Don't Be Afraid To Try Something New

Hi everyone and welcome to this month's blog post!  Today I want to have a quick chat about being a creative and trying something new.  We never really stop learning, but we can get complacent and maybe feel that we don’t want to learn new skills or try something different.  I mentioned in a previous video and blog post that fear of the unknown is very real and can stop us from living our best life.  But what are the benefits of trying something new?

Learning something new is good for the brain
There have been many studies that show keeping the mind active is healthy for the brain, and learning something new is part of that active mind.  Something like learning a musical instrument (Bugos et al 2007) or another language creates synaptic pathways in the brain, which is where neurons transmit electrical or chemical signals to each other.  It has been found that where neurons are more active, this may help stave off neurodegenerative conditions such as Huntington’s, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, and also boosts antioxidant defences (Bell 2011).  Now, who doesn’t want that?

Learning something new is good for well-being
But it doesn’t have to be something like learning a completely new skill, you could be adding to your already considerable skill-set.  This could be learning how to use a Digital Audio Workstation, or perhaps a new virtual instrument plugin within that DAW.  Or perhaps, you could learn about a  different style of music and then compose a piece in that style.  That’s all healthy brain activity, plus it gives you a bout of confidence.  For instance, in the last couple of days I tried two new things; I wrote a song (which is a new experience for me as I’m a composer and don’t write lyrics) and I installed a new plugin and watched tutorials on how to use it properly.  Doing these two things also gave me the motivation and the confidence to do more.
Anyway, that’s it for now.  Thanks for reading and I’ll see you next month.  Bye for now!

References
Bugos, J A, Perlstein, W M, McCrae, C S, Brophy, T S & Bedenbaugh, P H 2007 'Individualized Piano Instruction enhances executive functioning and working memory in older adults', Aging & Mental Health, July 2007, 11(4) pp 464-471.

Bell, K F S & Hardingham, G E 2011 'The influence of synaptic activity on neuronal health', Curr Open Neurobiol, April 2011, 21(2) pp 299-305.