What’s in the works? How to keep moving even when it hurts ### Please share! * Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Share on X (Opens in new window) X * Having a broken ankle has changed things. I’m having to take things slow since I’m still on crutches. ## Staying Home But don’t think for one second that my life is at a standstill. There are always projects around the home. Oh yes, things are still moving. While my mobility is more limited, my spouse is caring for much of my share of the chores. Plus, she’s been incredibly helpful to me. I am grateful. The pup needs attention every day. She and I missed a few good snows because of my ankle. I swear a couple of those days, she came over to me with eyes that said, “Dad?!? Why can’t we romp in the snow?” Life goes on – sometimes when we’re not ready for it Click To Tweet ## Moving On My weekly gig has had to make other plans for a month or so. Hopefully, I can be back there in another month. One reason that I’m moving towards healing quickly as possible is to be able to play “live” again. Meanwhile, a few months ago, I met Rose Alaimo on Mastodon (social network). We arranged first to have a cup of tea together and then decided to have a jam session. That was so much fun that we got together again. Soon, we were creating set lists for upcoming gigs! One thing that was really fun for me was to see a chord chart for my song on Rose’s desk! Check it out in her Instagram post below. It’s been a long time since someone else practiced my songs. Of course, I’m practicing hers, too. You may listen to her songs wherever you stream music. > View this post on Instagram > > A post shared by Rose Alaimo (@rosealaimomusic) Always something happening in a musician’s life Click To Tweet ## What’s Next? Of course, there are always projects underway in the recording studio. View the web-story below that includes some of that news. Don’t miss the screen captures, sunrises, and snow storms. Yes, it’s all happening. I may not be moving quickly, but life is! Thanks, as always, for your support. Enjoy the web-stories format below if it works on your computer/device. Hang on for the ride – life ain’t stopping! Click To Tweet ### Please share! * Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Share on X (Opens in new window) X * ### Like this: Like Loading... ### _More for you_ * * * ### Discover more from Stan Stewart - @muz4now Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email. Type your email… Subscribe

What’s in the works? How to keep moving even when it hurts #brokenankle #creativeprocess #inspiration #muse #musician muz4now.com/2024/whats-in-the-works-...

What's in the works? How to keep moving even when it hurts Stan Stewart - @muz4now

What’s in the works? How to keep moving even when it hurts #brokenankle #creativeprocess #inspiration #muse #musician

Changed Mobility = Changed Perspective ### Please share! * Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Share on X (Opens in new window) X * Well, this news feels unexciting. Typically, I prefer to share the exciting kind. ## Broken? It’s winter in the Finger Lakes (region of New York state). So, we expect there to be some ice and snow. Some things haven’t changed that much. Sure enough, I was walking my dog when I encountered a large ice slick covered by just enough snow. That snowfall was sufficient to keep me from seeing the danger of the ice anyway. Suddenly, my feet were no longer under me. But there was no question that something was wrong. I felt discomfort in my right ankle and I knew immediately that the slip had injured me. Lucky for me, RB is resilient in situations like this. She never pulled on the leash. And she repeatedly came back to me. This all in spite of the fact that the quarter mile back home felt like it took us 10 times longer than usual. You can’t guard against what you can’t see Click To Tweet ## Aid On the Way I put an ice pack on the ankle right away. At this point, I was thinking I had twisted or sprained it. But a short time later, I realized that I probably needed to get it checked. And, of course, that’s when the diagnosis quickly changed. A neighbor took me to urgent care (and walked RB again). At the care facility, they took an X-ray. It showed a fractured bone. “A malleolar fracture“, the doctor said. At the time, I did not know what this means. Now, I’ve learned that malleolar refers part of the base of the tibia (smaller of the two main bones in the lower leg). You see, I had broken my leg. That led to seeing a specialist who confirmed the “fracture” and recommended a course of action. That verdict was 6-8 weeks in a “boot” and approximately three months to heal. Next, I needed to take care of logistics. My spouse would return home from a business trip soon. First, I called a local relative who was happy to take care of RB for a few days. Soon, thanks to the “village” my needs were taken care of (for now). Having good neighbors is like having gold Click To Tweet ## Changed It’s my right ankle. This means that I cannot drive. Just as bad: I can’t press the sustain pedal on the piano. Perhaps I’ll be able to adapt the sustain pedal work. On the other hand, I think the driving must wait for the healing to progress enough. Some changes — let’s say getting older — seem slow and may go unnoticed for a long time. Other changes — like this one — get our attention immediately. I’m trying to adapt. Until I learn how to make things work and build stamina walking on crutches, I will need to slow my music release cycle. Thanks for understanding, reading, and listening. Healing takes time Click To Tweet ### Please share! * Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Share on X (Opens in new window) X * ### Like this: Like Loading... ### _More for you_ * * * ### Discover more from Stan Stewart - @muz4now Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email. Type your email… Subscribe

