I didn't know progressions. All I had was an ear for music. That is to say, I knew what worked, and what didn't. As it turned out, my ignorance was fortunate. Not knowing the rules, I was forced to discover them for myself.
Music is a language.
Every melody, every chord, every rhythm has its own meaning. Not knowing the rules, I had to learn for myself not only what worked musically, but what, specifically, would say what I wanted to say. Not thinking of myself as a musician made it easier to keep myself out of the picture, and to let the music express itself to me. Sometimes it was there when I awoke in the morning. I found, in time, that I could even tune in to different cultures, periods of history, and states of consciousness, and receive music that was appropriate to each of them.