The Living Music List #18: On Creative Resistance
Or, The Metaphor of the Artist and the Jailer.
Currently listening to: I might say something stupid by Charli xcx feat. The 1975 & Jon Hopkins
Ambient The 1975 is back—any fans of the Manchester band like me know that one of their most underrated qualities is their ability to weave really gorgeous little ambient pieces sort of like this one. Of course, this isn’t entirely ambient, with Matty Healy’s vocals almost whispering over the piano and drones at first. Then, there are some really beautiful, distorted electronic elements that must be the contributions of producer Jon Hopkins. By the end of the track, there are echoes of artists like Porter Robinson with crescendoing, robotic, harmonized vocals. I’m very excited to explore the rest of this new side of Brat with so many amazing artists coming to party with Charli.
Reflection
Hello, friend.
Have you ever denied the call to be creative?
My guess is your answer will be something along the lines of a regretful yes, of course, and far too often.
The urge to act creatively is ubiquitous. We may feel a sudden desire to play, which usually means practicing an art we enjoy—painting or playing the guitar, for example. Or maybe a moment of inspiration brings a more structured project back into focus, and we realize our readiness to finish a nagging chapter in our draft novel.
These moments calling us to action should feel good—powerful, even. The artist within us is like an antsy dog scratching at the inside of the door, whimpering for us to take them for a walk. Let me out! I have things to say and feelings to share!
About as frequently as these moments might occur, however, they also trigger a different, less-than-pleasant response: resistance. Eh, maybe another time… I’d much rather watch another episode... I really should get to the dishes now… I just don’t think I have the energy at the moment.
This is not mere procrastination. It is self-imposed imprisonment driven by an innate and a common enemy to all artists—ourselves.
Author Steven Pressfield built his name on the idea of “Creative Resistance” which he coined in his 2002 self-help book The War of Art. On his website, Pressfield says:
Resistance (self-sabotage, procrastination, fear, arrogance, self-doubt) is inside you. No one inflicts it on you from outside. You bring it with you from birth.
Resistance is an objective force of nature, as immutable as gravity.
This perspective suggests that within us are, essentially, two personalities with dissonant voices: the starving artist yearning to be set free and the fearful jailer constantly inventing new locking mechanisms to keep the door shut.
While Pressfield notes the immutable nature of the jailer, the leader of our resistance, it’s important to recognize the equal power and permanence of our artist. For all the ingenuity and successes of the jailer to prevent the artist from escaping, the artist has equal opportunity to succeed in finding a new way out. This is a classic angel and devil on the shoulders situation, with the unwilling pair handcuffed together for our slice of eternity and trading wins back and forth. As everything else in life, these opposites cannot exist without each other.
Still, for some frustrating reason, the jailer appears to win more frequently. Many people go thorugh life never achieving their creative potential. Our mundane society owns significant equity in the jail, exploiting our cheap labor and restricting us with life’s logistical hurdles to squash the voice of the artist. For many people, their artist is quietly consoled from behind the door like a child being told they can go to the playground tomorrow—and tomorrow never seems to arrive.
There are, of course, some people who have found ways to shove a wedge under the door, propping it open most of the time while their artist freely comes and goes. The jailer sits inside helplessly, lacking the energy to keep inventing ways to hold the artist inside—the artist is away so often that the jailer misses most of the rare chances they have to capture them.
This is the ideal situation we all want to be in as creative beings, but getting there requires a few commitments:
Practice creativity consistently: Letting our artist out on a regular and frequent basis allows fewer opportunities for the jailer to halt their work. Make a plan to take creative action at least weekly, though daily is probably ideal. Setting deadlines and rewarding the successes of meeting them breeds habit. When creative action becomes habit, the jailer and artist come to an easier agreement about when they are allowed to take their turns.
Make time: It’s never easy to feel like we have enough free time to take creative action. The fact is, life’s responsibilities (childcare, work for financial wellbeing, etc.) take up most of our waking hours. That is why prioritizing creative action as an absolute necessity is… well, necessary. Reinforce commitment #1 by scheduling time to be open to creative action and inspiration. Clear an hour, or even a half-hour, of your daily or weekly schedule from any other mundane responsibilities and see if your artist decides to emerge during that timeslot. Eventually, with consistency as outlined in #1, you’ll probably begin to naturally dedicate more time to creative action without feeling like it is encroaching on all your other commitments.
Respect but beware the jailer: This is the most important commitment of the 3—recognize the reason the jailer exists. We cannot be active artists all the time, as much as our inner artists whine for constant attention. When the jailer is tapping their foot to ask for their turn, remember that they are often doing it to compel the artist to rest and recuperate. However, we must also remember that sometimes, resisting the jailer is necessary for the artist to achieve their goal. This does not mean just letting the artist loose, but actively questioning the jailer’s motives. Sometimes, the jailer is attempting to smother the artist for fear of what they might say. One of the artist’s primary and ultimate goals is to help their human be vulnerable. One of the jailer’s prime directives is to protect their human from themselves.
Music Recommendations + Announcements
Hello again, friend.
Thank you for reading today’s post. I hope you enjoyed the reflection—and I wish your inner artist the best of luck in getting some outside time this weekned.
Lots of great new music in store for you just below. I also am happy to announce that I’ve finally started doing something I probably should have been doing from the start of writing this newsletter: Bandcamp embeds are now included for all ambient records! That’s right—now, you’ll be able to preview each ambient recommendation right here within the letter. Hope this helps your new music discovery feel smoother and more enjoyable.
