I don't know where my ideas come from (musical or otherwise), but what drives me to work on them is the possibilty of testing them and seeing what comes out of it. And you quickly find out that often unpredictable and interesting things happen in the process, which is almost like buying candy with a surprise toy hidden inside of it.

It's an obsessive impulse, same as (in my case) eating, or buying records, or browsing the internet.

One thing that is usually the norm for me is that I'm rarely motivated by working on anything at all by myself. I almost always need other people involved, which I don't quite get, since I'm hardly a very social / sociable person in most instances.

I'm gonna say hardship because I'm an ass and the only hardship that I've ever endured has been hardship that I've brought upon myself. Essentially, I'm a spoiled bastard who likes to think that i carry the weight of the world on my shoulders every time I pick my nose.

russ wrote:I think the motive behind my curiousness is that it's pretty easy to have a creative "moment" with yourself, but what do you do with it?

Me, I usually throw the Kleenex away.

russ wrote:But when it really comes down to the grit and gristle of it, what is it that really gets you off your ass, and almost literally forces you to create a coherant piece of art?

I think discipline is the determining factor. It's the one thing that guarantees you'll actually produce something, rather than merely having a head full of great ideas.

As for the creative process and the question of why some people feel compelled to make art, there are plenty of philosopher-types who've spilled much ink over the topic, and in ways far more cogent and elegant than I could do here.

One possible motivation that keeps popping up, though, is the fear of death; leaving nothing behind means you were never here, that sort of thing. You could say it's the same impulse that prods uncreative types to have children.

I remember Studs Terkel once noted a phenomenon among factory workers, in which they would leave their initials or tool marks on assembly line pieces in a sad attempt to literally make their mark on the world.

Then again, it may all come down to eating pussy.

I think it's the sense of accomplishment when it's all said and done, which can nicely encompass the knowledge that you've now added something to the world instead of taking something away. And with that, the idea that you've made an impact or a statement saying "I was here". Overall, it's the work, though.

i put 'other' to represent - "continuing, ever burning spite".

As far as writing music goes, the main thing for me is to create the most wicked song I could possibly think of. Rarely is it for me that I'll get inspired by love/sex/drugs/politics/boredom/anger/other and sit down and say "Okay! Now I will write a song inspired by this subject." I've tried to write songs like that, and more often than not, they are complete toilet.

More often I'll be taking a shower and a bad-ass drum beat/guitar riff/melody/lyric will pop into my head, and I'll decide while I'm powdering my balls that I'll have to do something with that totally killer bass line I just thought of. Then, for several hours/days/weeks/months/years, I'll sit in my room, often accompanied by several instruments or a four-track, and try to come up with some more complementary parts, and try to hack together a finished product.

For me, at least, creating something is just so much problem solving. It's like doing a crossword puzzle. With a totally killer bassline.

Love, multi-faceted

Love for a fine lady
Love for a fine family, and good friends
Love for music
Love of and for creation
Love of accomplishment
Love of time, which turns failure into education
Love of experience
Physical love
Intellectual love
Spiritual love

and the most important of all:

Self-love