“Why fit in when you were born to stand out?” — Dr. Suess
inspiration
Making Something Your Own
Different artists can interpret the same piece of work in vastly different ways. Say for instance Bette Midler’s fabulous torch song version of “Do You Want to Dance” (featured in my show How to Draw a Nekkid Man, formerly I Will Be Good) versus the Beach Boys original upbeat dance version. Or The Beatles version of “Till There Was You” versus the Broadway version sung by Barbara Cook and the film version sung by Shirley Jones (before The Partridge Family) written by Meredith Willson for The Music Man (which, by the way, he wrote at 55).
Making Space for the Muse
A couple of weeks ago, I was sitting at my computer, writing fitfully. I felt extremely uncomfortable, even claustrophobic. I looked around and realized that although my studio is 1,300 square feet, I was working in an area about 2 feet by 4 feet. Why? Because every other inch of space was filled with — how can I say this delicately? — every inch was filled with crap.
A Courageous State of Mind
A current freshman at my alma mater, Vanderbilt University, recently attended a campus talk by Billy Joel. Turns out, the freshman, Michael Pollack, like his idol Billy Joel, is also a pianist from Long Island. During the Q&A, the freshman asked Joel if he could accompany him in his favorite Billy Joel song, “A New York State of Mind.” Billy Joel said okay. The rest is magical.
Quote of the Week for March 11
“Life is short, art long, opportunity fleeting, experience treacherous, judgement difficult.” — Hippocrates