Like a Paintbrush to Paper

Whatever place music plays in our lives, in some capacity we draw inspiration from it. From having a bad day, to having the most incredible day of your life, there is undoubtedly a soundtrack to our experiences.

So what is making or breaking my day?  After a lengthy and trying day of work, there was nothing better to cure my ailments than Thrice's 'Vheissu' which contains the exact amount of heaviness and melody that made me want to go and throw some punches in the mosh pit; not to mention geek out and lament over the fact that Dustin Kensrue can write better melodies than I could ever think of. 

Music is always such a great way to vent how we feel. It's like the comfort food to our feelings, hopes, dreams; and also nightmares. It can get you through the most trying times, but luckily right now music is the soundtrack to a great chapter of my life.

The strangest thing about finding inspiration for writing music has been trying to translate that feeling of happiness without sounding corny and short-handed. It's always been a good way to vent a general dismay for a current situation, but what happens when artists that draw from that unhappiness inevitably become happy? Almost every one of my top artists have been known to be severely depressed, or at least are going through something that permits drawing from poor situations. It seems to create this heavy, almost crushing atmosphere in the music and art that truly translates how the said artist is feeling at the moment.

So I pose the question, does an artist have to be in a shitty situation to create some of the most memorable art? There was a recent story I read (http://www.psych.ucalgary.ca/pace/va-lab/avde-website/vangogh.html) that brought Vincent Van Gogh's life to light for me. One of the most revered painters of his time, Van Gogh was known to have suffered from depression after being rejected by the love of his life, and suffered increasingly from schizophrenia as he got older; the article leaning towards the notion that when he painted "Starry Night" he was actually painting what he saw. Elliot Smith, one of the most underrated songwriters of our time, was known to suffer from severe depression; and his music painted a picture of that beautifully; however very tragic.

Kurdt Cobain, Jim Morrison, and countless other memorable songwriters suffered from alcoholism and drug addiction with co-occuring depression symptoms.

So why; I ask, does this make for such good art? We have struggled for a long time with trying to channel our emotions and describe what we see, how we feel, and how were dealing with it. It's comforting to know that in some regard, others feel exactly how you do.

Another point is the amount of passion that goes into this fringe of songwriting. When you feel so down and out, and disparaged the amount of heart that goes into making something beautiful is exponentially increased. That paintbrush becomes something more than a paintbrush, those guitar strings also become something much more than steel tuned to EADGBE. They become a an extension of self, an extension of your own eyes into a canvas or into an amp and microphone. For many this can be the ultimate therapy, a complete window into one's soul that can not quite be described but incredibly understood. It's amazing to me to listen to these people speak about their art and how they don't think much of it, it just being something they do on an everyday basis.

To liken music to life in general, out of tragedy and despair often comes the best part of living; or in this case songs. Is it fun? No. But does it pay off? Absolutely. I wouldn't trade any of my bad experiences for an easy life, and I hope none of the amazing artists that created so many amazing things we appreciate today would either. Inspiration can come from the strangest things, but the strangest things can be the best.