[pianoben]

> I'm currently trying to change my relationship to art from something I pursue to make money, to something I enjoy doing to fuel my soul.

This may not be a useful anecdote for those who want to thread the needle between passion and profession, but I'll never forget the day that I decided, really decided, to switch from a piano performance degree to a CS degree. My playing immediately improved - I was relaxed, and things just flowed. The minute I stopped pinning my hopes and worries for the future on my art, the minute I stopped trying to force perfection, it blossomed on its own.

I don't know what lesson, if any, to draw from that experience, but there it is. I tend to think that shedding the egotistical attachment to professional success was the key. (it just transferred over to programming, but hey, turns out there are lots of people who will pay for that).