Changed Mobility = Changed Perspective #brokenankle #change muz4now.com/2024/changed-mobility-ch...

Changed Mobility = Changed Perspective Stan Stewart - @muz4now

Changed Mobility = Changed Perspective #brokenankle #change

Hi everyone! I had an accident and ended up in the ER with a broken ankle that almost was a full compound fracture.

💗💓🩼🦴🤍💒

Anything helps! 💗✝️🎀💕💓

$BANKOFSALEM

throne.com/SIN4SALEM

#castfetish #cast #brokenankle #foot #feet #footworship #footslave #footfetish #toes #soles #footdom #findom

Sustain Creativity - Pushing Too Far - part 2 Stan Stewart - @muz4now

Sustain Creativity – Pushing Too Far – part 2 #brokenankle #composer #musician

Sustain Creativity – Pushing Too Far – part 2 ### Please share! * Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X * In my previous post, I wrote about pushing. And not pushing. ## Keep Pushing Specifically, I wrote about _not_ pushing down a sustain pedal while pushing _too hard_ on a creative project. Well, some of you thought that I needed to provide examples. Ideally, those would be audio samples. The idea is that these would demonstrate the different sounds that range from the initial inspiration to the overdone (and now abandoned) version. I want you to get what you ask for. So, here you go. ## Sustain This Normally, when I play a piano, I make ample use of the sustain pedal. Basically, this keeps the felt dampers from stopping the sound. In other words, the sound keeps going even if I lift my hands off of the keys. The ankle fracture is on my right leg. That means I can’t put too much weight or pressure on that ankle. So things like driving and sustain pedal are “out” for now. Piano without the sustain pedal can sound a wee bit odd Click To Tweet ## Sustained. Not sustained. I started my new composing/recording project with piano improvisations. That’s not unusual. However, this time I intentionally played without any sustain pedal. (Though I thought I wouldn’t be able to use my left foot to press this pedal, I later discovered that I can.) But first I need to give you an idea of what these improvisations sound like with a “normal” sustain pedal throughout. Press the play button and listen… Sustained Piano (from “Rudimprenatz”, Copyright ©️ 2024) Here’s that same segment as I originally improvised it (with no sustain pedal). Unsustained Piano (from “Rudimprenatz”, Copyright ©️ 2024) ## Hearing Is Believing When I listened to that unsustained improvisation, I thought, “No one will ever listen to this. It sounds stunted and unreal.” So, I set out to make an arrangement that sounded better. Using a broad range of sounds, I created this trying to overcome the “stunted and unreal” sound of the sustainless piano. No Piano at all (from “Rudimprenatz”, Copyright ©️ 2024) Which of these 3 sound examples do you like best? Choices are sustained piano, unsustained piano, or no piano. Let me know in the comments or via social networks. It only took me 3 days of listening to this pile of sound to decide that I could not continue. I had started with stunted and moved on to a weird barrage of noises. Choosing which way to go with our creative work can be complex or simple Click To Tweet ## Let’s Start At The Very Beginning One thing I could have done is gone back into all of the piano improvisations and added sustain pedal. That seemed very contrived, plus it sort of made me go back on my word that I would create these without that particular crutch. So, I listened to the original recordings again. To my surprise, they sounded like the most authentic of the options. There was a vulnerable beauty in those raw performances created in the moment. (I reserve the prerogative to mix in some of the other sounds, of course.) Soon, you’ll be able to listen to these recordings. Thanks for your support. Main photo is by decrand via pixabay. ### Please share! * Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X * ### Like this: Like Loading... ### _More for you_ * * * ### Discover more from Stan Stewart - @muz4now Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email. Type your email… Subscribe

Sustain Creativity – Pushing Too Far – part 2 #brokenankle #composer #musician muz4now.com/2024/sustain-creativity-...

