My first Stage 32 blog, The Creative Mind Is A Powerful Thing, is live!
Some of my largest bodies of music were created during some of the darkest years of my life. Music gave all that noise somewhere to go.
But as my life became calmer, something unexpected happened: my creativity didn't disappear. It deepened.
So I'm curious, fellow composers: Has your best music come from chaos, calm, or a combination of both?
I'd love to hear your thoughts—and your reflections on the article!
https://www.stage32.com/blog/the-creative-mind-is-a-powerful-thing-4557
Artistry can come from both. I think of Shostakovich's output while Stalin was in power in the USSR. On the flip side, it was in the calm of Tao House that Eugene O'Neill poured out his guts on the page with "Long Day's Journey Into Night."
Wonderful article, Kat Spencer.
The music I compose during the darkest moments of my life have a distinct character to them. Not angst-filled and tortured, like one might expect, but as if they were written by a completely different person. I notice during these periods that I write with a great sense of urgency, more than I feel when composing music during the happy times.
So for me, the answer to your question is: from chaos. I can write from calm, but it doesn't usually result in my best work.