Like water around. 




I always told myself that when I got rich, I would build a studio and fill it with the creative toys necessary to make music, movies, photography or art. Then I would throw the doors open to anyone who wanted to learn but could not afford it. Back then, the only tools were in big studios. I worked for free just to be around people who made records. I borrowed gear from friends when they weren't using it. I was a teacher's assistant so I could get keys to the school studios. I would start editing at midnight in video edit bays after everyone had gone home. I got used to going home when the sun came up many times. It was the only way to learn. You had to want it.

I never got to build that compound, but thanks to the miracles of modern technology, my dream has come true. The tools are affordable to almost everyone. Take this piece of software for example. It's a bunch of cool music tools that we used to pay a lot of money for. Back in the day it was probably $10,000 worth of stuff. Most of it looks very familiar to me, I would borrow the individual pieces from different people and wire them up just like this and happily make bleeps and bloops till it all had to go back to it's respective owners. Now you can do it in software. At home. I'm assuming if you are reading this you have a computer, so it's available to you. Here's the best part. It's free.

http://www.hobnox.com/index.1056.en.html

Obviously not everything is free, but nonetheless, if you can afford a computer, almost everything is available. Computers can be had for less than $500. Digital cameras, going for less than $250 used, Video cameras coming in at $150 for used flip cams. Guitars to be found used for under $100. Almost anyone with a summer job can take a shot at a dream now. You might have to flip some burgers to get there, but for about a summer of mowing lawns you can be the next spielberg or rick rubin. It's up to you. In addition to all this cool low cost creative stuff, there's lessons for just about anything on the internet. You don't even have to take your bike to the library anymore. (still a good resource though). Whatever it is, someone, somewhere on the internet has a video showing how it's done. I'm learning blender right now, thanks in no small part to internet tutorials. Blender lets you do 3d modeling and it's free too. There's also gimp which is free and similar to photoshop. In the last 5 years or so you've seen me learn photography and videography and it's mostly been from gleaning the internet. I haven't had a class since college which was a long time ago. We taught ourselves wireflying. And of course we posted a video about how we did it. Hopefully someone won't kill themselves trying to learn it now...

The tools are available to you, the instruction is available to you and when you are done creating, the whole world can see it now.

What a unique time in history we are in. I had lunch with a very cool guy who said "we are looking at the renaissance again" and I totally agree with that. Thousands of kids with no adults to tell them that it shouldn't be done that way. The revolution starts now. Look around, you are the revolution.

Now, the only thing holding you back is you. Be like water. When you reach an obstacle. Go around. If you have the tiniest crack, water will find a way in. Water cannot be stopped and wears down even stone over time. Start with the belief that it can be done. If you believe, you can find the will. The will is the most valuable asset you have. If you lack the will than take a cue from personal trainers and set yourself up to win. Start something with a buddy who will keep you going. Or hire someone to show up and listen to you play music every day. Trade accountability for something they want to do. If you can't do it alone, find people to make music with. If you can't find people in your town, then find people on the internet. Gocher who is my other half in ThumpMonks lives in New Jersey. I've seen him once in the last 5 years but he's worked on almost every record I've done in that time. If you want to be a professional ice skater and you live in Africa, you might have a problem, but almost everything else is solvable.

Let nothing stand in your way. Dream, learn, practice and express yourself through your dream. Don't be proud of how cool the songs on your ipod are. Be proud of the music you make. Living in an expensive vibey loft does not make you vibey. You are buying other people's vibe and hoping to associate yourself with it. Make your own art. Express your own creativity. Cook, customize motorcycles, make records, movies, whatever it is, do it. Define yourself not by what you consume, but by what you create.

If you are getting angry right now, ask yourself, why you would be angry with someone who is telling you to go for your wildest dream.


'I bring the pure flow, like water around, the rocks of life won't pull me down....' - from the song pure by superchick. 

Posted: Wed - March 10, 2010 at 12:01 AM          

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