Mature MILF model in red heels

Will I ever wear heels again?

#brokenankle #injury #mature #milf

Changed Mobility = Changed Perspective ### Please share! * Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X * Well, this news feels unexciting. Typically, I prefer to share the exciting kind. ## Broken? It’s winter in the Finger Lakes (region of New York state). So, we expect there to be some ice and snow. Some things haven’t changed that much. Sure enough, I was walking my dog when I encountered a large ice slick covered by just enough snow. That snowfall was sufficient to keep me from seeing the danger of the ice anyway. Suddenly, my feet were no longer under me. But there was no question that something was wrong. I felt discomfort in my right ankle and I knew immediately that the slip had injured me. Lucky for me, RB is resilient in situations like this. She never pulled on the leash. And she repeatedly came back to me. This all in spite of the fact that the quarter mile back home felt like it took us 10 times longer than usual. You can’t guard against what you can’t see Click To Tweet ## Aid On the Way I put an ice pack on the ankle right away. At this point, I was thinking I had twisted or sprained it. But a short time later, I realized that I probably needed to get it checked. And, of course, that’s when the diagnosis quickly changed. A neighbor took me to urgent care (and walked RB again). At the care facility, they took an X-ray. It showed a fractured bone. “A malleolar fracture“, the doctor said. At the time, I did not know what this means. Now, I’ve learned that malleolar refers part of the base of the tibia (smaller of the two main bones in the lower leg). You see, I had broken my leg. That led to seeing a specialist who confirmed the “fracture” and recommended a course of action. That verdict was 6-8 weeks in a “boot” and approximately three months to heal. Next, I needed to take care of logistics. My spouse would return home from a business trip soon. First, I called a local relative who was happy to take care of RB for a few days. Soon, thanks to the “village” my needs were taken care of (for now). Having good neighbors is like having gold Click To Tweet ## Changed It’s my right ankle. This means that I cannot drive. Just as bad: I can’t press the sustain pedal on the piano. Perhaps I’ll be able to adapt the sustain pedal work. On the other hand, I think the driving must wait for the healing to progress enough. Some changes — let’s say getting older — seem slow and may go unnoticed for a long time. Other changes — like this one — get our attention immediately. I’m trying to adapt. Until I learn how to make things work and build stamina walking on crutches, I will need to slow my music release cycle. Thanks for understanding, reading, and listening. Healing takes time Click To Tweet ### Please share! * Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X * ### Like this: Like Loading... ### _More for you_ * * * ### Discover more from Stan Stewart - @muz4now Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email. Type your email… Subscribe

Changed Mobility = Changed Perspective #brokenankle #change muz4now.com/2024/changed-mobility-ch...

Changed Mobility = Changed Perspective Stan Stewart - @muz4now

Changed Mobility = Changed Perspective #brokenankle #change

Tanja.
now on patreon.com/swisscaster
#slc #gipsbein #krücken #crutches #legcast #brokenankle #beinbruch #legcast #pink #krukken #gips #gesso #plâtre #plaster

