Since it's the holiday season, I'm talking about gifts today—the metaphysical rather than the paper-wrapped kind.
The late Fred Myrow, a brilliant composer and dear friend, once told me that before starting a new film score or instrumental piece he would spend days doing mundane chores—shop 'til he dropped at the supermarket, hang out at the mall, clean house, read junk mail, anything but write music. Only when his boredom meter was in the red and about to explode would Fred get to work, and inevitably inspiration would come.
Over the years I have learned to "put the top down and throw the car into neutral" before starting a new book or writing a series of poems. I've always been grateful to Fred – who I worked with in the recording studio, where he regularly performed miracles – for sharing this wisdom, along with many other things he taught me about writing and performing music. As I write this, I am listening to Brad Mehldau playing "Goodbye Storyteller (for Fred Myrow)" -
http://bit.ly/edD9r7 - so expressive and beautiful.
What nuggets of wisdom have you been gifted with from friends and fellow writers or artists?
Don't be shy. Please share!
Published on December 17, 2010 10:03