December Was the Listening. January Is the Writing.
In December, leading up to this January writing month, I listened to so much music. I was still writing maybe one thing weekly, but mostly I was listening—tons of folk, tons of Bob Dylan, very rootsy stuff. I was playing a lot of guitar too, trying to learn traditional techniques. All of that was cooking in the background with my gigs and DJ gigs and regular life.
Then January hit, it became writing season, and I just naturally stopped listening to music. Some of it was conscious, but I think most of it was subconscious. It feels like all that listening was preparing me for writing. I was also listening to music that’s basically the opposite of what I’m making, and I think that contrast has helped the writing feel interesting and varied. It’s not coming from the same place as last January or the January before that.
If I had to pin it down, I’d say this is the subconscious at work. I feel plugged in. Instead of listening, I’m reading a lot. I’ve been on podcasts more than I usually am. I’d still like to listen to less, but I’m reading things like The Iliad and Lord of the Rings. I finished a Dan Brown book too—you’ve gotta make room for it. You can’t live on classics only, and honestly even that was good.
Somehow I’ve gotten into the flow—trusting it, abiding in it, and believing I’m going to be taken care of if I’m doing the right work. It feels like the music is coming from another place, and I think it’s because of the work I did in December. Pretty wild to look back on. Not a crazy journey, just a journey—like going down a river. Super enjoyable too.
Hope you guys are enjoying the music. Here’s the playlist of my favorites from the month so far.