Changed Mobility = Changed Perspective Stan Stewart - @muz4now

Changed Mobility = Changed Perspective #brokenankle #change

Changed Mobility = Changed Perspective ### Please share! * Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X * Well, this news feels unexciting. Typically, I prefer to share the exciting kind. ## Broken? It’s winter in the Finger Lakes (region of New York state). So, we expect there to be some ice and snow. Some things haven’t changed that much. Sure enough, I was walking my dog when I encountered a large ice slick covered by just enough snow. That snowfall was sufficient to keep me from seeing the danger of the ice anyway. Suddenly, my feet were no longer under me. But there was no question that something was wrong. I felt discomfort in my right ankle and I knew immediately that the slip had injured me. Lucky for me, RB is resilient in situations like this. She never pulled on the leash. And she repeatedly came back to me. This all in spite of the fact that the quarter mile back home felt like it took us 10 times longer than usual. You can’t guard against what you can’t see Click To Tweet ## Aid On the Way I put an ice pack on the ankle right away. At this point, I was thinking I had twisted or sprained it. But a short time later, I realized that I probably needed to get it checked. And, of course, that’s when the diagnosis quickly changed. A neighbor took me to urgent care (and walked RB again). At the care facility, they took an X-ray. It showed a fractured bone. “A malleolar fracture“, the doctor said. At the time, I did not know what this means. Now, I’ve learned that malleolar refers part of the base of the tibia (smaller of the two main bones in the lower leg). You see, I had broken my leg. That led to seeing a specialist who confirmed the “fracture” and recommended a course of action. That verdict was 6-8 weeks in a “boot” and approximately three months to heal. Next, I needed to take care of logistics. My spouse would return home from a business trip soon. First, I called a local relative who was happy to take care of RB for a few days. Soon, thanks to the “village” my needs were taken care of (for now). Having good neighbors is like having gold Click To Tweet ## Changed It’s my right ankle. This means that I cannot drive. Just as bad: I can’t press the sustain pedal on the piano. Perhaps I’ll be able to adapt the sustain pedal work. On the other hand, I think the driving must wait for the healing to progress enough. Some changes — let’s say getting older — seem slow and may go unnoticed for a long time. Other changes — like this one — get our attention immediately. I’m trying to adapt. Until I learn how to make things work and build stamina walking on crutches, I will need to slow my music release cycle. Thanks for understanding, reading, and listening. Healing takes time Click To Tweet ### Please share! * Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X * ### Like this: Like Loading... ### _More for you_ * * * ### Discover more from Stan Stewart - @muz4now Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email. Type your email… Subscribe

Changed Mobility = Changed Perspective #brokenankle #change muz4now.com/2024/changed-mobility-ch...

What’s in the works? How to keep moving even when it hurts ### Please share! * Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X * Having a broken ankle has changed things. I’m having to take things slow since I’m still on crutches. ## Staying Home But don’t think for one second that my life is at a standstill. There are always projects around the home. Oh yes, things are still moving. While my mobility is more limited, my spouse is caring for much of my share of the chores. Plus, she’s been incredibly helpful to me. I am grateful. The pup needs attention every day. She and I missed a few good snows because of my ankle. I swear a couple of those days, she came over to me with eyes that said, “Dad?!? Why can’t we romp in the snow?” Life goes on – sometimes when we’re not ready for it Click To Tweet ## Moving On My weekly gig has had to make other plans for a month or so. Hopefully, I can be back there in another month. One reason that I’m moving towards healing quickly as possible is to be able to play “live” again. Meanwhile, a few months ago, I met Rose Alaimo on Mastodon (social network). We arranged first to have a cup of tea together and then decided to have a jam session. That was so much fun that we got together again. Soon, we were creating set lists for upcoming gigs! One thing that was really fun for me was to see a chord chart for my song on Rose’s desk! Check it out in her Instagram post below. It’s been a long time since someone else practiced my songs. Of course, I’m practicing hers, too. You may listen to her songs wherever you stream music. > View this post on Instagram > > A post shared by Rose Alaimo (@rosealaimomusic) Always something happening in a musician’s life Click To Tweet ## What’s Next? Of course, there are always projects underway in the recording studio. View the web-story below that includes some of that news. Don’t miss the screen captures, sunrises, and snow storms. Yes, it’s all happening. I may not be moving quickly, but life is! Thanks, as always, for your support. Enjoy the web-stories format below if it works on your computer/device. Hang on for the ride – life ain’t stopping! Click To Tweet ### Please share! * Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X * ### Like this: Like Loading... ### _More for you_ * * * ### Discover more from Stan Stewart - @muz4now Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email. Type your email… Subscribe

What’s in the works? How to keep moving even when it hurts #brokenankle #creativeprocess #inspiration #muse #musician muz4now.com/2024/whats-in-the-works-...

