So I’ve had this blog for almost two years now, where I post on a whim – and on everything from American Idol recaps to introspective artist-y things. This year I wanted to post on something I think about on a regular basis so that I could blog a little less haphazardly/more consistently.
I realized that one thing I have a voracious appetite for are bits of inspiration from creatives I respect. These are usually found in the form of interviews, essays or single quotes. I usually post them on facebook or Twitter, and then they inevitably float away.
This year I’m putting them here. I’ll post old faves and new faves as I find them, and offer a little about how the bit affected me. I hope that my fellow artists and writers will enjoy these too. It’s a strange and mostly difficult path we’re on, but it can be so rewarding – and hearing others’ stories is encouraging and helps us feel less alone.
The first one I’m going to start with is this great interview with Ira Glass about his approach to storytelling.
Why I Love This: This is a great general lesson on finding your voice. It took Ira yeeaaaars to get to where he is as a master storyteller, but we all have to start somewhere, and he talks about pieces of the creative process that beginners may not know – or old pros may forget. I take a look at these vids every once in awhile as a kind of mental echinacea.
My Favorite Part: In Part 3, Ira explains that we all get into creative work because we have great taste. But in the first few years, there is big a gap between our taste and our ability. Our taste is so “killer” that we know what we’re making isn’t living up to our ambitions. Most people quit at this point. Ira explains that everyone goes through this phase and implores people to keep working in order to close the gap.
Part 1 of 4 of Ira Glass Interview:
Part 2:
Part 3:
Part 4:
Hope you enjoy the vids! Next one coming up soon 
