I feel like I'm all over the place, and I think it shows in this week's playlist.
Last week I was out of town for work. This week I'm home again. It's stressful being away. When things break your rhythm and your routine. Sometimes it's just as stressful returning to them, trying to get back into them. You go through all the right motions, all the right steps, you do all the right things, but you still feel a little out of it. A little disconnected. A little out of sync.
Finding the cadence you once had, is one of the hardest things. There's no quick fix. No easy solution. It's just showing up and doing the work. But sometimes it just helps to know that you're not alone. I'm going through it, and
is too.all this time
"Still Into You" - Paramore
The best thing about flying is that you're stuck in one place with nothing to do. No responsibilities beyond your overheard compartment, and the position of your tray table and seat.
I don't normally opt for in-flight entertainment. A flight, for me, is one of the most perfect times and places to read, for all the reasons above. But the plane was dark. I was tired and unfocused. It had been a long week. I looked through the music available on the touch screen bult into the back of the headrest in front of me and there was a playlist dedicated to Paramore. Welcomed traveling companions any day. I plugged my headphones in. Took out my iPad. Put down my tray table, and this piece is what happened.
stay away
"Just Pretend" - Bad Omens
This was the first collage I made after I got home. After a week of making art on my iPad, it's great to feel the texture of paper.
It's not my best work. It's nothing revolutionary. But it's a matter of stretching. Of warming up. Shaking off the dust. Getting loose. And this song that
sent me, is helping a lot too.won't let you down
"Freedom ‘90" - George Michael
In the last couple installments of the Collage Paper playlist, I've offered to take requests. I love getting recommendations for things I wouldn't otherwise be exposed to. I like having the opportunity to venture outside of my comfort zone, at least creatively speaking.
Someone heard the call and took me up on it.
asked if I'd do some George Michael and suggested a few songs of his. In all honesty, George Michael has never been on my list of favorites. But a request is a request. I appreciate a challenge, and this is what I came up with.
over me
"The First Single" - The Format
It was a rough day on my work trip when I started this. Back in my hotel room later than I wanted. Missing home. Missing normalcy. Exhausted and more than ready to leave. The one thing that makes me feel the most normal, that gets me the closest to ok, is making things. Layering images without any kind of plan, without a destination, without a goal. I found catharsis and this composition found me. I just wasn’t sure what to use it for. Until I heard this song, and then I knew. Art has always been how I "get myself over me".
about you
"Boston" - Moose Blood
Some pieces come together in an instant, with almost no effort or input from you. Others take draft after draft of meticulous changes and adjustments that become increasingly minute. And then there are pieces like these. One's that start to come together, that you think you'll finish easily, only to discover that they fight you every step of the way. You don't even want to know how many iterations there were of this one before I narrowed it down to these. As one of the first lines in this song says "I'll try to make this better but I can't promise that".
If you’d like to make a request for the next Collage Paper playlist, feel free to leave a comment.
Duane thank you!!!! I love the art and sketches before and how you shared the story of your week. Appreciate this so much!
Okay, my challenge: listen to "Vapor Trails," my favorite Rush album. Pick a song. May be harder than you think.