Do I lack the passion I need to be a musician?: 1.4.6>5

[kammingli]

I am 24, and I’m a musician. However, I frequently question whether I am doing the right thing, as I seem to lack the drive I feel I need be truly successful, which I know many of my contemporaries have. I left Oxford to become a singer/songwriter, a big decision but not one I regret at all. At the time, I felt an intense passion, and knew that I had to do this with my life. But since then that passion has waned / fluctuated and I feel a kind of fear/aversion towards “The Music” as I call it, which I think is related to the pressure I put on it. It gets to the point where, particularly when depressed, I can’t even listen to music. Nevertheless, I clearly have a talent for it, and have had some success, and a lot of positive reception to my songs. Sometimes I get in the zone and work for days on songs. However, the underlying aversion remains.

I asked the I Ching “What do I need to know about my passion and drive to make music”, and I got 5 uc - Waiting, Nourishment). I felt this was good advice for now, but still wanted clarification on the future.

So I asked “Will I ever be passionate, obsessed and hard working about music?”, and I got 1.4.6 - The Creative -> 5 - Waiting (again)

1.4 Wavering flight over the depths. No blame. (Wilhelm) / 1.4 Somehow dancing in the abyss. Without fault. (LiSe)

1.6 Arrogant dragon will have cause to repent. (Wilhelm)

Initial thoughts are that 1. The Creative is promising in terms of creativity in music. Not sure about 1.4. and 1.6 though (perhaps 1.6 is to do with my pride/ego around music?) Any thoughts would be much appreciated!

 

[kammingli]

These are a couple of useful commentaries I found around 1.4

From LiSe:
Somehow dancing in the abyss. Without fault.
To find new ideas, dare to dance in the abyss and to relinquish certainty. Inspiration isn't found within fixed rules, old habits or formalities. Creativity isn't making something happen, it is allowing it to happen through you and the tools you work with.

From Wilhelm:
Wavering flight over the depths.
No blame.
A place of transition has been reached, and free choice can enter in. A twofold possibility is presented to the great man: he can soar to the heights and play an important part in the world, or he can withdraw into solitude and develop himself. He can go the way of the hero or that of the holy sage who seeks seclusion. There is no general law of his being. If the individual acts consistently and is true to himself, he will find the way that is appropriate for him. This way is right for him and without blame.
(As one who has chosen the way of solitude, I can say, neither is it for the weak or insecure. It is ones own dragons one must live and leap with, and they are neither puppies nor kittens.)

The LiSe commentary suggests relinquishing old habits and certainties, and letting creativity happen rather than making it happen - not sure how to do this though!

In the Wilhelm commentary, the hero/hermit decision seems relevant, as I'm very interested in introverted inner work, as well as, externally, creating beauty and helping people through my art.

 

[becalm]

Hi kammingli - Line 4 Suggests you have free choice, to either do the music just for yourself or share it with others and Line 6 sounds like if you are quite successful don't be arrogant about it.
Creative people can get burnt out pretty quickly and frequently I think because all the work is usually coming from within ourselves and not something that's separate from us.

 

[Trojina]

I am 24, and I’m a musician. However, I frequently question whether I am doing the right thing, as I seem to lack the drive I feel I need be truly successful, which I know many of my contemporaries have. I left Oxford to become a singer/songwriter, a big decision but not one I regret at all. At the time, I felt an intense passion, and knew that I had to do this with my life. But since then that passion has waned / fluctuated and I feel a kind of fear/aversion towards “The Music” as I call it, which I think is related to the pressure I put on it. It gets to the point where, particularly when depressed, I can’t even listen to music. Nevertheless, I clearly have a talent for it, and have had some success, and a lot of positive reception to my songs. Sometimes I get in the zone and work for days on songs. However, the underlying aversion remains.

There is no necessity to feel passion about any particular activity - 5 picks up on that well. Your aversion is your friend since it spots the bullshit about the hype of being 'passionate' and 'driven' for success. Life isn't made of cardboard like some new age 'thinkers' suggest. You know the old hype 'Johnny's passion was music blah blah and now he is a successful blah blah..it was only his fear blah blah that held him back from making a shed load of money blah blah' New Age commercialism posing as spirituality. There is no necessity to have a 'passion' that 'drives' you to 'success' and you know that deep down and you find it ugly so you feel aversion. Good. Not saying you are connected to that new age stuff although the whole thing about 'passion' sounds like it.

