3 Comments

1. Pingback: Mining the Treasure Trove of My Ideas | AriKoinuma.com

2. Lemmo says:

   Your heart is in the right place, Ari, and you’re following some pretty well said advice with this book you’ve been reading. But in this case you seem to be quantifying the qualities of professionals in an attempt to emulate them.

   In the light of professionals not tolerating chaos and disorganization, you’re going to find countless, numerous examples of the contrary. Who hasn’t heard of the talented musician who writes a song on a napkin, plays it, commits it to memory, records it, and then subsequently loses the napkin?

   There is a professionalism in doing well with creative works, that’s for certain. But I think the emphasis in this particular bit is in the wrong place. You are not unprofessional for misplacing your lyrics, and it is not what’s stopping you from being great.

   I’ve always believed that art, in whatever form, should possess a bit of the intangible, the etherial. Maybe those lyrics are gone because they weren’t the right ones, and perhaps you should search deeper. Let your muse do up another draft. That, I believe, is a step in transcendence.

   I don’t mean to get philosophical about it. I’m simply saying that losing lyrics isn’t a sign of being an amateur. It’s a lump that comes with the territory, a hurdle to clear and continue moving beyond. I think the real test of professionalism is how you handle these setbacks.

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   • Ari Koinuma says:

     Lem,
     I think some musicians are so mindblowingly talented that their brilliance can shine through, even through their lack of discipline and organization. I don’t know if I’d put myself in that camp, and I certainly don’t see any good excuse in being disorganized. It’s one thing if this was a casual hobby, but I care about this stuff.

     I do agree with you on what to do next, though — I just need to write better lyrics. I can interpret this incident as an opportunity, a blessing in disguise, as those lyrics were old and probably didn’t conform to the standards I hold today. I was digging them out to revise them anyway, plus I do remember some of the more memorable bits. So no big loss.

     Thanks for a thoughtful comment! ari

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