I know I certainly recognize myself in her words.
It just made me think of the myriad ways writers procrastinate. Ohhhh, we go to great lengths to put off work - and then - we put in place elaborate justifications -
"I absolutely MUST re-arrange my underwear drawer, color-coding everything, and folding everything perfectly - because if that is not done - I will not be able to write anything of value. And I must spend 2 hours doing this. And after I finish color-coding my undies ... then I really MUST blast Metallica and do my own music video in my living room ... just to let off steam, you understand ... get relaxed so that I will be able to sit down and write ... And after the music video, I really MUST make myself a small snack ... because writers need to feed the belly as well as the mind ... and then after THAT, I really MUST take a nice refreshing 3 hour walk ... because it is very important for writers to keep active, and a walk is a good way to stay active but also meditate on what I want to write about ..."
Before you know it, an entire week has passed in this manner.
Procrastination starts to feel endless, and also like an essential part of work.
Actually - this is not entirely untrue.
Like Mike Nichols always said: "In general, the most important day of rehearsals is the one day off a week." By that he means: it is in our down-time when inspiration is more likely to come. If you are straining for success, if you are trying to get it right - the muse tends to laugh in your face and disappear.
But it's when you're - playing Frisbee - or lying about on your couch watching a movie - and feeling like you are procrastinating - when suddenly the muse will appear - and you will solve the problem you had been putting off handling - etc etc etc etc.
Er ... Emily Post?
Posted by sheilaIt's funny how you can sit down and stare at the screen (and in the old school days, the typewriter) and nothing...NOTHING...for hours. Other times it seems like your fingers can't move fast enough to get the words out of your head. Or don't you love it when you're in some odd place - driving on the freeway, at the grocery store - and you'll be hit with a dozen ideas all at once. This is why I never go anywhere without a pen and something to write on.
Though I have to say I'm terribly disappointed that someone has not yet made the obvious "creative juices" joke that I left there, wide open.
Posted by: Emily at April 5, 2004 11:11 AMHas Dave J made a comment yet? I'm sure you can count on him to leap on the creative juices comment.
I always have a pad and paper with me. I'm like Robert Crumb or something. I'm superstitious.
The point is: when the muse visits, you must be ready for her. You MUST NOT say to her: "Come back tomorrow, when I have a pen and paper on hand."
Then she'll never return. Just to spite you.
Posted by: red at April 5, 2004 11:21 AMI wish I was a fly on the wall to witness the Metallica video...
Posted by: Betsy at April 5, 2004 11:22 AMWhaton earth, Sheila, could you possibly be talking about? Are you accusing me of being some kind of perv who sees innuendo and double meanings in everything?
OK, well, guilty as charged. Personally, I blame Shakespeare. ;-)
Posted by: Dave J at April 5, 2004 11:39 AMhahahaha
I know it is shocking when people see the truth about you. And then blurt it out onto their blog.
Shakespeare is a good scapegoat. I also see double meanings in everything - but I missed the "creative juices" moment and felt embarrassed about it, and needed to pass the buck.
Posted by: red at April 5, 2004 11:43 AMOh, and Betsy - the Metallica videos are works of art. Truly.
However, Lars Ulrich would be horrified.
Posted by: red at April 5, 2004 11:43 AMI was initially going to say I blamed "overexposure to Shakespeare as a child," but then, that would just be wrong. ;-)
Posted by: Dave J at April 5, 2004 11:49 AMI think Lars would be okay as long as you didn't illegally download the song from the internet...he he
Posted by: Betsy at April 5, 2004 12:14 PMBetsy -
Excellent point.
Lars forgets that Metallica only became a world-wide phenom through their fans exchanging tapes - since they got no radio play back then.
Well, they became a world-wide phenom because they ROCK and are complete GENIUSES - but without fans taping the concerts and exchanging those tapes like lunatics - Metallica might not have lasted.
Ah well.
Foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.
Posted by: red at April 5, 2004 12:30 PMI remember when Guns N Roses released the two Use Your Illusion albums back to back, they said they did it because releasing it as a double album/CD would cost too much for their young fans, and actually openingly advocated kids buying one and taping it for all their friends and having their friends in return buy the other and do the same. I thought that was so cool.
As much as it pisses me off to see some millionaire rock star complain that he's being ripped off, I'm not a big fan of the free download thing, since a lot of the folks I like are *not* millionaire rock stars, but rather, struggling artists. I want them to make money from the effort they put into their art.
Posted by: Emily at April 5, 2004 12:46 PMIt's a very complicated issue, true. Dave Matthews openly advocates kids taping his live shows ... there's a generosity towards their own fans there.
But again - he doesn't need the money.
And also - I think it was Pearl Jam who wanted to keep the ticket prices of their concerts down ... a couple years back - It was this huge deal - but they remembered their own roots. As broke kids who loved music.
Posted by: red at April 5, 2004 12:54 PM"Dave Matthews openly advocates kids taping his live shows ... there's a generosity towards their own fans there.
But again - he doesn't need the money."
The point being, it's his intellectual property, and so there's nothing wrong with him giving it away for free if that what he wants to do with it. If he was advocating taking OTHER people's property without their permission, that'd be a completely different story. IP is no less PROPERTY than a house or a car, or another intangible like a share of stock (a "piece" of a legal entity that has no physical existence) or a bond (a "piece" of someone's debt). Piracy is theft, plain and simple.
Posted by: Dave J at April 5, 2004 02:02 PM