Reflection

picture by JHolko photography

So it's a new year and almost six years of blogging about taiko.  Yow!

I wanted to talk about why I do this still, why I blog twice a week and what I get out of it.  When I started this thing, I didn't have a long-term plan.  Heck, I still don't.  I just wanted to get my thoughts down because the few ears I had access to were sick of hearing me rant about stuff.

I don't write as an authority on taiko, or as a spokesperson for SJT.  I don't have experience running my own group or coordinating large events.  My posts come from someone who is ridiculously passionate about taiko and extremely into creativity, growth, and questioning things.

In these few years, I've learned a lot, seen a lot, written a lot.  Some of my opinions have changed slightly because of my experiences, while others have become even more important to me.

I hoped I would get more comments, but that never really caught on.  Even with the anonymous commenting feature on here, people aren't inclined to respond.  I'm not great at design and know my blog is pretty bare-bones but it's functional.  I'd love it to be more visually appealing, but until I figure out what I want or how to do it, I'll stick to this format.

It's not easy to post twice a week.  I'm often stumped for ideas and have to ruminate for a while before I can think of a topic.  Other times I've got 3-4 ideas I try to get down all at once.  I try not to duplicate topics, but it can't always be helped.

And so now that the initial rants are down, why do I keep writing?  Because I believe you should never stop learning.  When I write a post, I think a lot about what I'm trying to say.  I might ramble, I might be a little "loose" in my presentation, but I'm always working towards a better understanding of any given topic.

It's also a great feeling to know that many people not only read this, but actually get something out of it.  Sometimes I'll have a reader come tell me they really liked a drill or a topic I posted about, and it still surprises me - and I appreciate it, I really do!

Another reason I keep posting is I'm really hoping for more dialogue and more communication within the taiko community. Since I started playing some 20-odd years ago, there's been a huge increase in both of these things and that is fantastic, but there are still some very persistent topics that stick around, that keep coming up - or don't come up enough.  Some of these are really big, some aren't at all.

If my posts can stir some thoughts, get people thinking, get people talking about these issues - then I am really happy.  I find that my favorite part of taiko conferences and workshops are the conversations and discussions that happen during the events, both formal and informal.  I can teach you how to play better, but sometimes making you think about things in a new light is way more valuable.

So that's where I'm coming from.  Now back to ranting.  :)