Impress vs. Inspire

PJ Hirabayshi, one of the founding members of San Jose Taiko, is fond of saying, "Don't play to impress, play to inspire."

It's a pretty important quote that can fundamentally change someone's approach to any art.

On one level, it can refer to making sure you're playing from the heart and showing that joy. Another way to look at it is that to impress someone may be fun, but is nothing compared to touching someone enough to inspire them.

Sometimes I'll pull off a fancy pattern or fancy kick or what-have-you because I can, knowing that it's me showing off. But also know that it doesn't make people necessarily want to do it or even get better at what they already know. It's just eye/ear/brain candy. At the most, it'll get someone to remember me as "the guy who did that thing."

It's the stuff that people leave an event thinking about that will last. Whether it's something at a concert or a belt test or an exhibition, inspiration has impact and can stay with a person for several years. That's what we all want to feel; that's what we all want to impart on our audience.

So if your goal is to out-do the person before you, or to show how good you think you are, who are you doing it for? It's not the audience; it's more about your own ego. So step beyond mere ego and think about when you've felt those impacts of inspiration from others. Isn't that what you want to have resonate out from your art as well?