Page 1 of 1

Sources of inspiration (4 questions)

Posted: 02 Jun 2009, 23:33
by take5_d_shorterer
Inspiration comes from different sources. Actually, one can make a more general statement: the decision to try creating things or to stop could have many different reasons motivating them.

The last question here may be the most interesting.


1. Have you ever heard read something (heard a piece of music, saw a work of art) that was so good that it made you decide to write (make music, make a work of art) yourself? What was it, and why did produce that reaction?

2. Have you ever heard read something (heard a piece of music, saw a work of art) that was so good that it made you stop writing (making music, making a work of art) yourself? What was it? If it was music, was it a live performance (or a recording of a live performance) or was it, let's say, a studio performance?

3. Have you ever heard read something (heard a piece of music, saw a work of art) that was so bad that it made you stop writing (making music, making a work of art) yourself? What was it?

4. Have you ever heard read something (heard a piece of music, saw a work of art) that was so bad that it inspired you to write (make music, make a work of art) yourself? What was it?

Re: Sources of inspiration (4 questions)

Posted: 02 Jun 2009, 23:52
by Billybob Dylan
I'd be more inclined to think to myself "what's the point?" if I heard/read/saw something that was so amazing. That's assuming I have an artistic bent to begin with. Big assumption.

And I'd be more inclined to think "I can do better than that" if I heard/read/saw something that was bloody awful.

There are no specific examples, though.

Re: Sources of inspiration (4 questions)

Posted: 03 Jun 2009, 00:14
by BARON CORNY DOG
The answer to all the questions is "Yes." Unfortunately, I don't remember many specifics about my life.

Re: Sources of inspiration (4 questions)

Posted: 03 Jun 2009, 00:23
by dang65
Billybob Dylan wrote:And I'd be more inclined to think "I can do better than that" if I heard/read/saw something that was bloody awful.

Yeah, I'd agree with that. I can't do music, but I like dreaming up stories, and nothing gets me more inspired than seeing a good idea for a film or story being completely wasted. I don't think that copyright should even count in cases like that. People should be completely free to use a good plot idea which has been criminally squandered by the person that thought it up in the first place. Might be difficult to apply the same rule to music, but if you take a case like Bitter Sweet Symphony, for example, then there might be a good argument.

Although I never did anything about it, and never will, I remember getting very irate at that sitcom Goodnight Sweetheart. When I first read about the concept I was, like, Yes! What a cool idea. What possibilities. A guy from the present finds himself timeshifting to WWII and back. In the event, it was a hideously bland shitcom, and pretty much fuck all happened which couldn't have been set entirely in the present anyway. I think he used to play Beatles songs on the piano in the WWII pub, and that was about the only joke they had.

Re: Sources of inspiration (4 questions)

Posted: 03 Jun 2009, 00:35
by Sneelock
1. Have you ever heard read something (heard a piece of music, saw a work of art) that was so good that it made you decide to write (make music, make a work of art) yourself? What was it, and why did produce that reaction?
Hanna Barbera cartoons like the Flintstones. I drew people with big Flintstones noses for years.
when I read "cat's cradle" I wrote only in pages for years. maybe I'll start doing it again. it's a very satisfying way to write.

2. Have you ever heard read something (heard a piece of music, saw a work of art) that was so good that it made you stop writing (making music, making a work of art) yourself? What was it? If it was music, was it a live performance (or a recording of a live performance) or was it, let's say, a studio performance?
I could draw anything for years. sit something in front of me and I could draw it - more or less. I'd rather draw than talk to people in those days. well, along came Roger Dean and somebody said "hey, you like to draw - DRAW THIS!!!" and i couldn't do it and it drove me crazy and I actually stopped enjoying drawing for a very long time as a result.
3. Have you ever heard read something (heard a piece of music, saw a work of art) that was so bad that it made you stop writing (making music, making a work of art) yourself? What was it?
movies people like. 'american psycho', 'henry - portrait of a serial killer', stuff like that. I hear people wax poetic about that stuff and I think "why bother?"
4. Have you ever heard read something (heard a piece of music, saw a work of art) that was so bad that it inspired you to write (make music, make a work of art) yourself? What was it?
the published screenplay to 'pulp fiction'. yeah, I like the movie myself but read that screenplay and you'll be convinced that ANYBODY can write a screenplay.

Re: Sources of inspiration (4 questions)

Posted: 03 Jun 2009, 18:55
by take5_d_shorterer
Incomplete answer just for the third question.


1. Have you ever heard read something (heard a piece of music, saw a work of art) that was so good that it made you decide to write (make music, make a work of art) yourself? What was it, and why did produce that reaction?

2. Have you ever heard read something (heard a piece of music, saw a work of art) that was so good that it made you stop writing (making music, making a work of art) yourself? What was it? If it was music, was it a live performance (or a recording of a live performance) or was it, let's say, a studio performance?

There are a number of reports of people who stopped for a while because of the performer below.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Cs_zb4q14[/youtube] (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Cs_zb4q14

Oscar Peterson supposedly stopped playing for a month after he heard a record by the performer above.

Les Paul made a decision to stick with guitar and not to venture into piano playing after listening to this performer.

There is a famous story that Charlie Parker supposedly took a job washing dishes at the restaurant where the performer played so he could listen in. I've heard the story a number of times, but I don't know if it's true or not.

I've never had the reaction to give up playing because of this performer, although I would also say anybody who's not drunk and of sound mind has to concede that this particular style with this particular emphasis on what Czerny called "the school of velocity" has reached its final conclusion in this performer, maybe also in Phineas Newborn, Jr.

There are times in which I wish I could sit down certain players (e.g., Van Halen, Vai) and make them listen to this clip. The head-hunting contest suggested by this playing was decided 50 to 60 years ago. There haven't been any real contenders.


3. Have you ever heard read something (heard a piece of music, saw a work of art) that was so bad that it made you stop writing (making music, making a work of art) yourself? What was it?

4. Have you ever heard read something (heard a piece of music, saw a work of art) that was so bad that it inspired you to write (make music, make a work of art) yourself? What was it?