I can’t find the original quote, but when I googled the gist of it I found this wording…

What is often mistaken for 20 years’ experience, is just 1 year’s experience repeated 20 times

Being on tour can be like that, too.  You’re just moving from city to city, repeating the same show over and over.  Time passes by but you don’t feel like you’re really growing.

I haven’t been on any long tours lately, which is great because I have so much to work on right now.  And this “down time” is actually the real busy time for me.

Playing 20 different shows with different bands and different music is much harder than playing the same set with the same band 20 nights in a row!

Sometimes being on tour feels like you’ve pressed the pause button.

How do you avoid that repetition of 1 years’ experience over 20 years?

• Do things that challenge you. Whenever a gig or recording session gives me anxiety and I start worrying about how I’m going to do it…or if I can do it!…I know that I’d better say “yes.”  It’s no fun if every single gig is high pressure and anxiety-making,  the same way as it’s no fun if every gig is really comfortable and easy.  You need to work in the learning zone at least some of the time.

• Work hard. Do I really need to expand on that?

• Make lots of mistakes. Hide them well, if you can, but make them.  Mistakes = experience.  Lots of mistakes = lots of experience!

(can’t remember where this photo came from…let me know if it’s yours!)