I've been such a fan of your music for years, and it's such a delight (though unsurprising) to see you're a wonderful prose writer as well. I'm a writer too and relate to a lot of what you said in this piece -- I think I've decided too it has to be enough just to do it for me, that creating itself has to worthy enough. Though there's the parts of me that long for the moments of connection shared art can facilitate, and for prestige, too (that's the ego). At any rate I really hope to read your book someday!
Oof those ego intrusions are so real and so good to be aware of! I definitely still think sharing is a beautiful thing (I wouldn't have shared this essay otherwise haha) but it feels good to be really conscious about it, and then to also let myself play and create and experiment with no set outcome at all. Thanks for sharing and for reading, Kelsey ❤️
This one really speaks to me (they all do, but as a fellow artist/writer, it hits hard). I ask myself these questions all the time: Am I still a writer or an artist if no one ever appreciates the stuff I make? I suppose the answer is always yes, but it's harder on certain days. Thank you, Nandi 💙
Go to any computer repair shop. They’ll retrieve your files. The find a cloud service you like and upload everything there. Not only will they protect them but you’ll have available to you no matter where you are. Google and Amazon are the go toes.
The creation and destruction of the Mandala by the monks has always fascinated me as a metaphor for everything....and nothing....It was a great contemplation for you after losing precious things from your hard drive. Creating a mandala is like creating a life, and then watching it slip away. As I grow older, I'm trying mightily to see the beauty in that. I always remember a quote from jazz musician Eric Dolphy: "When you hear music, after it's over, it's gone in the air...you can never capture it again." Having released a debut CD this year in a late-life foray as a songwriter, I wonder....I can re-play, I can still feel proud. It will never feel again quite the same as the first hearing of the finished tracks. Thank you for your interest in these things....We keep arranging. We keep sweeping.
I've been such a fan of your music for years, and it's such a delight (though unsurprising) to see you're a wonderful prose writer as well. I'm a writer too and relate to a lot of what you said in this piece -- I think I've decided too it has to be enough just to do it for me, that creating itself has to worthy enough. Though there's the parts of me that long for the moments of connection shared art can facilitate, and for prestige, too (that's the ego). At any rate I really hope to read your book someday!
Oof those ego intrusions are so real and so good to be aware of! I definitely still think sharing is a beautiful thing (I wouldn't have shared this essay otherwise haha) but it feels good to be really conscious about it, and then to also let myself play and create and experiment with no set outcome at all. Thanks for sharing and for reading, Kelsey ❤️
This one really speaks to me (they all do, but as a fellow artist/writer, it hits hard). I ask myself these questions all the time: Am I still a writer or an artist if no one ever appreciates the stuff I make? I suppose the answer is always yes, but it's harder on certain days. Thank you, Nandi 💙
The answer is a resounding YES. But I'm right there with you in needing the reminder on the hardest days <3
Thank you for your writing Nandi, truly.
So happy to be connected here, Brian! ❤️
I love your writing!
"The harmony of a single good sentence".... hard drive ego deaths...
Felt it all.
Thank you dear Kimbra! Feeling it all with you ❤️❤️❤️
Go to any computer repair shop. They’ll retrieve your files. The find a cloud service you like and upload everything there. Not only will they protect them but you’ll have available to you no matter where you are. Google and Amazon are the go toes.
The mandala made and unmade by the Williamstown monks is a fond memory of mine as well, a powerful and magical experience in art.
I love knowing that you experienced it too! ❤️
I understand. With every fiber of my being I understand. Beautifully crafted true. xx
Soaking in the truth and beauty of this piece...at a time when I needed it, too. xo
Your writing has a way of hitting me in just the right way exactly when I need it. Thank you.
The creation and destruction of the Mandala by the monks has always fascinated me as a metaphor for everything....and nothing....It was a great contemplation for you after losing precious things from your hard drive. Creating a mandala is like creating a life, and then watching it slip away. As I grow older, I'm trying mightily to see the beauty in that. I always remember a quote from jazz musician Eric Dolphy: "When you hear music, after it's over, it's gone in the air...you can never capture it again." Having released a debut CD this year in a late-life foray as a songwriter, I wonder....I can re-play, I can still feel proud. It will never feel again quite the same as the first hearing of the finished tracks. Thank you for your interest in these things....We keep arranging. We keep sweeping.