Ira Glass talks about the Creative Process

This video made me think about several things in my life.

It all seems to come back to the 10,000 hour concept.

it takes roughly ten thousand hours of practice to achieve mastery in a field

In my music life, I’ve always had a clear idea of the kind of sound I want to produce, and the kind of music I want to make.

Early on, before I was competent on my instruments, the music I made never seemed to bring out the same excitement in other people as I felt when listening to my favorite music.

For the first couple years that you are making stuff, it really isn’t that good. But your taste, your taste is still killer!

Was the music I was making really bad or not creative enough? No, but it wasn’t that good, I was still learning and I will forever be learning and growing as an artist.

Now though, when we perform for a crowd of others, I am beginning to see that excitement in other people. The responses after songs and shows is an undeniable joy that we are bringing to other people.

I also feel it myself when we really lock in during a song, or when I listen back to something we’ve recorded(which is a whole other 10,000 hour process to master).

It’s been close to 20 years since I first picked up the guitar and started writing songs, and I’m just starting to get the hang of it.

Hopefully I can last another 20 years!