Crow Park
Avoiding the grim reaper of creativity, books & music to get you out a slump
Yesterday, during my lunch break at a work training day, I decided to seek out a small patch of green on Google Maps to eat my slightly limp meal deal. Upon parking myself on a bench in what can only be described as an urban oasis in Vauxhall, I looked up to see I had been encircled by the local cult of crows. With every tentative bite of my Ploughmans, they advanced until eventually I relented to their suffocating menace and stuffed it back into my rucksack. The conspicuous absence of people led me to believe that the birds were in charge here.
It occurred to me, as I sat in crow park, that this is exactly how it feels to try and create something new. The paralysis of not writing down an idea lest it be plucked from your hand and pecked to pieces by hawkish onlookers before it is even fully formed. Under the beady eye of self-doubt and presumed indifference or critique from external scavengers, honest expression cowers in the corner and makes excuses to leave. This crippling awareness of opinion is the death of creativity. A murder no less.
To combat this mental block, I have started a daily notebook. Or a no-book as I shall call it. I find that facing a blank page is less of a deficit of motivation, more a regrettable acquaintance with the crows that descend as soon as I snap the lid off my pen. Like any modern artist I am well acquainted with Julia Cameron’s legendary morning pages (The Artist’s Way - check it out!) but particular slumps mean I am frankly not vertical enough to be writing 3 whole pages without getting a little lightheaded or developing RSI.
The concept of the no-book is simple: Each day has a page and I just have to write something on it. It could be anything, for example, Monday’s offering was two words: not today. Wednesday was just a blank page and a giant cross. In trying to gut the shame from this exercise, I like to say ‘I forgive myself’ before turning to today’s page, literally turning a new leaf. You can use any nearly-empty notebook you have (I had many to choose from) and count how many days there are so you have a goal. I’m only on day 10, meaning this ranks in my top 5 most successful habits so far, and I would very much recommend to anyone out there feeling artistically constipated (apologies but alternative words just weren’t cutting the mustard).
As for writing songs, I am currently in a staring contest with my guitar. It ranges from flirtation to downright resentment but neither of us can look away. I know that I should start from the beginning when, as a virgin busker, I learnt to play Nina Simone and Beatles songs from crappy online tabs until my fingers blistered. Perhaps I feel that I am over this now but I am undeniably plodding across a plateau and my lack of new chords and rhythms, new sounds and ideas, is the reason me and my guitar haven’t made it past first base in a while. So if anyone has any recommendations for good guitar-based songs to inspire this next ascent into the songwriting clouds, I would be very grateful to hear them.
In a big “fuck you” to the crows, I am playing some very exciting live shows this Autumn which you can get tickets for here. And for anyone currently sat in Crow Park: keep eating your sandwich, they are all beak, no bark. You are in charge.
Meet you on the stage
11th October - Manchester @ The Basement (supporting Rachel Lavelle)
29th October - Sheffield @ The Dorothy Pax
11th November - Leeds @ Brudenell Social Club*
12th November - London @ Servant Jazz Quarters*
*Full Band Show
Meet you in the bookshop
Feat. books that get me out of a creative slump
Priestess of the Powder Puff Experiment - Jackie Juno
This collection of poems is the free pass you need to do away with pretentious metaphors and let your wild thoughts run weird. Poetry, in my humble opinion, too often takes itself far too seriously and everybody knows that in trying to write something profound you must first just vomit uncensored chaos onto the page. Devon legend Jackie Juno is the absolute queen of the absurd. She makes you howl with laughter whilst also making your stomach drop and your eyes leak. ooooo it’s so good, go read it now. You will want to read these to all the silly and great people you know.
The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
I’m unsure as to whether Sylvia dragged me out of a slump with her effortlessly poetic writing style or her admittance that she too suffered from the bleakest of non-consensual bed days, but it definitely woke up the word-addict inside of me. Like many people, I have never found my flow with classic literature but I have learnt that (as adorable as they are) my contemporary eyeballs simple cannot absorb typeset from the 50s against yellowing paper. Much to my dismay (aesthetically and spiritually) I require bright white pages and well spaced text so I would recommend getting a new edition of this classic and it might just get you reading. I embarrassingly found myself thinking “wow, I guess this is a classic for a reason” for the duration of the novel, it’s remarkably readable and the language and imagery is second to none. It should not be ignored that the book includes a few outwardly racist and inexcusable remarks which I refuse to blame on “the times” and should be read critically.
Meet you on the radio
Some things I have been listening to as Autumn comes to call.
Honest Mistake - Hohnen Ford
Khobs - Issam Hajali
nOtHiNg MaKeS sEnSe ToDaY - Tamzene
Listen to my weekly playlist here!
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I love the extended crow metaphor, how dare they murder your enjoyment of your lunch ! I learned to play the Guitar from the Ed Sheeran + album and would highly recommend that but Zach thinks Ed Sheeran is lame so…
The no-book is such a cool idea! I can’t think of any guitar-based songs atm (because the moment you’re asked you forget every song you’ve ever known), but if any do hit me, I’ll be sure to come back!