datamusicata

I know that we’re in the middle of the Adventures of Tommy Rob and James Lee in Communist Cuba, but something happened yesterday, that I believe is of value to us all, so I’m passing it on.

The creative process is a mysterious one and no one really knows where inspiration comes from or where it goes. The Greeks called this inspiration a visit from the Muses. That will have to do. What I do know is that the most successful writers that I know follow those muses whenever one shows up.

I remember arriving on time at Stephen Bishop’s house for dinner one night (www.stephenbishop.com). He not only wasn’t ready, he wasn’t even available. It seems that he got an idea for a song and went into the studio to follow that idea. He was still in there hours later chasing the dream, and he wasn’t quitting until he’d explored all that the inspiration offered to him.

At the time, I remember being miffed, as I had interrupted my plans to do this dinner and then we were left just waiting around. I thought that it was inconsiderate, but upon further consideration , changed my mind.

Shel Silverstein was notorious for never refusing an invitation from the muses.   If inspiration showed up, he dropped whatever he was doing (unless it was creating) and followed it.   That's why he had so many great songs, stories, drawings, books, poems, I mean, it was magical how varied his output was.

We don’t know when this key to the magic kingdom is going to show up. How many uninspired songs by uninspired writers and singers do we have to hear before we recognize the importance of true inspiration and respect it enough to pay attention to it?

I am not saying be an inconsiderate ass to everyone, but if true inspiration shows up, you must follow it. It is your premier responsibility as an artist. If you can, let the people whom you might be inconveniencing in on the process so that they can make other plans, but be true to the vision that shows up.

Yesterday around two pm, as I was doing tedious but necessary administrative work for the label and for my touring schedule, I suddenly remembered a piece of song that came to me driving back from San Diego and Joe Rathburn’s Peace Concert (www.thepeacealliance.org), at which I had performed several weeks ago (www.joerathburn.com).

It was so remarkably catchy and, I thought, well done, that I decided that I needed to put it down as a recording so that I wouldn’t forget it. As I laid down a basic guitar track, I thought that, rather than play to a click, I would create a little rhythm pattern on the muted strings of the guitar and then looping that, use it as the time keeper. It was funky and seemed to inspire a wonderful rhythm pattern on the guitar. I began playing something that was giving me enormous joy.

Within minutes, I was on to something so rhythmic and fun, I just stayed there and finished the basic track and then figured out the remainder of the lyrics against the track. Then I layed down a work vocal of the entire song, and then played bass and some lead guitar lines along with a motif that I thought would serve the song.

When I looked up in it was seven pm. Five hours later, and I hadn’t gotten anything else done, including my usual Wednesday Datamusicata post. I was going to chastise myself for being immature and I was going to start this post with an apology for missing my appointment, when I realized that I did what I HAD to do, given the gift that had been given me.

If you don’t use your gifts, you lose them. And who amongst us actually possesses the temerity to refuse a gift from God? Not me, kids. Not anymore. I don’t know how many more times these gifts are going to show up, so I’m taking them seriously. I suggest you do the same.

Now there IS a way to steer this thing, I believe. If you are in the writing mode, then put yourself in that time and place every scheduled day, just like I normally do with the Datamusicata posts. Try to be there at say, 10 to 1 every Monday, Wednesday and Friday Evening. Once the muses know where and when to find you, they become a little more (not much, but...) accommodating.

The great songwriters of the nineteen thirties and forties treated the connection like a job. They were there every day at the appointed time. Sometimes nothing came, but the great American song book came from that dedication and the fact that these talented fellows were consistently there, where the muses could find them.

So my suggestion to you today is to schedule some time for your creativity and treat it like a doctor’s appointment. Nothing comes in the way of it. If you get invitations or responsibilities dropped into your lap, and life loves to do that, then schedule them around these appointments with your muse. Keep these appointments sacred and your life will begin to accommodate the commitment. Don’t disregard inspiration.

You stand up the lady too often and she stops paying attention to you, stops seeing you, stops letting you see her. You don’t want that to happen. Trust me, ...Driver, follow that muse!