Trying to work backwards, from predicting an outcome to implementing it, always ruins my creative process. In some cases it's helpful, but it almost always causes me to work too hard to fill in gaps that don't necessarily need to be there. It creates a stilted environment and self-conscious art.
I have probably twenty music tracks that I'll never finish for this reason, and an entire full-length CD that will never see the light of day. The improvisational tone of the music I'm proud of is the antithesis to working backwards, to the point that it may seem unpolished or amateurish. But, it's the only method that feels real to me.
Writing is much the same, in that trying to form structures before you even begin on them is asking for failure. I enjoy writing impromtu and subconsciously much more than thinking about the end effect. I always sub-vocalize as I write. And, I contradict myself much more than I should.
It's harder to recognize in writing, but it is the Grand Dichotomy when it comes to music, for me. There's an element to good music that was thought up as it was composed, or at least emoted as if it were.
No comments:
Post a Comment