Order out of chaos
I don’t like cliches, particularly when they’re proven as true. One of the most common ones, when it comes to creative work has to be: “one hundred percent of inspiration versus ninety-nine percent of perspiration”. Personally, I believe in the force of talent above anything else, which can sometimes make the painstaking work a lot easier. But you simply can’t do without this either, especially if you are aiming to show yourself in the best possible light.
It seems surreal, but it is a fact that I had gotten the base idea for almost every musical piece finished thus far in some completely unhindered moment, often when I had something entirely different in mind instead of the music itself. As I wrote before, this is my “moment of distraction”, when I furiously search for the most straightforward and quick way of capturing the idea before it vanishes forever. But then I start to ponder on what to do next… This is the phase in which the dreaded enemies appear: procrastination and perfectionism. It’s funny how these, basically diametrical forces, often go hand in hand. I wouldn’t call myself a lazy person, but I am prone to dejection when faced with a load of work yet to come. On the other hand, I’m also a perfectionist, which often makes the first problem even more pronounced.
This leads me to another modern paradox. Today’s technology, which should (at least in theory) make life more simple, frequently has an opposite effect. From the perspective of a composer and music producer, the ability of perfect editing, even of the smallest musical particle, as well as the countless choices of sounds, “force” you to pursue the path of perfection, even if you are not a perfectionist by nature. Of course, it is a positive thing to strive toward quality and neatness, but being too persistent about it is not a good thing either and it can easily lead to losing the pleasure of doing what you do. It is equally difficult to fight against inertia and constant prolongation. For me, it all depends on a particular day. There are ones when everything seems to go around the clock as well as those when I feel bad in the evening, thinking about wasted time.
There are countless texts written on the subject of productivity. I admit to being tempted to take a peek at those, but I always remember the old adage first: “you can’t rush art”. Music and art, in general, are unlike the other human activities, even though these capitalist and corporate-oriented times tend to speak otherwise. Some would say that art is “order out of chaos” and they would be quite right. You need to find the right measure in everything. Organize yourself to a degree, but do not be afraid of chaos and unpredictability from time to time. ;)