I asked the I Ching “What do I need to know about my passion and drive to make music”, and I got 5 uc - Waiting, Nourishment). I felt this was good advice for now, but still wanted clarification on the future.

Well hexagram 5 does talk about relaxing, eating, drinking and making music I think, read the Image, it couldn't be clearer.

From Hilary's translation

'The clouds are above heaven: Waiting.
A noble one eats, drinks and relaxes with music.'


Wow Yi is talking to you, no doubt about it. Yi asks you to relax and let let it come. This is the precise opposite of striving passionately for success. This image is like a guy

'sitting on the porch without no shoes,
strumming that base and singing the blues'

JJ Cale I think for some reason that line always stays with me.



So passion and drive really ain't needed. Do music for pleasure. If you lose the pleasure you lose the muse, you feel aversion and quite rightly. I don't think this should be forced into a lucrative career path when it just wants to happen in it's own time. You are being tricked into thinking you have to make this into a driven passion....it's joy and relaxation not that. Life unfolds at it's own pace in your connection with music and all else. You don't make it fit into the mould of a driven music career it flows with you, alongside, pleasantly, no stress

So I asked “Will I ever be passionate, obsessed and hard working about music?”, and I got 1.4.6 - The Creative -> 5 - Waiting (again)

1.4 Wavering flight over the depths. No blame. (Wilhelm) / 1.4 Somehow dancing in the abyss. Without fault. (LiSe)

1.6 Arrogant dragon will have cause to repent. (Wilhelm)

Initial thoughts are that 1. The Creative is promising in terms of creativity in music. Not sure about 1.4. and 1.6 though (perhaps 1.6 is to do with my pride/ego around music?) Any thoughts would be much appreciated!

This answer confirms the previous one. If you keep on forcing the idea you must be passionate and driven you are like the dragon in line who doesn't know when to stop. He's not 'arrogant' because he's bad he's just over reaching himself, pushing too hard. The Creative creates all day all day and night, it is an inexhaustible source, inexhaustible inspiration but it needs hexagram 2, it needs down time too. And wow 5 is your relating hexagram...!!! Line 4, you are on the brink, you are in the process of creation as Karcher might say in a 'liminal space'. That's where you need to be not pushing and pushing in your mind to do more (1.6)

So it seems to me the Creative source is working through you but you mustn't rush it or put demands upon it. It would like you to relax and Wait. And Waiting isn't just hanging around it's a creative act in itself. It's allowing things to unfold by giving them space to become what they want to become. many say songs write themselves and they most often do that when one is in the shower or watching TV...it mustn't be forced.


Nor must your own life be rushed or forced. Line 4 can feel like limbo but that's okay, the Creative is there hovering, feeling the currents. No one can come along and push such a magical being into a strait jacket of looking like a 'passionate and driven dragon'. The Creative is a supreme power in the universe, it drives all, it cannot be driven. We wait on it. Also I see the Creative as Time and the Receptive, 2, as Space. So the Creative is Time and with 5 the Creative works through taking it's time.


Brilliant answers. And for goodness sake why on earth do you think you have to be 'passionate obsessed and hard working about music' ? Why ? You are clearly being told this isn't the way for you now, probably won't be, it's not your way. You may be very creative, the Creative comes to expression through you but there is absolutely no demand on you to be obsessed or passionate. If you think so then you are sort of imposing someone else's being/personality/dao on to your own and hence naturally you will feel aversion. That's not you, better things come for you when you are kicking back messing around with music. Your aversion is your friend, don't make yourself into a shape that you simply aren't. I think you really are being told very clearly to take the pressure off yourself and rethink your ideas that you expect yourself to be driven and obsessed and all that - that isn't your way.


I love how clearly Yi speaks to you here. You don't lack anything, you don't lack passion, you are fine being who you are, you mustn't force yourself into ways of being, 1.6 says that. It certainly wouldn't do if all musicians were obsessed and passionate or all people were obsessed and passionate. Obsession can mean losing perspective, 5 shows you need the more laid back approach to live well at this time.

