The grey area

So I guess you know that I am really enjoying this year. I am really enjoying studying again (not that it was a significant break...), and I am really excited that I get to play the piano every day! Sure, some days are not as successful as others and some days are filled with rehearsals and seminars and other things that don't leave much time for practice, but still, it's a pretty exciting life.

However, there are several hard parts. I could whinge on for a little while about how hard it is for people to accept what I do as valid, or how much hard work it is, but one thing I'm struggling with (and have been for a while now) is where to draw the line. There can never be enough practice. Practice makes perfect. And I love practicing (on most days). I find it a consoling thing to do, something that is my routine, almost a physical need for my hands to touch keys. The hard part for me is knowing when to take a break. I find it hard to take a day off, even though I know there are so many good reasons for doing so. I usually only take them at the end of a very intense period of work or when my day has filled up with so many other necessary things that getting a chance to practice the piano is impossible for the day.

So what happens when that grey area is so large that you can't identify where leisure and work are anymore? Friends, please remind me to enjoy life too, outside of the thing I really love doing. Please help me to be disciplined about my practice and my rest too!