David Carr, Neil Young and the 7 Year Old
This afternoon I drove through the Santa Cruz Mountains with David Carr and Neil Young, on the way to Neil’s Broken Arrow ranch.
I’ve been mining David’s columns and this one is a favorite. I like how he molded words to animate stories and convey thoughts — and have felt them tugging at me these past two weeks.
I was cruising through his interview with Neil until he crashed in a quote from Neil’s book Waging Heavy Peace:
“Writing is very convenient, has a low expense and is a great way to pass the time,” he says in “Waging Heavy Peace.” “I highly recommend it to any old rocker who is out of cash and doesn’t know what to do next.”
The 7 year old forgets to include decimals...
Around that time, my seven year old came in. She spent a slice of the snow day making a sign to sell her pictures and handmade wooden toys. Her plan is to collect fallen branches once the snow melts, make them into toys, paint a few more pics to keep up with the envisioned demand, and then sell everything. Easy street. Just create it. That’s all it takes.
With Neil on my mind, we talked about what she wants to do — and the why fueling it.
She wants money to buy more art “stuff.”
I’m ok with the money focus. It’s what gets you that ranch, where you can create in peace, and in Neil’s case led him to “Old Man.” But… There’s more to it. Creating something isn’t enough.
If writing a book was a natural step for any “old rocker,” every one of them would have one out there — and all of the ones that are out there would be fandamntastic. But they don’t — and they aren’t.
Neil’s a creator who has spent decades crafting songs. He knows words. He knows emotions. He knows what he knows that he knows.
“I don’t think I’m going to be able to continue to mainly be a musician forever, because physically I think it’s going to take its toll on me — it’s already starting to show up here and there,” he said. Writing a book, he added, allowed him “to do what I want the way I want to do it.”
The seven-year old knows what she wants, but she’s 99 cents short of Neil’s dollar.
I suggested that we put away the “sale” sign and fine-tune the art. Right now, she’s got a room of her own to experiment. In the future, perhaps we’ll be Sunday driving out to her ranch, and someone will be mining her work as I’ve done David’s and Neil’s, inspired by the nuggets she so generously gave to others.
(If you feel like mining… Check out David’s syllabus for his “Press Play” class — and read the items on his recommended reading list. Whether your “thing” relates to words or images or … It’s good reading.)
DO THE WORK
Steve shows you the predictable Resistance points that every writer hits in a work-in-progress and then shows you how to deal with each one of these sticking points. This book shows you how to keep going with your work.
THE AUTHENTIC SWING
A short book about the writing of a first novel: for Steve, The Legend of Bagger Vance. Having failed with three earlier attempts at novels, here's how Steve finally succeeded.
NOBODY WANTS TO READ YOUR SH*T
Steve shares his "lessons learned" from the trenches of the five different writing careers—advertising, screenwriting, fiction, nonfiction, and self-help. This is tradecraft. An MFA in Writing in 197 pages.
TURNING PRO
Amateurs have amateur habits. Pros have pro habits. When we turn pro, we give up the comfortable life but we find our power. Steve answers the question, "How do we overcome Resistance?"
A 7-year old whose mom works for Steven Pressfield and who encourages her to focus on her art? What a lucky child – Resistance doesn’t stand a chance with this one! Thanks for a great Friday post Callie!
Callie,
I’m traveling, and didn’t sleep well. Never do the first night from home.
I was about to do the snooze Olympics when my phone beeped of a new email. I read this post with puffy eyes…here is how I misread your post initially:
“Around that time, my seven year itch came in…”
I laughed to myself, and decided I should get up and start the day. Thanks for the post.
bsn
Suw Charman-Anderson suggests, terrifyingly, to give your writing away until you’re famous, then transition to the dollar sign.
It’s one of those fears I know I should run toward, not from.
I know it’s not precisely your point but the tangent suited the mood I’m in, which is a reflection of the sun on the snow on the lake below my window.
Joel – What do you think of transition the size of the dollar sign rather than transitioning to the dollar sign?
In the David Carr interview with Neil Young, there’s this bit, too:
As I type this I’m realizing that “respecting the art form” was one of the points I was trying to make with my daughter. Show the art she wants to create respect by practicing/learning. After that, there’s the commerce side.
