So if we are to produce fine citizens (us who are parents, us who are tending) we need to keep each other safe and as solid as possible. Which means much consistency, steadfastness. But then who will be us, the us who out of some childhood-shaped haunted landscape cannot shake loose of a need to express (what?) we need to express. The thing that makes art happen is what we do not wish upon our children. (Except of course, awe.)
If we are to catch fire, it is because we were once cold. If we keep each other warm, we will likely never catch fire.
(this here from Tom Waits, on making art while in the lap of comfort) I don’t think comfort is good for music. It’s good to come out with skinned knuckles after wrestling with something you can’t see. I like it when you come home at the end of the day from recording and someone says, “What happened to your hand?” And you don’t even know. When you’re in that place, you can dance on a broken ankle.
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