*show announcement* / on creativity

listen to my cover of The Beach Boys’ “Don’t Worry Baby”—submitted for a DIY label’s compilation album. full project to be released soon.

well, first, business. the full band is back in november, coalescing from literally across the globe to bring you our unique blend of avant-garde folk.

I say “literally” because drummer Edu Gregory has recently returned to the land of caipirinhas and COP30 for a spell, rocking out in a Jorge Ben Jor tribute act. but he will be de volta next month in just enough time to deliver some more great music right to your eardrums.

the show is free and kicks off at 8 pm sharp on November 16 at the legendary Pete’s Candy Store right off McCarren Park. add it to your calendar here.

a quick update on the album—it is progressing in earnest.

ha! that means no major updates, but I can assure you that it is indeed progressing, with attention dedicated to recording the drum tracks that will serve as the foundation for the project. the power and belief of the music come from the drums so getting them right is a critical, albeit precise, task.

but I love you people so I don’t want to leave you empty handed. linked below is the final acoustic guitar take for what is possibly the most vulnerable song on the album. it’s one I wrote back in 2019 in the throes of an anxious bout: an ode to that which cannot be captured but only held for a minute or two.

it also exemplifies one of the largest challenges I face in recording this album in my apartment, which is one I’ve chosen to embrace: street noise.

listen here.

some of you have noted there are strict capitalization guidelines to these emails. you are correct. the rule is to only capitalize the things that need to be capitalized.

finally, I wanted to take some time to talk to you, cherished reader, person to person.

nothing brings me greater joy in this world than the creative process; even right now, typing word after word out on this formerly blank newsletter template, I get an indescribable rush of energy and emotion.

it’s empowering, because the effect transcends mediums. I feel like I can apply creativity to any aspect of my life, and the more I do so, the more I benefit. it’s an immensely positive cycle that leads to growth, learning, and fulfillment.

I establish this because in spite of this personal experience, I perceive a distinct lack of creativity in the decision-making of a significant number of folks I come into contact with.

what I mean when I say this is that I find myself observing people (not you, dear reader, but people) systematically making decisions that don’t support and in fact obscure their long-term happiness. modeling their behavior on individuals who don’t have anyone’s best interest at heart. doing the opposite of thinking creatively, if you will.

that may sound judgmental, but I don’t mean it as such. creativity requires applied attention, and in the past two decades, attention has been commoditized to an unprecedented degree.

huge economic interests have invested in distracting and disillusioning people to the best of their abilities, only to then offer solutions to problems that didn’t priorly exist. in some senses, it’s the hardest thing in the world right now to think for yourself.

in my professional field, marketers are constantly demanding the attention of others—folks they have never met—to serve self-centered motivations. selling a product? arguing for some moral end? who does that benefit? time, your most valuable resource, is being syphoned away by anyone that took a consumer behavior class in undergrad and can half-stumble their way around the back end of an ad platform.

my intent is not to paint a dystopian picture. there is good in the world, and part of the theory underpinning my career is that these tools can be used for the benefit of humanity if employed correctly.

but I also think it’s fair to say that it’s more difficult than ever to intentionally direct your attention to the areas that could bring you most fulfillment in the long run.

I even struggle with this daily in my job, which has taught me quite a bit and been eminently rewarding for me. I would love to spend all my time noodling around on the guitar, but I can’t. I have to make sacrifices, there and elsewhere, and I’m not always sure they’re the correct ones.

so I write songs about how that makes me feel. “Julia”—about how falling in love with someone who is bad news for you has significant negative side effects. “Laundry Day”—about how if I’m even just a day late on my chores I feel like my world is falling apart.

and when I go out and play these songs for others, I regain some shred of control over my emotions and it helps me bring balance back to my life.

music allows me to understand the value of my sacrifices and gives me motivation and discipline to go out and repeat the process. because at the end of the day, I’d rather commit to something I believe in that turns out poorly than not commit at all.

and that’s what creativity is to me: trying. generating effort where none existed prior. if you like to be challenged, I challenge you to cherish the opportunities to create that are already present in your life, and to perpetuate and expand them. you may just cause a ripple effect and allow others to model their behavior after yours.

and if you don’t like to be challenged, I appreciate you for reading this far.

“there is one rule in the garden above all others. you must give to nature more than you take.“ –Alan Chadwick