Meditations on Pushing a Creative Project Too Far ### Please share! * Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X * I admit it. My creative drive means sometimes pushing too far. ## Story Re-cap In case you missed it, I’m recovering from a broken leg. This means a lot of things have changed in my daily routine. Everything takes a bit longer on one leg. So far, I’m still crawling on my butt when I need to go up or down stairs. Pushing myself too much only leads to me feeling achy and tired. I keep thinking about people who have to deal with being otherly-abled constantly. As you can imagine, I am getting used to some of the ways I need to adapt. Still, the challenges are apparent to me. And I have the hope that this is temporary while so many do not. This is deeply informing my compassionate self. Having a broken leg is teaching me a lot Click To Tweet ## Creative Adaptation As I noted before, I find pushing down the sustain pedal on my piano very difficult right now. Though my doctor says that I can put some weight on the injured ankle, the boot feels very awkward and often hits the sostenuto pedal by accident. So, I decided to use my limitation as part of my creative process. I improvised ten times on the piano without any sustain pedal. I thought that several sections in these improvisations seemed very awkward. The sustain pedal is part of what colors piano performances in the ways we expect to hear. Limitations can be melded into the creative process Click To Tweet ## Keep Pushing That’s when I started pushing. Rather than let the vulnerability of those improvisations be okay, I started messing with them. I replaced the piano with celeste, synthesizers, and other instruments. I was intrigued by the process. But each time I listened, I was not pleased. At some point, I realized that the best thing I could do was go back and listen to the bare piano renditions. Quickly, I discovered that this was where I could hear the beauty of these pieces. Though it still feels scary, _if these tracks ever reach your ears_ , the primary sound will be that unsustained piano. (Currently, this work is still in process. I’ll be glad to share it here if/when I consider it “ready”.) And that’s how I stopped pushing (for now). Pushing too hard can hurt a creative project Click To Tweet Be sure to check out part 2. There, I’ve provided the sonic and maybe even some geeky details about the stuff I talked about above. ### Please share! * Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X * ### Like this: Like Loading... ### _More for you_ * * * ### Discover more from Stan Stewart - @muz4now Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email. Type your email… Subscribe

Meditations on Pushing a Creative Project Too Far #brokenankle #creativity #improvisation #inspiration muz4now.com/2024/meditations-on-push...

Meditations on Pushing a Creative Project Too Far Stan Stewart - @muz4now

Meditations on Pushing a Creative Project Too Far #brokenankle #creativity #improvisation #inspiration

Changed Mobility = Changed Perspective ### Please share! * Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X * Well, this news feels unexciting. Typically, I prefer to share the exciting kind. ## Broken? It’s winter in the Finger Lakes (region of New York state). So, we expect there to be some ice and snow. Some things haven’t changed that much. Sure enough, I was walking my dog when I encountered a large ice slick covered by just enough snow. That snowfall was sufficient to keep me from seeing the danger of the ice anyway. Suddenly, my feet were no longer under me. But there was no question that something was wrong. I felt discomfort in my right ankle and I knew immediately that the slip had injured me. Lucky for me, RB is resilient in situations like this. She never pulled on the leash. And she repeatedly came back to me. This all in spite of the fact that the quarter mile back home felt like it took us 10 times longer than usual. You can’t guard against what you can’t see Click To Tweet ## Aid On the Way I put an ice pack on the ankle right away. At this point, I was thinking I had twisted or sprained it. But a short time later, I realized that I probably needed to get it checked. And, of course, that’s when the diagnosis quickly changed. A neighbor took me to urgent care (and walked RB again). At the care facility, they took an X-ray. It showed a fractured bone. “A malleolar fracture“, the doctor said. At the time, I did not know what this means. Now, I’ve learned that malleolar refers part of the base of the tibia (smaller of the two main bones in the lower leg). You see, I had broken my leg. That led to seeing a specialist who confirmed the “fracture” and recommended a course of action. That verdict was 6-8 weeks in a “boot” and approximately three months to heal. Next, I needed to take care of logistics. My spouse would return home from a business trip soon. First, I called a local relative who was happy to take care of RB for a few days. Soon, thanks to the “village” my needs were taken care of (for now). Having good neighbors is like having gold Click To Tweet ## Changed It’s my right ankle. This means that I cannot drive. Just as bad: I can’t press the sustain pedal on the piano. Perhaps I’ll be able to adapt the sustain pedal work. On the other hand, I think the driving must wait for the healing to progress enough. Some changes — let’s say getting older — seem slow and may go unnoticed for a long time. Other changes — like this one — get our attention immediately. I’m trying to adapt. Until I learn how to make things work and build stamina walking on crutches, I will need to slow my music release cycle. Thanks for understanding, reading, and listening. Healing takes time Click To Tweet ### Please share! * Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X * ### Like this: Like Loading... ### _More for you_ * * * ### Discover more from Stan Stewart - @muz4now Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email. Type your email… Subscribe

