Cleaning up vs. hiding out
Hey good morning! It’s a gorgeous Tuesday morning here in Naples. 60º and sunny. We wait all year for these few days of heaven.
A few weeks ago it occurred to me that my pieces need to have a 3-digit number attached to them, a serial number I can use to keep track of them. I can always name them later (the naming of creative works should be its own art form) and it would help me keep track of different versions, or when the same idea comes through a few different times.
I’m always a little suspicious of ideas like this one, because cleaning/organizing is such a convenient place to hide from actual creative work. I know somebody who used to clean the whole house before doing anything creative. It’s no surprise that they had a hard time actually getting to that creative work. I, on the other hand, can be super creative while the dishes and laundry literally pile up around me. Equally laughable.
For this reason I haven’t looked at organizing my unfinished work as a creative pursuit in itself (although I’m burning up my music time with it), it has led to a few creative outcomes. I have opened the files of a few of my pieces and taken them a step further toward completion.
I have found pieces I forgot I had written.
Most interestingly, I have found pieces scattered across several different projects that sound like they belong together. I’ve found almost two albums’ worth of music that fits together. I may have two new albums coming out sooner than I expected.
More than anything, it’s just easier to create in a clean, organized, uncluttered environment. And sometimes organizing isn’t hiding. Sometimes it’s just cleaning up.
My very best,
Philip
PS here is one interesting snippet of music I’ve discovered that I wrote seven years ago. (dropbox link)
PPS next the cabinets!