When we practice, we are constantly building, giving ourselves various directions, trying for things that we think we should be doing—all of which is great, and to some extent necessary, but today I want to honor the intuitive sense that we all have, and remind ourselves to give it some space to be heard.
Creative intuition is sometimes quite strong, but in my experience it is more commonly subtle and quiet and easy to ignore (as a side note, if you are 100% confident that your big loud and fabulous intuition shows up every day and runs the show flawlessly, then maybe you need to ask yourself if that is ego or intuition, and try to decipher the difference). Go to your instrument, and at each stage, from assembling/ preparing your equipment to making the first sound, take a beat, and a breath, where you allow all of your ideas and preconceptions and ambitions to fall away. Empty your mind and drop your plans (no need to worry about losing them, that is unlikely to happen). See if something shows up in those little spaces that you just made.
If nothing is apparent at first, that is fine, and totally understandable. Your intuition may not be accustomed to being heard. However, stick with this, and keep providing those spaces for the intuition as you work. It may not happen today, but soon, you will find ideas coming up that are giving you subtle direction, maybe just a tiny thing that comes up first, but give it your attention and listen to it. Start to nurture your own intuitive sense, and trust your own internal compass. The practice of adding space to listen will not only help you to guide your own creativity, but will also help when you are playing with others, and make you more sensitive to their subtleties of expression.
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Catherine Sikora 