Following the Instructions

One of my favorite quotes is:

Structures are restraints - a way of limiting.

What you can build within restraints and structures

is almost limitless.

-Corita Kent

I love the idea of having unlimited ways to grow, develop, create, and expand within the boundaries of instructions, rules, techniques, and expectations. I try to remember this statement when I am engaged in creative endeavors as well as when I am working with others...

The quote reminds me that my way is not the only way out there. It reiterates that I don't have to do things the same way every time. I can only be limited by how I view the world around me - if I get bogged down in the rules, I miss opportunities for expanding my limits.

I keep a copy of this quote, printed in a funky, large, green font, pinned on my home office bulletin board where I can see it every day. It has been there since my first, real (sorta) music therapy job and has moved with me wherever I have landed. The format of the quote has changed somewhat over the years, but the quote remains the same.

I like rules, structures, and restraints. I like them and feel most comfortable when the boundaries are clear and defined. I do not function well in situations where the boundaries are hidden. 

This post was quickly becoming a rant against people who do not follow rules and remain within expectations, but I am going to rein myself in.

Structure is a necessity for me as a therapist - I like to be able to plan which clients will arrive at my clinic at specific times. I enjoy being able to use the structure of music to assist clients in moving towards their therapeutic goals. I also thrive on being flexible in the moment. I can use elements of the structure of music to adapt the music to fit the present needs of my clients in each and every moment of their music therapy session. The interaction between therapist and client is not scripted, but the framework provided by the structure of the music and the theoretical philosophy of the therapist provides enough options for creativity and novelty in every session.

Phew.

Structure is important. Rules are important. Follow directions, but explore your creativity within those directions and frameworks and expectations.