With creativity, one must accept a certain amount of peril.
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I came across this video in the last few months:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1czBcnX1W
There’s something about the way Big Dog moves that feels truly alive. In a way, it’s creepy.
I’ve recently felt myself drawn to creating music for my own artist releases that has a quieter tone. By “recently”, I mean for the last year or so. My upcoming release, Subway Meditations, is an indication of this.
It partially has to do with the soundtrack work I’ve been doing for video games. Usually game soundtracks require music that is highly dramatic and energetic. I love to write that type of material and get a lot of enjoyment from it, but I also want to explore areas of music that I have an interest in creating that I don’t always get a chance to do in soundtrack work.
That’s not the whole picture, really. A big part is my response to the world we live in, a world increasingly complex and intricate. Sometimes we have an overwhelming amount of information thrown at us. Reading the daily news can instill a sense of the need to be in an eternal state of high alert. It can be paralyzing if we try to digest too much of it.
Creating something quieter and simpler allows me to return a sense of balance. It also allows me to have something positive to share with others.
There are no shortcuts to creating or doing something worthwhile. Struggle is an essential part of the process.
Really, it’s no different to become a master artist than it is to become a great athlete or scientist. It requires much discipline and devotion through many, many years.
Certain elements in our culture are constantly trying to sell us the “quick fix” approach. You know the message: “Become wealthy in 12 months” or “Take this 4-week course and become a wildly successful actor” or some other type of nonsense. It’s as if reaching alofty goal or pinnacle requests no suffering. That’s not how real life works. Things that matter require great effort and patience. I’ve really found no exception to this yet.
In struggling to become a master at something, it prohibits us from taking it for granted. At least once a day, I realize how blessed I am to be able to do work I love to do.
I also realize that the better I become as a musician, the more there is to learn. In the end, there is no final destination. The joy is in the travel of the path.