ALONG THE WAY

I learn a lot of interesting things from the many beautiful creatives I mentor. They are so enthusiastic, so motivated to be excellent. I benefit from their energy in many many ways.

I don’t try to tell them how to be an artist, producer or writer. You can’t give them more talent. You can only hone what they innately have. Oh sure, I can lay out perfunctory guidelines that don’t take a rocket scientist to understand, like creating storyline with emotion, tension, release and using various lyrical, musical and technical devices at their disposal to create riveting theater. For artists, actors, authors, poets, songwriters, musicians, producers and mix engineers…most all these same principles apply….Because we’re all doing the same thing in different applications….telling the story.

No doubt, technical facility is the key unlocking a creatives ability to express what is in them. You can have that agility, along with an understanding of the process and construct….but true artistry is in it’s Implementation. I go to school every time I sit down with another writer and go through the process of writing a song. Real learning is in the doing.

One thing for sure…these are the burgeoning authors of refreshing, untainted intellectual property. My best gift is to nurture and encourage, being careful to let go of myself…because my day was my day…and now it is theirs, full of new and youthful passion. I can teach them to be curious and glean from their greatest influences…but not be them. I know this on a personal level.

I failed at every point in my life when I tried to write or produce like the creatives I admired. i was chasing something I wasn’t. When I did, my work was weak, like that of an imposter. They were way better at being themselves than I was…but eventually, I learned to have the grace to be me. ..and it felt good…powerful…and liberating. So these days I much prefer being myself.

Just one of the lessons I’ve learned and try to pass on along the way.