How Do You Create?

Recently I found myself talking through my creative process with long time friend, band mate and writing partner Ian Galipeau (https://www.iangalipeaumusic.com/) and I asked him this question; What’s it like working with me?

The answer, while important to me, isn’t super critical in the context of my thoughts for this blog post (I’m an ideas guy by the way) – but it did get me thinking. We’re all our harshest critics when it comes to our creative role in the world. I consistently analyze what I’m capable of putting out into the world both with my own music and working with my band, the Modern Fools.

When I’m alone alone I have a tendency to press into experimental music while still maintaining some degree of songwriting. I have an idea, I strap myself into the race car in my mind, and I pursue that idea until I crash into a brick wall. And, well, that’s where I get to. I create the track, I release it and I don’t think about it again. Sometimes I go back and edit the idea, but mostly I’m comfortable with the initial form being what goes out into the world. This is both something that I consider brave and something I consider reckless, not a surprise for anyone who knows me.

However, I watch other artists who I deeply respect and I see an editing process that can feel foreign to me. I’ve adopted it for portions of my writing, but in other respects I can’t let it consume me because I lose the emotional impact of my first effort. Someone like Ian is excellent in this editing process, able to keep emotional impact but distill thoughts and phrases down into more specific narratives. In fact, it’s what has made that writing partnership so fruitful and fun. I come up with a blazing hot take of an idea and my editing partner refines it until it fits a more traditional song structure.

So – which approach is right? Well, neither and both. As artists it’s important that we work to hone our craft and push into areas that are uncomfortable or require us to stretch our abilities. There are times when catharsis is the main reason to create art and those times require that I stay in my “create without limit” space. Other times I need to construct a song that someone else may sing or play. It’s important, for those songs, that I push into my editing process and refine my emotional world into something that can be experienced and retold by another musician.

There’s no right or wrong approach to what you do and what you create. Every piece of art is valid. Understand what you’re trying to say and how you’re trying to say it and chase that piece of your mind until it comes out in a way that’s meaningful to you.