For this installment of “Passion, Fear and Drive,” I’m super happy to feature Claudio Rochat-Felix. Claudio is a Seattle-based drummer and one third of the rising electro/pop dance band Richie Aldente. A few days ago, Claudio and I sat down for coffee and conversation at a Capitol Hill cafe. Claudio is smart, driven and thoughtful. Our talk blazed across several subjects and delved into the philosophical. At times, Claudio most definitely challenged my thinking. Although there are many things I could exact from…
Today I’m writing about other people and how they impact our creative lives. Of course, “other people” is a broad swatch. It can include friends, fans, people who buy our products/services, family, “the competition,” mentors, audience members and possibly, the crazy next-door neighbor. Unless you’re living and creating in some isolated spot far up in the Himalayas, other people are going to eventually wander into your creative landscape in one way or another. So how do they affect what you do? Do they inspire…
The other day I was talking to a fellow musician who had recently experienced a disappointment on the career front. She was understandably upset and was deep in that very familiar pit of lamenting, second-guessing and self-doubt. She was questioning her worth as a musician and contemplating as to whether or not she should continue. I dangled my legs over the side of the pit and peered down. God, I’ve so been there. My friend continued her devastating query, moving on to skepticism…
Lately, I’ve been slammed: psycho slammed. I’m working on a sizable writing job that will pretty much go until the end of the year. I’ve got another big ass job for one of my regular freelance clients. On top of these demands, I’ve been gigging a lot and also just trying to stay on top the usual life stuff of being a mom, driving the carpool, feeding the teen animals and paying the bills on time. And of course, there’s the added frenzy…
I am grateful for gay kids. Their mere presence in the world makes it a better place. Gay kids are unique and effervescent spirits. Most have a wisdom beyond their years. Many are madly creative and unafraid to push the edge. Gay kids are old souls in young bodies. They infuse space and time with a special kind of magic. Coming of age is hard enough, but coming of age as a gay, lesbian, bisexual or trangender child is all the harder. In the…
Today’s post is about going the distance. Let’s face it: the universe does not always shower us with inspiration and flowers on a daily or, sometimes, even weekly basis. Every artist that I know occasionally goes through periods of seeming stagnation; long stretches of waiting for the phone to ring or the grant monies to come through; uncomfortable dry patches with no gigs in sight and no love from the club owners that are normally happy to book you; or an abysmally slow month…
An Open Letter to Mademoiselle Critic If nothing else, you are indeed predictable. I had only been off the bandstand for a few brief beats and you were right there, clicking and clucking away at me. Per usual, your hair was pulled back in a tight bun. A pencil skirt hugged your freakishly thin frame. You peered over stylish glasses which were perched authoritatively just so on the end of your upturned nose. The sharp manicure made your hands look like weapons, especially…
"Our Creative Lives" is a new blog series dedicated to the examination of the creative experience. Throughout my own evolution as a writer and a vocalist, I’ve often been curious about how other artists think and feel about what they do. I am interested in everything from the inner workings of the creative psyche to the day-to-day challenges of working our craft, whatever it may be. Each month, I’ll throw out a topic, put in my two cents to get the ball rolling and then…
My good pal Jason Parker recently posted a link on his Facebook page to an article about musicians and depression. It was from the blog "Behind the Music." The post was about a list complied by Health.com of the top ten professions with the highest rate of depression. Artists ranked fifth on the list. Further, artists who have a secondary job as a source of income, such as waiting tables or mopping floors, rank second on the list. It seems that plenty of musicians, writers…
