How To Do Things You Suck At: Lesson One

Welcome to “How To Do Things You Suck At,” every Swattie’s go-to guide on how to try something new and (eventually) succeed in it. Want to learn how to crochet? Play badminton? You’ve found the right place, then. Every month, you’ll follow my personal journey through lessons as I learn to play the electric guitar.

Lesson 1: Inspiration

Many great things are born with inspiration. Think about it. What would Nirvana be if Kurt Cobain hadn’t taken inspiration from bands he looked up to like the Pixies or The Beatles?

In everyday life, we’re constantly being inspired by what we see and consume. The clothes we wear, the things we buy, the people we look up to — all these things influence our identity in one way or another. In my own experience, I’ve been inspired by artists like Veruca Salt, Radiohead, and beabadoobee to learn the electric guitar. Learning to play an instrument on my own terms and make songs has been an aspiration of mine since high school. Music itself has a huge influence in life too, which my father takes most of the blame for.

Will I ever be able to make something as great as “Only Happy When It Rains” by Garbage? Definitely not. But that’s not the point. More recently, I’ve learned a lot about myself in my short time at Swarthmore. I’ve loved listening to the talented student-run bands like Seymour perform at Olde Club, and even the local band, Fossils From the Future, down in the Ville.

Now, am I afraid I might throw hundreds of dollars down the drain on a new hobby just to give up? Definitely. If you’re feeling the same way, just remember this: It can be intimidating to start something you’ve never tried before, especially without any experience, but the moment you finish that crochet project that took months to get right, it will all be worth it.

Or, if you’re a “Star Wars” fan, “Try not. Do, or do not. There is no try.”

I chose inspiration as the first lesson in this guide, because it’s taught me a lesson of my own. The great thing about inspiration is that it gives you a reason to keep going when you want to quit. This will come in handy when, after the first few weeks, you inevitably think, “Why did I do this in the first place?” Nirvana almost quit a multitude of times before their disbandment, disadvantaged by financial disputes and mainstream attention. However, the shared passion of making music kept the band together.

All that said, here’s your homework for the week (yes, more homework).