are different, the instruments are different, but the core of the music is one. The source of all the music in this universe is one.

The path of an artist is the quest of finding oneself through art. It is a journey that you take and keep going on until someday when you find yourself.

So pick up that violin, pen, or brush and create the art for your soul and find your purest form.