It may come as a surprise to some that I play guitar. I would think, anyways. I guess when I look at myself in the mirror I just don't see a guitar player.
I'm not super good. But I'm not super bad, either. I just play for fun. For myself. It's the one thing that I doubt will ever have a chance of becoming a chore.
Unlike comicking, guitar playing doesn't take any set up. When drawing, I have to take out my paper and pencils and erasers and stuff. With my guitar I just reach over, grab the sucker and start playing. I'm able to be creative. I create something that will not have to be cleaned up or stored away.
It's not like coding in that I don't have to think about it. Coding requires analytical thinking. Guitar playing is mostly muscle memory. Yet, it's not passive like watching TV or listening to music. When I'm sitting there, I'm actually moving my fingers. I'm an active participant. I find guitar playing to be very satisfying.
It's kind of like meditating. I can just sit back and relax, sometimes not think about anything, sometimes think about everything. But I'm able to focus because my hands are busy with the strumming and the fretting. I find it difficult to talk while I'm playing, but I think about all kinds of things.
Music making is good for the soul. When I come home, no matter how hard of a day I've had, or how tired I may be, there's always enough left in me to pick up my Strat and finger a tune. It clears my head and revitalizes me, if only for a moment.
I would highly recommend taking up a musical instrument. Something that's easy to start, but complex enough to keep you from getting bored. Portability is another consideration. A guitar isn't that portable, but I stay in my room a lot. I've been known to take a harmonica with my on trips, though. So, maybe something like that.
Start off slow and don't get frustrated. Remember, you're doing it for fun. If you get angry with it, it won't help soothe anything, especially not the soul. Just screw around with it, making sounds that appeal to you. Doesn't matter if it makes a song or not. Eventually, if you like the instrument, you'll get bored with just making noise and try to learn a song or two. Don't get frustrated if you can't get them right away. Just set it down and come back later. Remember that you're playing for fun. I've been playing for around 7 years now, and I don't know more than 10 songs total. But it's still fun.
One other thing to consider is the people you live with. Don't play so loudly that you bother everyone around you. They'll just come in and bitch you out and that's no fun. So, keep it respectable. That's why I don't use an amp (http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZovZ6phyXSo).
And if it turns out that music's just not your thing... well, I'm sure there's something else out there that could help you relax. Maybe yoga. Or a bonsai tree. All I know is that my guitar is important to my own mental well-being, so it might be of some help to yours.
Until next time,
~~Ben
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