Thursday 14th July, 2022
Another week closer… another week closer… another week CLOSER!!!
I’m not panicking, you are.
This week, there are two things I wanna chat about… actually, three. First thing’s quick though. I’ve been, once again, noticing my speech. I’ve been a little frustrated with certain parts of the Irish music industry lately… & it’s manifested in some griping & groaning on my part. This isn’t the person I am, nor the person I wanna become. It can be real easy to lose heart in the face of constant rejection, & there’s so much jade in the Irish music industry it’s like an ancient Chinese market… We can’t give into our disappointment though. Suddenly you’ll begin ascribing all of your shortcomings to ‘the industry’. This is a moment for me to fasten my blinkers, keep focused on my gang, my crowd, & my work. I’m writing it here to fortify the right attitude in my head. Hope & hard work are the only sustainable options.
Now, on to our second moment… PEOPLE!
The past few days I’ve been making more time to connect & reconnect with friends & creatives alike. It’s something that I’d forgotten how to do during the lockdowns. I’d also forgotten how nice it is. Sure, we talk about the work that we’re getting up to, we show each other previews, works in progress, but we also discuss philosophy, politics, spirituality, etc… we challenge each other, we build each other. It can be awkward & difficult to reach out, go out, stay out. It can be exhausting too. But like everything worthwhile, it won’t come easy.
One thing to keep in mind about new connections is that they aren’t just a ‘networking’ opportunity. You won’t work with someone for long if you don’t connect with them on a higher level, & you need to work with people for a long while before you can really dance with one another. Something to know about old connections is that we’re used to not seeing people in years & then meeting up out of the blue. Of my closest friends, I see them once a year & we’re just as close. In the creative world, we work from project to project… we’re all in the same boat… we all understand the social constraints & sacrifices that are made… so I’d never get upset with someone for not reaching out, or not trying to stay in contact with me. (so if you haven’t said hi in a while… say hi whenever) :)
A final note on gathering other creatives around you… at least for me… it lends itself to this yearning I have for ‘living some kind of important story’. Being a part of a scene, or a movement is a terribly romantic idea among the creatives. Especially for a ‘solo’ artist like myself. Sure, I work with people all the time, but most of them come & go, project by project. Those who I can keep around permanently become extremely important to me.
To sum it all up… connect with other creatives. They’ll understand you more than most.
Okaaay, let’s do topic number three. (which I have momentarily forgotten… one sec.)
Ahh yes! INSPIRATION!!! I’ve been watching things lately… or, I should say, rewatching.
I’ve made it through the show Avatar (both Korra & Aang), & as I type, I’m rewatching Arcane.
Why are these shows significant enough to write about?
Well, Avatar I grew up with. It was a show that taught me to move. I taught me to connect the mind, the body, & the spirit. It’s a show that reminds me how to live a good life. A balanced life. When I watched it as a kid, I lived through Zuko. Now, watching it as an adult, I live through Iroh. A tea drinking, wise cracking, beefcake.
Arcane is, of course, a recent discovery… & honestly, it’s an absolute masterclass of storytelling, animation, & most importantly, music supervision! The soundtrack is not just brilliantly chosen, written, & performed… but it’s placed so perfectly, & it’s woven so seamlessly into the fabric of the story & world. After the work I’ve done in making ‘Learning Curve’, I realise how hard it is to naturally embed musical moments into a story, & how to use the music to accentuate the feel of that moment. Arcane has also build a Solarpunk, Sci-fi world that I adore. In my own trajectory, I’m set to create cinematic pop music for a Solarpunk circusy future. So, the inspiration I get from this show in particular drives me forward.
These days, I’m creating an updated Patreon introduction video. So I’m revisiting & articulating who I am, what I’m doing, & why I’m doing it. Looking beyond this album, this film, & this show… it makes me so excited to live, & live loud! I’ll need a record label one day… or an army of Patrons to genuinely articulate the worlds in my head… until then, I work, work, & look forward to whatever I can create.
Okay okay. Time to sneak away, & rehearse for a show next week.
I also gotta start promoting it too. (I’ve been a bit distracted)
See you next week!
N