Changed Mobility = Changed Perspective #brokenankle #change muz4now.com/2024/changed-mobility-ch...

Changed Mobility = Changed Perspective Stan Stewart - @muz4now

Changed Mobility = Changed Perspective #brokenankle #change

Sustain Creativity - Pushing Too Far - part 2 Stan Stewart - @muz4now

Sustain Creativity – Pushing Too Far – part 2 #brokenankle #composer #musician

Sustain Creativity – Pushing Too Far – part 2 ### Please share! * Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X * In my previous post, I wrote about pushing. And not pushing. ## Keep Pushing Specifically, I wrote about _not_ pushing down a sustain pedal while pushing _too hard_ on a creative project. Well, some of you thought that I needed to provide examples. Ideally, those would be audio samples. The idea is that these would demonstrate the different sounds that range from the initial inspiration to the overdone (and now abandoned) version. I want you to get what you ask for. So, here you go. ## Sustain This Normally, when I play a piano, I make ample use of the sustain pedal. Basically, this keeps the felt dampers from stopping the sound. In other words, the sound keeps going even if I lift my hands off of the keys. The ankle fracture is on my right leg. That means I can’t put too much weight or pressure on that ankle. So things like driving and sustain pedal are “out” for now. Piano without the sustain pedal can sound a wee bit odd Click To Tweet ## Sustained. Not sustained. I started my new composing/recording project with piano improvisations. That’s not unusual. However, this time I intentionally played without any sustain pedal. (Though I thought I wouldn’t be able to use my left foot to press this pedal, I later discovered that I can.) But first I need to give you an idea of what these improvisations sound like with a “normal” sustain pedal throughout. Press the play button and listen… Sustained Piano (from “Rudimprenatz”, Copyright ©️ 2024) Here’s that same segment as I originally improvised it (with no sustain pedal). Unsustained Piano (from “Rudimprenatz”, Copyright ©️ 2024) ## Hearing Is Believing When I listened to that unsustained improvisation, I thought, “No one will ever listen to this. It sounds stunted and unreal.” So, I set out to make an arrangement that sounded better. Using a broad range of sounds, I created this trying to overcome the “stunted and unreal” sound of the sustainless piano. No Piano at all (from “Rudimprenatz”, Copyright ©️ 2024) Which of these 3 sound examples do you like best? Choices are sustained piano, unsustained piano, or no piano. Let me know in the comments or via social networks. It only took me 3 days of listening to this pile of sound to decide that I could not continue. I had started with stunted and moved on to a weird barrage of noises. Choosing which way to go with our creative work can be complex or simple Click To Tweet ## Let’s Start At The Very Beginning One thing I could have done is gone back into all of the piano improvisations and added sustain pedal. That seemed very contrived, plus it sort of made me go back on my word that I would create these without that particular crutch. So, I listened to the original recordings again. To my surprise, they sounded like the most authentic of the options. There was a vulnerable beauty in those raw performances created in the moment. (I reserve the prerogative to mix in some of the other sounds, of course.) Soon, you’ll be able to listen to these recordings. Thanks for your support. Main photo is by decrand via pixabay. ### Please share! * Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X * ### Like this: Like Loading... ### _More for you_ * * * ### Discover more from Stan Stewart - @muz4now Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email. Type your email… Subscribe

Sustain Creativity – Pushing Too Far – part 2 #brokenankle #composer #musician muz4now.com/2024/sustain-creativity-...

