There are those who perform — with or without talent and skill —  and those who watch. In most cases, both sides enjoy what they are doing. Unfortunately for the artist in this story, let’s call him Jenkin, he didn’t like performing.

From a young age, his mother taught him how to play the violin. He loved feeling the music; the sound and vibration the violin made put him in a very pleasant state of mind. Jenkin didn’t mind that his mother was so strict; she made him practice every day for a few hours. It wasn’t always easy, and she could be quite harsh when he made mistakes, but then he would simply escape into his peaceful little world of music.

When Jenkin reached a level his mother approved, she got him his first gig. He was a bit nervous but also excited to share his love for the violin with others. But it didn’t go as well as he had hoped. He hadn’t expected so many eyes on him. He got self-conscious and tried his best to focus on the music. Thanks to his muscle memory, his performance went well, but he just couldn’t get into the space he usually accesses when he played. Without connecting to the music, it felt superficial. He didn’t like it at all.

Since his mother had her own agenda, she booked gig after gig after gig. And no matter how many performances he had, he couldn’t get into that space. His love for the violin slowly faded. He lost his drive and his energy, and when he started to get sick, his mother began to worry. The doctors didn’t know what was going on with him. Not wanting to lose all the hard work she had put into him, she decided to seek unconventional help. 

She went to visit the witch that had been recommended to her and asked her to heal his son from whatever disease he had. The witch could sense that something was off. She asked for more information to make sure she fully understood the issue. As soon as the mother started talking, the witch saw exactly what was going on.

Feeling quite sorry for the boy and his great talent, the witch decided to help him — but not in the way his mother had asked. The witch gave him a potion to help him deal with the discomfort he felt when he performed. Then she told his mother that Jenkin had to visit her once a week; his disease was not going away, but she could help control it. The mother agreed to all of it, as long as it meant he could continue performing. 

Jenkin brought his violin to the first session and came by himself as the witch instructed him to do. When he arrived, the witch told him that she had forgotten she had something important to do for another client. He could make himself comfortable, but he was not allowed to leave; otherwise, the witch wouldn’t get paid. Jenkin was quite upset with her and the situation, but he kind of liked the thought of having a break from his mother. 

After a while, he got bored of just hanging out and decided to practice a bit for his upcoming performance. He wasn’t even halfway through the song when he started to feel the connection to the music again. It was subtle, but it was there and that’s all that mattered to him. 

Jenkin continued visiting the witch once a week; he was grateful for this little secret between them. Who enjoyed the sessions more: the one performing or the one watching?