The zero attention span point of this post:
Go HERE and buy Austin Kleon’s new book “STEAL LIKE AN ARTIST” It only costs like 10 bucks, 6 bucks, takes less time to read than watching an episode of CSI and your creative soul will thank you for it.
image; :austin kleon (stolen but credited)
For those with a bit more tolerance for context and back story heres why this book is important to me.
First – we need to step back to 2004. I was an occasional weekend bass playing noodler with no plan, band, vision, or purpose.
I also had angst. Creative angst. While my day job offered more creative opportunity than most day jobs – it wasn’t enough. Still, I never took the idea of bass playing all that seriously.
At that time Seth Godin had linked to a site he was involved in called Change This. It was there I first discovered Hugh Macleod’s “manifesto” How To Be Creative.
I devoured that manifesto. It spoke directly to the guy/gal that had put their “dreams” aside for more practical concerns and found themselves feeling empty because of it. Hello.
Within minutes of reading it I knew the cause of my angst. I wanted my crayons back. (go read the manifesto – or the book it eventually became) For me the crayons was my bass.
It was then I hunted down a bass teacher and began the process of formal study and the pursuit of quenching the angst. It worked.
The bullet point version of the next 5 years is this: 11 months of normal bassist type study, then I starting playing/writing as a solo bassist, entered a solo bass competition, won, made a solo bass record, toured around a bit, got some recognition and then – well. Then I realized. All the fuel burned up.
I didn’t realize it at the time – but what was really propelling me through years of daily practice was the need to prove something to myself. Once I felt I had proven what I set out to prove to myself – the fire kinda went out.
As far as bass playing goes right now – I feel like I’m back to where I was in 2004 before reading Hugh’s manifesto. Angsty.
And thats where Steal Like An Artist comes in.
Not playing for *2 years I lost touch with the inspiration – creation process with my music.
I forgot that everything I did musically was an adaptation of the work of others. And their work was adaptations of works of others. I remember (now) talking to people at clinics about what I called “inspirational lineage” encouraging students to not just study their heroes – but to study their heroes, heroes – and so on. Trace it all back. Nothing is original – we all stand on the shoulders of others.
All these truths I once knew and accepted had become obscured under a delusion.
The delusion: That only truly “new to the world” works are worth doing.
This is the most powerful reason I’ve not played seriously for the past few years. Every time I pick up the instrument I hear stuff I’ve heard before (from both me and others) and it just seemed like “why bother”.
Steal Like An Artist lays waste to that delusion very efficiently. And for me it’s the kick in the balls I need.
Years ago I read an interview with Pat Metheny bassist Steve Rodby. In it he talked about the Jaco era and that no matter how much he wanted to play fretess bass – he wouldn’t dare because Jaco so dominated the perception of the instrument he’d easily be perceived as a copy cat. Jeff Berlin has said similar things about slapping tapping, 5 strings 6 strings, metronomes, composed solos . . . . derp
I remember thinking how sad that was.
But I just realized I’ve fallen pray to that very same affliction. Everything I’ve played in the past few years that gave even the slightest hint of it’s inspiration – I’d throw away. Again – how sad.
The point is – I totally forgot how to steal like an artist.
thanks for the reminder Austin – terrific book!
a few quotes:
WHAT IS ORIGINALITY? UNDETECTED PLAGIARISM – William Ralph Inge
MODERN ART = I COULD DO THAT + YEAH, BUT YOU DIDN’T – Craig Damrauer
THOSE THAT DO NO WANT TO IMITATE ANYTHING, PRODUCE NOTHING. – Salvidor Dali
*(when I say “not playing” – I mean no disciplined, daily hours of work & practice towards improving my craft. I’d still noodle on weekends for an hour or so)
pss – It might be interesting to learn that I first “discovered” the amazing guitar work of Preston Reed by a blog post from Hugh Macleod. From Preston I discovered Kaki King, Michael Hedges and that whole world. Those artists along with Egberto Gismonti and Gabriela Montero formed much of the “inspiration” for Outre.