Meditations on Pushing a Creative Project Too Far ### Please share! * Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X * I admit it. My creative drive means sometimes pushing too far. ## Story Re-cap In case you missed it, I’m recovering from a broken leg. This means a lot of things have changed in my daily routine. Everything takes a bit longer on one leg. So far, I’m still crawling on my butt when I need to go up or down stairs. Pushing myself too much only leads to me feeling achy and tired. I keep thinking about people who have to deal with being otherly-abled constantly. As you can imagine, I am getting used to some of the ways I need to adapt. Still, the challenges are apparent to me. And I have the hope that this is temporary while so many do not. This is deeply informing my compassionate self. Having a broken leg is teaching me a lot Click To Tweet ## Creative Adaptation As I noted before, I find pushing down the sustain pedal on my piano very difficult right now. Though my doctor says that I can put some weight on the injured ankle, the boot feels very awkward and often hits the sostenuto pedal by accident. So, I decided to use my limitation as part of my creative process. I improvised ten times on the piano without any sustain pedal. I thought that several sections in these improvisations seemed very awkward. The sustain pedal is part of what colors piano performances in the ways we expect to hear. Limitations can be melded into the creative process Click To Tweet ## Keep Pushing That’s when I started pushing. Rather than let the vulnerability of those improvisations be okay, I started messing with them. I replaced the piano with celeste, synthesizers, and other instruments. I was intrigued by the process. But each time I listened, I was not pleased. At some point, I realized that the best thing I could do was go back and listen to the bare piano renditions. Quickly, I discovered that this was where I could hear the beauty of these pieces. Though it still feels scary, _if these tracks ever reach your ears_ , the primary sound will be that unsustained piano. (Currently, this work is still in process. I’ll be glad to share it here if/when I consider it “ready”.) And that’s how I stopped pushing (for now). Pushing too hard can hurt a creative project Click To Tweet Be sure to check out part 2. There, I’ve provided the sonic and maybe even some geeky details about the stuff I talked about above. ### Please share! * Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X * ### Like this: Like Loading... ### _More for you_ * * * ### Discover more from Stan Stewart - @muz4now Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email. Type your email… Subscribe

Meditations on Pushing a Creative Project Too Far #brokenankle #creativity #improvisation #inspiration muz4now.com/2024/meditations-on-push...

Meditations on Pushing a Creative Project Too Far Stan Stewart - @muz4now

Meditations on Pushing a Creative Project Too Far #brokenankle #creativity #improvisation #inspiration

Surgery went well… now it’s just me, my cast, and your imagination 🖤
#cast #brokenankle #legcast #anklecast #castfetish #castgirl #plastercast #immobilizedbeauty

Stuck at home with two broken legs

#castfetish #brokenleg #brokenankle #maletoes #gayfeet #malefeey

What's in the works? How to keep moving even when it hurts Stan Stewart - @muz4now

What’s in the works? How to keep moving even when it hurts #brokenankle #creativeprocess #inspiration #muse #musician

What’s in the works? How to keep moving even when it hurts ### Please share! * Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X * Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * More * * Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket * * Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp * Having a broken ankle has changed things. I’m having to take things slow since I’m still on crutches. ## Staying Home But don’t think for one second that my life is at a standstill. There are always projects around the home. Oh yes, things are still moving. While my mobility is more limited, my spouse is caring for much of my share of the chores. Plus, she’s been incredibly helpful to me. I am grateful. The pup needs attention every day. She and I missed a few good snows because of my ankle. I swear a couple of those days, she came over to me with eyes that said, “Dad?!? Why can’t we romp in the snow?” Life goes on – sometimes when we’re not ready for it Click To Tweet ## Moving On My weekly gig has had to make other plans for a month or so. Hopefully, I can be back there in another month. One reason that I’m moving towards healing quickly as possible is to be able to play “live” again. Meanwhile, a few months ago, I met Rose Alaimo on Mastodon (social network). We arranged first to have a cup of tea together and then decided to have a jam session. That was so much fun that we got together again. Soon, we were creating set lists for upcoming gigs! One thing that was really fun for me was to see a chord chart for my song on Rose’s desk! Check it out in her Instagram post below. It’s been a long time since someone else practiced my songs. Of course, I’m practicing hers, too. You may listen to her songs wherever you stream music. > View this post on Instagram > > A post shared by Rose Alaimo (@rosealaimomusic) Always something happening in a musician’s life Click To Tweet ## What’s Next? Of course, there are always projects underway in the recording studio. View the web-story below that includes some of that news. Don’t miss the screen captures, sunrises, and snow storms. Yes, it’s all happening. I may not be moving quickly, but life is! Thanks, as always, for your support. Enjoy the web-stories format below if it works on your computer/device. Hang on for the ride – life ain’t stopping! Click To Tweet ### Please share! * Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X * Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * More * * Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket * * Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp * ### Like this: Like Loading... ### _More for you_ * * * ### Discover more from Stan Stewart - @muz4now Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email. Type your email… Subscribe

