The Search for Inspiration

As I’ve mentioned a couple of times before, I’m working on a major project right now.  I’ll tell you about it when there’s more to tell.  It’s one of those things where I can’t handle but so many questions about it until I know it’s fully off the ground and out of the embryonic stages.
But it’s also one of those sorts of projects that just lights me up.  It’s been a while since work has truly excited me, and I’m on Christmas tree about this one.  I think about it on road trips, talk about it all the time, and am doing the sort of busy grunt work I absolutely hate doing as an adult.  The only thing–it doesn’t bother me a lick.  I just wish I could do the grunt stuff faster so I could get to the fun part.  That’s my only complaint.
Moving on, I got caught in a situation recently where my Airport Express, the device that lets me play from iTunes through my home stereo, was seriously misbehaving.  In reality, some moron that lives at my house–I live alone–managed to accidentally turn the receiver from digital mode to analog, meaning what ha-happened was that I silenced my own music.  I am a genius.
That hurt because I don’t listen to music off laptop speakers unless there’s no other alternative.  That’s like thumbing yourself in the eye and then going to the Louvre.  Just doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.
But, at times, I write better to music.  More accurately, I write well to music that either inspires or sets the mood.  Some stuff that people study to doesn’t work for writing, at least not for me, because I need the inspirational component.  I need something that’ll get me moving to that point where I can’t believe how fast I’m typing.  Something like that, something that drives.  And, of course, something that’s incredibly well-written.
On a flight a few weeks ago, I was reading a book I absolutley had to knock out on that trip.  I didn’t have time to dilly on it, because flights are one of the few times I can sit still enough to finish a book.  For some reason, I decided to give the Counting Crows “Recovering the Satellites” a run.
For years, I’d contended this was the most overrated of the Crows’ records.  Didnt do it for me, I said.
In retrospect, I had no idea what I was talking about.  There are few albums better written, few songs more moving than “I’m Not Sleeping,” few as close to perfect as “A Long December,” few as…just good as “Another Horsedreamer’s Blues.”
It is the official “Gotta Get it Done” record if the Palatial Bomaniland Estate from here until the project’s done.  It’s not exclusive, mind you, but this is gonna come through in the clutch.
And as I listen to “Daylight Fading,” I can’t believe how fast I’m typing.  This is where it’s at.
In a related note.  I’m not sure I told this story, but this is one of my favorites from writing…
My man Matt Jones with the Sports Mob on ESPN Louisville–check Kentucky Sports Radio on the blogroll–called me to check if I would do my usual weekly spot on their show.  I said yes.  A few hours later, he asks if they can push me back.  Couldnt’ do it that day.
Turns out they saw Adam Duritz walking the streets of Louisville and had him on the show.  He had a show that night in the ‘Ville, and they picked him off the street.  Well, I told Matt to let Adam know that he’s one of his favorite writers.  Which he is.  The gift for metaphor, the ability to quasi-coherently express those morose emotions, and the amazing quality to sing and sound like he doesn’t really give a damn who’s listening, all that does it for me.  He’s got it.
So he tells Adam that.  Adam’s response?
“Oh yeah, I read him.  I like his stuff.”
I coulda died that day.  That there’s as huge a compliment as I’ve received in the last 4 years.  Still second to the greatest–at least second–but wayyyy up there.