Ah, just found this marvy conversation.
Callie, the difference is not between small dollars and big dollars. The difference is between zero and anything nonzero. Have you read Chris Anderson’s Free?
If 1,000 people will read my book when it’s free, 10 would have bought it at any price, 99¢ or $9.99. Yes, there are exceptions, but they’re exceptions, not rules.
Everyone and their brother is starting out at small dollars. A million new books a year. Or more.
How many authors are prolifically writing great books and then giving every single one away?
Smaller pool, eh?
I just have to decide if I want to be one more swimmer bobbing in the deep end, or if I want to be one of 2 people standing in the wading pool.
Naked, of course, because that’s what it feels like. Gets more attention, y’know?
I’m all for giving “it” away – up to a certain point. We’ve given thousands of Steve’s books away, which in turn has meant those books have been shared with larger audiences. That one person that we send two copies of the same book will give that extra copy to a friend, and things move from there.
The part I don’t like is giving writing away for publications that rely on writing to exist. For example, even most of the major newspapers pay something to op-ed writers, even if it is a small amount. But, there are outlets that rely on the free model to populate the site with content. The writers aren’t paid, but the people on the corporate side are paid. That model isn’t one I can stomach. Sometimes the readership of such outlets makes it worthwhile, but often… Not so much…
Oh, totally. I abhor serfdom.
Free isn’t a price, it’s a strategy. I give stuff away because I’m paid in something other than dollars. But if Bob Publisher is making money off my writing, I’m making money off Bob, or Bob’s his uncle, eh?
I’m going to recommend one of my favorite books on art to you, it’s called How to become a Famous Artist and still Paint Pictures. Yes, it’s about painting, but much of the advice about being an artist will translate.
He recommends perfecting the craft of drawing/painting, painting 300 paintings, and then burning them in the street.
I promise you’ll love the book, if not, I’ll buy you lunch.
Another terrifying perspective, Michael. It’s on my to-buy list now.
All this noise is the gate creaking open. I know I’m talking myself into doing this, going all books all free all the time. I just have to ease in ’cause the pool is so cold.</strong.
Oh, hey Joel, me again.
LOL,,,,so I went to go look up that book I just recommended, it’s been a few years, and coolio, I have the number one review.
Then, in the comments, someone is giving me grammar advice….OH, that is so funny. What’s worse, I went and found out why the guy was wrong…
I will say this, my writing obviously sucked back then, reading that review hurt. Ouch.
Anyway, it’s a great book:
http://www.amazon.com/review/R3B1P14YT2HHZI/ref=cm_cr_rev_detmd_pl?ie=UTF8&asin=0595144551&cdForum=FxVEZYYHZDPSUE&cdMsgID=Mx3FEXJN6X8CG3F&cdMsgNo=2&cdPage=1&cdSort=oldest&cdThread=Tx3BOTYGLITNAKK&store=books#Mx3FEXJN6X8CG3F
If there’s a cuter “buy” button in the universe, would someone let me know?
Agreed Maureen! And, thanks Callie!
“His longtime manager and friend Elliot Roberts describes Young as “always willing to roll the dice and lose” and says: “He has no problem with failure as long as he is doing work he is happy with. Whether it ends up as a win or loss on a consumer level is not as much of an interest to him as one might think.””
Yeah, but…which came first, the market or the stands? Your daughter is brilliant and I would like to place an advance order for a piece of her branch art when it is finished. If you could let her know I would like a couple of sizes and shapes to choose from, that would be great. My PO number is #Ibuyfromeverykidscornerstand.
OMG Callie, this post brought back the best memory of our group of neighborhood girls at that same age, creating an Art Show where we all contributed stuff and a mom let us hang it on strings across the garage walls. We made signs for the neighborhood and I think we probably ended up selling back the art to each of our parents for about $1 profit per person. THOSE were the DAYS! We had snacks and music in our gallery, too. 😀
A lot of food for thought here, Callie. I read a NY times article about Carr, and saw the reading list too. A second reminder from you is a sign from the universe. Thank you.
I too have a seven year old, and the unbridled energy to create art is inspiring…there’s absolutely no Resistance. : )