Quietly Inspired
Some Words On Why I Write
Introduction
As I am writing this I am waiting for a work meeting. The room is quiet. Because of the impending meetin I have no music playing. Much of my job is creating systems and running jobs and waiting for them to produce their output and while that is going I can listen to music. The albums so far this morning (it is not yet nine o' clock) are Chiswick Chartbusters. "Sheer Heart Attack" by Queen and "Voyage" by Abba. The opening song on the latter inspired me to a villanelle, and I find listening to the whole album inspriational.
The Quiet
While we sometimes need quiet, I do myself sometimes, but on days like today I find the quiet almost oppressive. Having music playing opens up the soundscape in my workroom and really does provide me with inspiration.
Sometimes quiet provides you with calm, but sometimes it gives me a feeling of emptiness.
I will wander eound my house and feel that there should be some sounds, be it radio, television or msuic on one of my players. People talking can be inspirational. I wrote a story called "The Grey Quiet" which referred to this situation sort of.
The Sound and Inspiration
I do listen to a lot of music while I work and create and it sometimes shocks me how much I do listen to, and how in my creations I see the influence of what I have been listening to.
Sometimes this surfaces simply as Vocal Playlist, sometimes a line from a song will give me a starting off point for a poem. Again a few words or an image from a television program or a film will be enough to start me off on a piece of fiction or an article.
Vocal Challenges are another form of prompt for me. I know I moan about never placing in a Vocal Challenge, but the reality is that I am very successful on Vocal (though often my insecurities make me feel as though I am not) but with twelve hundred stories and not even a Challenge place makes me feel like a bit of a failure.
This is a little like Terry Pratchett who complained he did not win various awards, but he was a ludicrously successful author and an intelligent and caring human being. The only book of his that I enjoyed was "Mort" but I do enjoy the TV adaptations of many of his books. I feel the same about Stephen King, love the guy, love the screen adaptations of his work, but can't be doing with most of his books.
These prompts however also need contact with people that inspire me to come to fruition and I find it a bit strange that contact with friends can generate so many creations when added to those prompts. I am glad this happens for me but I can see that the sheer volume of creations can sometimes overwhelm parts of my audience, but I have said before, just read things that look interesting to you and ignore the rest. My audience owe me nothing. I am grateful to them for reading what I produce.
As I write this I am listening to a take on Pink Floyd's "Another Brick In The Wall" by Carter (The Unstoppable Sex Machine) from the NME "Ruby Trax" compilation released to raise money for the Spastics Society (now known as Scope). Slowed down and ponderous and followed by Blur's take on Rod Stewart's "Maggie May"
Conclusion
Thank you for reading this, just a drop of how I am inspired and create things.
This is a link to Scope
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Comments (6)
Good article, Mike. Well done.
❤️
This is a great reflection on the author's writing process and what inspires them. The use of personal anecdotes and examples really adds depth and meaning to the piece. The author's appreciation of music as a source of inspiration and how it influences their creative work is especially interesting. The author's honesty and vulnerability in admitting their insecurities and their gratitude towards their audience is admirable. Overall, it's a well-written and thoughtful piece that sheds light on the creative process and what drives writers to create. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Mike Singleton - Mikeydred!
I on the othet hand, cannot listen to music while I'm working on anything because I cannot multitask and thus makes me very overwhelmed. It's so fascinating how different we are!
Very thoughtful, Mike. I'm different--I need quiet and visual "blankness". My floor is white, walls are soft gray and I'm facing a window overlooking the snow- covered back yard. No music or sound--I find it distracting.
Very relatable, They say in heaven Angels are singing 24 /7 . I felt the quiet in this piece . You stories are like puzzles of you. You are always an inspiration.🥳🥰