Fully employed
I'm sitting here surrounded by the chaos of yet another 'cleanup' of my studio.
My favourite form of displacement and procrastination activity.
And, in yet another attempt to be too busy to begin doing something creative, I am going to write a quick post about the current weighty tome I am reading to Nic called "Songwriters on Song Writing" by Paul Zollo. From this enormously interesting, interview style of non fiction book ,I have read aloud Jimmy Webbs's thoughts on the creation process and read to myself, Janice Ian's.
This morning in the quiet before the storm I began reading about Leonard Cohen, precisely because it was tempting not to.
In the 70's my suicidal sister played his albums over and over and over again.
I come with some baggage Mr Cohan.
I haven't finished his —as to be expected; lengthy chapter, but I am blown away by the man's intelligence and I find so may truths that are applicable to the process of creation. He says that
"It's just as hard to write a bad novel as a good one. It's just as had to write a bad verse as a good verse. I can't discard a verse before it is written because it is the writing of the verse that produces whatever delights or interests or facets that are going to catch the light. the cutting of the gem has to be finished before you can see whether it shines.
You can't discover that in the raw."
Sounds like the process of painting or sculpting to me.
And then he goes on to talk about the unexpected things that come from what we deem to be junk.
"The people that we think are junk, the ideas that we think are junk, the television we think is junk."
This interview is just getting better and better and I'm feeling kind of inspired to finish cleaning the studio and get on with it... because to end this post with another quote from the interview
"I think unemployment is the great affliction of man.
Even people with jobs are unemployed.
In fact, most people with jobs are unemployed.
I can say, happily and gratefully, that I am fully employed.
Maybe all hard work means is fully employed."
Amen
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6 comments:
well my smart friend Michael loves mr. Cohen. I being younger and not as smart missed his music while young...(BTO, Eagles, Trooper and I can't remember now) Anyway now that I listen to Mr. Cohen I always find it funny that his lyrics and voice are so depressing or angry but the melody is so uplifting and somehow it all works...bloody genius.
PS Michael knows all the words.And he can do the gravelly voice...much fun!
Song
I almost went to bed
without remembering
the four white violets
I put in the button-hole
of your green sweater
and how i kissed you then
and you kissed me
shy as though I'd
never been your lover
- L. Cohen
I ran into the poetry of Leonard Cohen when I was 18. It was like his words slipped into my being. I started writing very bad imitation Cohen poetry.
I so needed to hear and read this.
ps I love Cohen's music.
luv Corrine
Hear hear!
I know you've found it hard, BUT I'm so glad you are back into your blog!
I think I must read this book. Filmmakers have a lot to say, too.
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