Also, I have included a reader survey at the very end of the letter, following the music recs. Please consider taking the time to respond to it, if you wish! I appreciate it.
Happy listening.
The Living Music List—Ambient
Note: All of the below ambient projects are available on Bandcamp.
Temporary Stored II by KMRU, Aho Ssan, Jessica Ekomane, & Lamin Fofana (album / experimental, musique concrète [note: having trouble categorizing this one, lots of old recordings and found sounds]) [OFNOT / Bandcamp]
Glisten by Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith (single / electronic, experimental) [College Music Records / Bandcamp]
Whisper Glyphs by Jogging House & The Lifted Index (album / drone) [Independent / Bandcamp]
Capture: Bulgaria by Andrew Vine (album / field recordings, drone) [Independent / Bandcamp]
Witchcraft by Capricorni Pneumatici (album / dark ambient, drone) [Eighth Tower Records / Bandcamp]
Two Broods by Stephen Vitiello (album / field recordings, noise) [Room40 / Bandcamp]
transmissions (voices of objects and skies) by steve roden (album / experimental, musique concrète) [Room40 / Bandcamp]
untitled 2 by Bad Sex (EP / dark ambient, noise) [Independent / Bandcamp]
apocrypha by muein (album / experimental, noise) [Independent / Bandcamp]
I Couldn’t See the Archipelago by proc (album / experimental, drone) [Independent / Bandcamp]
Suddenly It Happens by Magic Orange (EP / drone, dark ambient) [Independent / Bandcamp]
dream2 by RANDEL .the ghost. (album / ambient piano, dark ambient) [Forest Kids Collective / Bandcamp]
Ephemeris Astralis by Costélus (album / dark ambient, electronic) [Sci-Fi Electronics / Bandcamp]
The Flaw In All Things by Wereju (album / drone, dark ambient) [Indpendent / Bandcamp]
Selected Ambient Works by Mihaly Wulfen (album / drone) [Independent / Bandcamp]
Suspended by Runaway Horses (album / minimalist, drone) [Independent / Bandcamp]
The Living Music List—All Genres
Note: All of the below projects are available on major streaming services.
Skies of Gray by B. Shay (album / alternative [note: this is a new record from a friend :)])
Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat by Charli xcx & Various Artists (album / pop [note: this is a new version of Brat with alternate versions of all songs being covered by other artists, including The 1975, Jon Hopkins, Troye Sivan, Bladeee, The Japanese House, Bon Iver, and many more])
Ingo Swann by Flying Lotus (single / electronic)
CHROMA 007 STEALL by Bicep & Hammer (single / electronic)
Inhale / Exhale by RÜFÜS DU SOL (album / electronic)
Decimation Of I by Meemo Comma (album / electronic [note: this is a weird, experimental record flirting with ambient and classical]
Honey by Caribou (album / electronic)
Portrait by Samara Joy (album / jazz)
Keys To The City Volume One by Robert Glasper (album / jazz [note: features some collaborations with artists like Thundercat, Norah Jones, Yebba, and more])
Goat by Goat (album / psych rock)
Becker by SWMRS (album / indie rock)
DANSE MACABRRE: DE LUXE by Duran Duran (album / alternative [note: this is the deluxe version of a Halloween album originally released last October, including new tracks and new versions of classics like Nightboat and New Moon on Monday)
Dance Of Love by Tucker Zimmerman (album / folk [note: most songs featuring Big Thief])
B-Sides by CamelPhat (album / electronic)
SUPERCHARGED by The Offspring (album / alternative)
Sober Maal by De Mannen Broeders (album / alt folk [note: this is a really intriguing, dark folk record that also contains a few spoken word passages in German]
Absolute Elsewhere by Blood Incantation (album / metal)
Cool World by Chat Pile (album / metal)
Seven Hours After Violet by Seven Hours After Violet (album / metal [note: this is the band of System of A Down bassist Shavo Odadjian])
Cascade by Olivia Rafferty (single / singer/songwriter)
I SHOULD CALL THEM by Dua Saleh (album / pop)
No Obligation by The Linda Lindas (album / rock)
Rock Machine by La Femme (album / alternative)
i-Candy by Frankie & The Witch Fingers (single / psych rock)
GREEN LIGHT by NOISY (single / indie electronic)
Where Do I Go by Devers (single / alt singer/songwriter)
A Hint at the Future of HB&H
If you have 2 minutes, please consider responding to this brief reader survey to help me forge a new path foward for this newsletter. I deeply appreciate your time and responses and I am excited to share more news with you soon! :)
That’s all for this week’s issue. Thank you for reading. Until next time.
Your friend,
Melted Form
Remember to listen to the hum, buzz, & hiss of the world around you—there is music to be heard there.
Read the previous issue of The Living Music List:
Afterword—Let’s Get In Touch
Are you an artist, a label owner, or a member of the press? Want to share an in-depth feature of your upcoming release, an advertisement, or a guest post for a future Hum, Buzz, & Hiss issue? Get in touch with me at meltedform@gmail.com. As always, I would love to hear and recommend your music, especially if it’s new and ambient/electronic/experimental.
Also, you can keep up with me and hear more of the music I’m listening to by following me on Substack Notes. Join our community of music-loving writers and readers discussing the latest releases, old gems, and everything in between.
