Maturity in Work

James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem is literally a man among boys. Being a mature, seasoned 40-year-old making dance-punk music typically dominated by youngsters leads to certain interesting insights into how to approach the work. Murphy’s got a keen sense of awareness about what goes on around him and it’s delightful when that surfaces in his lyrics. Sometimes it shows up in his blog too. Particularly interesting to me is this post written while writing and recording his newest album, which comes out in a few weeks. (Which is a very good album, mind you. Maybe my favorite.)

making a record is strange. last time i made a record i had a pretty brutal and miserable experience. then i made something that wasn’t the record, went back to said record, and had a great experience. it all worked out. this time i’m having a pretty great experience. i like the record more, but have no idea if that means it’s better or anything. it’s just more fun. the shitty full-days of lying on the floor stuck in my own head about things has been pushed back into hours, or only one hour, here and there. i also get to swim in the morning, and do things like that. which is good. which makes the record better, i think. because now when i’m not actually working on the record, i’m doing something i like and that occupies my mind, rather than sitting in a room with my head in my hands wondering if i still know how to make music.

I’ve been there. Actually, a lot of nights the past 6 months have been spent lying on the floor face up wondering if I still know how to do this. And it seems doing too much of the work usually leads to wondering if you even know how to do it. I love making lots of things, but it’s worth realizing that there are two paces for creating work: one that is healthy and nourishing, and one that untenable. Murphy continues:

tomorrow i’ll wake up early, do a little jiu jitsu stuff, swim, shower, get into my making-a-record outfit, eat an avocado and a hard boiled egg, make an amazing coffee, and get to work on a new song.

So much here about how the work gets done. First, the concept of negative space with time and allowing oneself to not feel bad about doing things other than the work. Second, waking up early, third, the sense of a routine, and fourth the idea of a uniform. And, most importantly, I’d say the larger practice of not being too hard on oneself. The creative work is supposed to help us live more fully and feel more alive, not suck the daylights out of us, especially if it is self-initiated.

i have a good feeling about tomorrow, frankly. and i’m also terrified that i’ll never make anything good again.

Me too, James. Me too…