 

[kammingli]

There is no necessity to feel passion about any particular activity - 5 picks up on that well. Your aversion is your friend since it spots the bullshit about the hype of being 'passionate' and 'driven' for success. Life isn't made of cardboard like some new age 'thinkers' suggest. You know the old hype 'Johnny's passion was music blah blah and now he is a successful blah blah..it was only his fear blah blah that held him back from making a shed load of money blah blah' New Age commercialism posing as spirituality. There is no necessity to have a 'passion' that 'drives' you to 'success' and you know that deep down and you find it ugly so you feel aversion. Good. Not saying you are connected to that new age stuff although the whole thing about 'passion' sounds like it.


Well hexagram 5 does talk about relaxing, eating, drinking and making music I think, read the Image, it couldn't be clearer.

From Hilary's translation

'The clouds are above heaven: Waiting.
A noble one eats, drinks and relaxes with music.'


Wow Yi is talking to you, no doubt about it. Yi asks you to relax and let let it come. This is the precise opposite of striving passionately for success. This image is like a guy

'sitting on the porch without no shoes,
strumming that base and singing the blues'

JJ Cale I think for some reason that line always stays with me.



So passion and drive really ain't needed. Do music for pleasure. If you lose the pleasure you lose the muse, you feel aversion and quite rightly. I don't think this should be forced into a lucrative career path when it just wants to happen in it's own time. You are being tricked into thinking you have to make this into a driven passion....it's joy and relaxation not that. Life unfolds at it's own pace in your connection with music and all else. You don't make it fit into the mould of a driven music career it flows with you, alongside, pleasantly, no stress





This answer confirms the previous one. If you keep on forcing the idea you must be passionate and driven you are like the dragon in line who doesn't know when to stop. He's not 'arrogant' because he's bad he's just over reaching himself, pushing too hard. The Creative creates all day all day and night, it is an inexhaustible source, inexhaustible inspiration but it needs hexagram 2, it needs down time too. And wow 5 is your relating hexagram...!!! Line 4, you are on the brink, you are in the process of creation as Karcher might say in a 'liminal space'. That's where you need to be not pushing and pushing in your mind to do more (1.6)

So it seems to me the Creative source is working through you but you mustn't rush it or put demands upon it. It would like you to relax and Wait. And Waiting isn't just hanging around it's a creative act in itself. It's allowing things to unfold by giving them space to become what they want to become. many say songs write themselves and they most often do that when one is in the shower or watching TV...it mustn't be forced.


Nor must your own life be rushed or forced. Line 4 can feel like limbo but that's okay, the Creative is there hovering, feeling the currents. No one can come along and push such a magical being into a strait jacket of looking like a 'passionate and driven dragon'. The Creative is a supreme power in the universe, it drives all, it cannot be driven. We wait on it. Also I see the Creative as Time and the Receptive, 2, as Space. So the Creative is Time and with 5 the Creative works through taking it's time.


Brilliant answers. And for goodness sake why on earth do you think you have to be 'passionate obsessed and hard working about music' ? Why ? You are clearly being told this isn't the way for you now, probably won't be, it's not your way. You may be very creative, the Creative comes to expression through you but there is absolutely no demand on you to be obsessed or passionate. If you think so then you are sort of imposing someone else's being/personality/dao on to your own and hence naturally you will feel aversion. That's not you, better things come for you when you are kicking back messing around with music. Your aversion is your friend, don't make yourself into a shape that you simply aren't. I think you really are being told very clearly to take the pressure off yourself and rethink your ideas that you expect yourself to be driven and obsessed and all that - that isn't your way.


I love how clearly Yi speaks to you here. You don't lack anything, you don't lack passion, you are fine being who you are, you mustn't force yourself into ways of being, 1.6 says that. It certainly wouldn't do if all musicians were obsessed and passionate or all people were obsessed and passionate. Obsession can mean losing perspective, 5 shows you need the more laid back approach to live well at this time.

Hi Trojina , thank you so much for your thoughtful response. A lot of stuff in here I really needed to hear, and which I want to mull over before I write a proper response. Just wanted to say I’ve got it and your insights are much appreciated!