When I was playing music live, often; I had a hard time being fully present on stage. I thought about the audience too much and it wouldn't be until the last several songs or the encore (if their was one) that I felt fully present and like I was making great art. The good artists can be that way ALWAYS. It's not easy to not be a "bundle of concepts, identity and noise."It is to be the process – to cease to be a bundle of concepts, identity, and noise. It is very simple, but it is not a capacity that life usually encourages.
-Nearly impossible in todays culture. If you have an innate gift to create some semblance of art, you can almost guarantee that someone will try and exploit it or nurture it in a way that actually discourages it. The best thing a gifted artist can do is to create for creations sake and not ever consider material gains associated with art. That is, unless they are one of the rare artists that can disassociate cultural pressure from their creative endeavors.
Hey! Great to hear from you. Yes, I should think it is especially difficult for musicians. Art is rather like zen -- or at least that is how I approach it when I am at my best. If you are not fully engaged, you're off the path. I fail often, but at least I understand what failure is. Writing, on the other hand, is a peculiar sort of art. You have to consider your audience since you are trying to communicate with them. If I just babble things that amuse me, I'm not very interesting and I get nowhere. The effectiveness of one's writing is contingent on a deep understanding of one's audience. If I worry about my audience while painting I'll paint crap, but if I DON'T worry about my audience while writing I'll write crap. Music, maybe, is somewhere in between. Hmm. I may be drifting toward the crap side here. Probably because I'm thinking about my work schedule...