His childhood nickname was “Inky”; he started writing in journals from his teens and never stopped. He wrote in cafés, in bars, on his bike, even at concerts. He almost never read the journals; they were sketchpads he used to work out his themes, to find his form, to articulate his story."To find his mind" might have been just as fitting.
Wednesday, May 22, 2019
Random Oliver Sacks Nugget
Second volume of posthumous Oliver Sacks, Everything in It's Place: First Loves and Last Tales, reviewed at NY Review of Books.
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I do the same...helps me find my self. But I do "read" or should I say "sing" my journals. It's such a great thing having a creative practice. It's too bad that the world is so focused on the hierarchy of good vs bad when it comes to things like music, songs, poetry, prose, art in general. This has gotten into so many people's heads. I find that people balk at starting a creative practice because they think that what they create won't be very "good"...and you know...they're probably right...it probably won't be very "good" from the market or historical perspective...but that's not what a practice is about. A practice is about self study and working to improve the inner/outer connection...to "work out your themes"...discover more about yourself...to have a process where you create something that wasn't there before, that's all your own...and then working to do it better...not better in the sense of some absolute standard of good in art, whatever that is...but better in the sense of more satisfying...closer to the target you set for yourself. It's the same with physical practices...people balk because they don't think they'll be as good as some yogi, or T'ai-Chi master or professional athlete or whatever...but just doing it as a self study...to work to improve your self and your game...man it's so rewarding...and sooooo good for well-being and health. So many of the people I know who are in their 80's and still vital have a creative practice, a physical practice, or often, both. I'm trying to get a bunch of the regulars at your open mike to write one song in 2019. I get the feeling that for some there's an unconscious fear that something bad will happen if they try. Only Robert Doctor, who was already a writer, took me up on my challenge and wrote a few new ones. All the others say they will....but the year is almost half done and nothing yet. I keep saying "Start!"...Just start...take five minutes...noodle around with words and music and aim for something satisfying...Once you give your brain that task it will start working on it whether you know it or not and the next time will be a bit easier. I keep telling them, Look I'm almost a complete failure at this. I've been doing it since 1975 and I know most of my fans by name personally. Hardly anyone hears what I do. I've written hundreds of songs and nothing bad has happened. ;~) It just takes that little bit of fearlessness to give it a try. Not to change the world of art but do it for your self. Do it for your soul. Start! I will hound them here and there and most likely a few of them will get down to it some time in December. But hey, better late than never. Miss you buddy! Rock on. GB
ReplyDeleteJust on the first part: I have to remind myself constantly to ignore my compulsion to compare what I'm working on to others. Gah. such a roadblock. I will never be "as good" as Leonard Cohen. I can, however, be pretty darn good at this thing that I'm working on at any given time.
ReplyDeleteGrrateful for sharing this
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