Even though this is framed around music, it clicked immediately for writing. I’ve caught myself shaping pieces around “what kind of story is this?” instead of staying with the question that got me started. The idea that labels only show up after the fact really stuck with me and yet I forget that every time. This made me want to follow the obsession a little longer and stop naming things before they’ve finished becoming themselves. Another helpful and enjoyable read Idris Elijah!
This felt really freeing to read. I’m so quick to explain my work before it’s even done (style, influences, where it fits) when none of that exists while I’m actually painting. It’s just color, tension, repetition, mood. This helped me see that the explaining is something that comes after, not during. I want to let the work stack up for a while before I try to define it. Thank you Idris Elijah for naming something I’ve felt for a long time but couldn’t quite say!
This hit a nerve in a good way. I feel that pull every time I finish something. My brain jumps straight to how it’ll be labeled instead of sitting with whether it’s actually honest. Reading this made me notice how often I start editing after the feeling shows up, just to make the thing easier to place. I want to try letting the song exist a little longer before I start negotiating with it. Thanks Idris Elijah for the reminder that patterns reveal themselves over time….You don’t get them by planning them into existence!
As someone who isn’t making music right now but loves it deeply this really clarified why certain artists stick with me for life. When I think about Adele, Sinatra or Sade, none of their best work feels like it was designed to “fit” anything. It feels chosen, specific and even a little stubborn. You can hear the personality, the restraint and the places where they didn’t smooth the edges to be easier. That’s the music I keep coming back to years later. This made me see how often chasing fit actually sands away the tension that makes something worth returning to in the first place. Thank you Idris for another enlightening newsletter that makes me think in a different way!
Even though this is framed around music, it clicked immediately for writing. I’ve caught myself shaping pieces around “what kind of story is this?” instead of staying with the question that got me started. The idea that labels only show up after the fact really stuck with me and yet I forget that every time. This made me want to follow the obsession a little longer and stop naming things before they’ve finished becoming themselves. Another helpful and enjoyable read Idris Elijah!
This felt really freeing to read. I’m so quick to explain my work before it’s even done (style, influences, where it fits) when none of that exists while I’m actually painting. It’s just color, tension, repetition, mood. This helped me see that the explaining is something that comes after, not during. I want to let the work stack up for a while before I try to define it. Thank you Idris Elijah for naming something I’ve felt for a long time but couldn’t quite say!
This hit a nerve in a good way. I feel that pull every time I finish something. My brain jumps straight to how it’ll be labeled instead of sitting with whether it’s actually honest. Reading this made me notice how often I start editing after the feeling shows up, just to make the thing easier to place. I want to try letting the song exist a little longer before I start negotiating with it. Thanks Idris Elijah for the reminder that patterns reveal themselves over time….You don’t get them by planning them into existence!
As someone who isn’t making music right now but loves it deeply this really clarified why certain artists stick with me for life. When I think about Adele, Sinatra or Sade, none of their best work feels like it was designed to “fit” anything. It feels chosen, specific and even a little stubborn. You can hear the personality, the restraint and the places where they didn’t smooth the edges to be easier. That’s the music I keep coming back to years later. This made me see how often chasing fit actually sands away the tension that makes something worth returning to in the first place. Thank you Idris for another enlightening newsletter that makes me think in a different way!