What’s in the works? How to keep moving even when it hurts #brokenankle #creativeprocess #inspiration #muse #musician muz4now.com/2024/whats-in-the-works-...

Sustain Creativity – Pushing Too Far – part 2 ### Please share! * Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X * Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * More * * Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket * * Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp * In my previous post, I wrote about pushing. And not pushing. ## Keep Pushing Specifically, I wrote about _not_ pushing down a sustain pedal while pushing _too hard_ on a creative project. Well, some of you thought that I needed to provide examples. Ideally, those would be audio samples. The idea is that these would demonstrate the different sounds that range from the initial inspiration to the overdone (and now abandoned) version. I want you to get what you ask for. So, here you go. ## Sustain This Normally, when I play a piano, I make ample use of the sustain pedal. Basically, this keeps the felt dampers from stopping the sound. In other words, the sound keeps going even if I lift my hands off of the keys. The ankle fracture is on my right leg. That means I can’t put too much weight or pressure on that ankle. So things like driving and sustain pedal are “out” for now. Piano without the sustain pedal can sound a wee bit odd Click To Tweet ## Sustained. Not sustained. I started my new composing/recording project with piano improvisations. That’s not unusual. However, this time I intentionally played without any sustain pedal. (Though I thought I wouldn’t be able to use my left foot to press this pedal, I later discovered that I can.) But first I need to give you an idea of what these improvisations sound like with a “normal” sustain pedal throughout. Press the play button and listen… Sustained Piano (from “Rudimprenatz”, Copyright ©️ 2024) Here’s that same segment as I originally improvised it (with no sustain pedal). Unsustained Piano (from “Rudimprenatz”, Copyright ©️ 2024) ## Hearing Is Believing When I listened to that unsustained improvisation, I thought, “No one will ever listen to this. It sounds stunted and unreal.” So, I set out to make an arrangement that sounded better. Using a broad range of sounds, I created this trying to overcome the “stunted and unreal” sound of the sustainless piano. No Piano at all (from “Rudimprenatz”, Copyright ©️ 2024) Which of these 3 sound examples do you like best? Choices are sustained piano, unsustained piano, or no piano. Let me know in the comments or via social networks. It only took me 3 days of listening to this pile of sound to decide that I could not continue. I had started with stunted and moved on to a weird barrage of noises. Choosing which way to go with our creative work can be complex or simple Click To Tweet ## Let’s Start At The Very Beginning One thing I could have done is gone back into all of the piano improvisations and added sustain pedal. That seemed very contrived, plus it sort of made me go back on my word that I would create these without that particular crutch. So, I listened to the original recordings again. To my surprise, they sounded like the most authentic of the options. There was a vulnerable beauty in those raw performances created in the moment. (I reserve the prerogative to mix in some of the other sounds, of course.) Soon, you’ll be able to listen to these recordings. Thanks for your support. Main photo is by decrand via pixabay. ### Please share! * Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X * Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * More * * Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket * * Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp * ### Like this: Like Loading... ### _More for you_ * * * ### Discover more from Stan Stewart - @muz4now Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email. Type your email… Subscribe

Sustain Creativity – Pushing Too Far – part 2 #brokenankle #composer #musician muz4now.com/2024/sustain-creativity-...

Sustain Creativity - Pushing Too Far - part 2 Stan Stewart - @muz4now

Sustain Creativity – Pushing Too Far – part 2 #brokenankle #composer #musician

Me and my #brokenankle