A Comment on What’s to Come:
This post is based on a conversation I had with the musical genius (and friend) who I have on speed dial. It’s about creating online, especially when you’ve already been making things. I will give a little background about Alonzo, show you my notes on the conversation, and shake your hand at the door as we say goodbye. Hope you enjoy it!
The Background:
On August 22nd of 2020, I called up my friend Alonzo Demetrius Ryan. It was a conversation between two people trying to find happiness in a creative process with somewhat limited resources. Both of us were having this chat from small rooms based next to, or right in the middle of major cities, with not much else but some mics and a Macbook. He was in a basement 20 minutes outside of New York, and I was posted up on my futon bed in the middle of Philly. We talked about creativity, life after college, and the constantly changing nature of what it means to be doing creative work.
Alonzo is a trumpet player, producer, singer, and general music nerd. At the time of the conversation, he has freshly graduated from Berklee School of Music with a Master’s Degree, had a new pair of studs in his ears, with a couple albums under his belt. Since this conversation, he toured all around the world, played with amazing artists and groups, and has even been on tv.
He’s this guy who is living music and had been doing so more intensely than most people can, for 6 years (if not his entire life). So when you get to talk to him about his thoughts on making music, you take notes. These are my notes.
The Notes:
- Post rambles and pieces online
- Monetize the process!
- Normalize unfinished projects and process
- Perfection is a bust
- Put out small ideas in abundance
- The practice of creating becomes easier
- The master-student dynamic is stupid. The difference is time
- You find your best self, you aren’t made into it.
- making is practice! Monetizable practice!
- Just get the ideas out.
- Get a Patreon and put out stuff
- People are perfectionists because up until the last decade gatekeepers with the money were demanding a specific thing. The people are in power now, and that control should be used regularly.( there 16-18 year olds who are doing this all the time!)
- Over trying instead of appreciating the process is not nice.
- What are we waiting for?
My Goodbyes:
I have talked about my friend, showed you my notes, and now I will metaphorically shake your hand and say my goodbyes (as promised).
I’d like to say before you leave, that these points aren’t always going to be applicable to everyone who is reading this. The importance of creating a practice that is sustainable and achievable for everyone (or at least most) is something that Alonzo and myself care about.
So while you might not agree with all of these points at the current intersection of your life and creative practice, I hope something stood out to you. If it did, I’m very happy to hear. Thank you for reading this.
Kai Kiernan 