Bob Dylan gave this speech the other night that is floating around the internet. Totally fascinating view into the creative process, with all the mystery stripped away. He goes forward in detail about how he wrote particular songs and points out his direct influences. The best line, paraphrased here, could apply to any creative process. A solid acknowledgement of the creative family tree that we all are picking from and watering every day we do our work:
These songs didn't come out of thin air. I didn't just make them up out of whole cloth. There was a precedent. I just opened up a different door in a different kind of way.
More good stuff :
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Lecture Coming Up!
Timothy Archibald: Photographing the Family Landscape
Originally finding fascination in “the other,” Archibald's projects later took a turn inward and he has now focused closely on family for the past ten years. He’ll address the successes and failures that come when photographing those to whom access is unlimited and discuss ways to find the path to beginning and completing these projects. He will also share a variety of commercial projects that have sprung off his personal work and discuss the challenges of mixing the two genres. Bring your questions!
Thursday, February 19, 2015 / 7 pm – 9 pm
Location: Best Western Plus Grosvenor Hotel, 380 S. Airport Blvd., S. San Francisco. Tickets and info : http://ppgba.com/feb-19th-speaker/
These songs didn't come out of thin air. I didn't just make them up out of whole cloth. There was a precedent. I just opened up a different door in a different kind of way.
More good stuff :
The last thing I thought of was who cared about what song I was writing. I was just writing them. I didn't think I was doing anything different. I thought I was just extending the line. Maybe hard to pin down, but so what? A lot of people are hard to pin down and you’ve just got to bear it.
Just to keep things in perspective, Dylan also devotes at least four paragraphs to directly ridicule his critics and demand clarification as to why they focused on him and let other artists off the hook.
Just to keep things in perspective, Dylan also devotes at least four paragraphs to directly ridicule his critics and demand clarification as to why they focused on him and let other artists off the hook.
So much for not caring what people think. Why do I bring this up? I think whole thing just reinforces how even the most exalted artists get stung like we all do. Why am I bringing this up? When one has a lecture looming in a matter of days, you look everywhere you can for subject matter. :)
Lecture Coming Up!
Timothy Archibald: Photographing the Family Landscape
Originally finding fascination in “the other,” Archibald's projects later took a turn inward and he has now focused closely on family for the past ten years. He’ll address the successes and failures that come when photographing those to whom access is unlimited and discuss ways to find the path to beginning and completing these projects. He will also share a variety of commercial projects that have sprung off his personal work and discuss the challenges of mixing the two genres. Bring your questions!
Thursday, February 19, 2015 / 7 pm – 9 pm
Location: Best Western Plus Grosvenor Hotel, 380 S. Airport Blvd., S. San Francisco. Tickets and info : http://ppgba.com/feb-19th-speaker/
1 comment:
How did it go? I hope your talk gets posted online... would have loved to be there.
(I'm currently procrastinating on preparing for my own talk, as it happens. )
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