Followers: 352 I Am: A Woman Interested In: Men Location: your heart Language(s): English

### Please share! * Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Share on X (Opens in new window) X * I need to take time off from the routine. When I lived in Scotland, we called this a holiday. ## Vacation or Holiday I like that word. Here in the USA, this is called a vacation. I guess there’s a sense in which I want to “vacate” my typical schedule. But I really appreciate the intention of the word holiday. For one thing, it notes the sacredness of taking time off. It literally is a “holy day“. But the danger is that one “day” may not be enough. It’s likely that you or I will need a week or perhaps even more to hit a full reset button. Do you need a vacation? Click To Tweet ## With Intention As I’ve been pondering how to take time away from it _all_ , I realized that one of the things I need to take a (short) holiday from is blogging. So, I’m going to take a week or two off from these regular, Tuesday morning posts. I hope you’ll come back when I return to these pages in a couple of weeks. I’m always curious, so I’ll want to come back here and ask you more questions. Thanks for sticking around! And I do hope you’ll look for a time to take your holiday. _Bon voyage!_ ### Please share! * Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Share on X (Opens in new window) X * ### Like this: Like Loading… ### _More for you_ * * * ### Discover more from Stan Stewart - @muz4now Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email. Type your email… Subscribe

Stan Stewart - @muz4now

### Please share! * Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Share on X (Opens in new window) X * “elements” is the album with four composers and four tracks — fire, earth, air, and water. Here’s the rundown. ## The Composition Lead-Up Many reading this have been following along, but here is what’s come so far from me in the lead-up to “elements”. I’m really excited about this album! ### The Creative Process Here are some of my reflections on the creative process for my part of this album. Check them out, please. Creative Insights ### Voices of the Earth – #inspiration #hope Read More ### Elements Vary With Our Culture – Wood and Metal ### Pondering Earth ### Collaborating Takes Many Forms – #LiveMusic #Recording ### The Detour From the Album The first piece I wrote in this process did not match my intentions. I released it, but did not submit it for the more elegant and beautiful collaborative album. Creative Insights ### Nothing Lacking – Nothing Wasted ### Sometimes Making Music Ain’t Easy ### Injustice: Prologue to Earth #NowPlaying ### My Spouse Said She’d Turn This Track OFF ## The Album Rundown On November 6, the album will go on pre-sale. You should be able to see that on the Monochrome Motif site (Bandcamp). Then, on the 16th, we’ll have a live listening party. Hope you’ll join us for that! Next up, the digital and vinyl versions will go on sale November 20th. Sometime next year (2027), these beautiful compositions will also be on streaming radios like Tidal and Apple Music. But we really hope you’ll cherish this amazing collaboration as something that you can listen to as a whole. The composers (besides me) include John M Davis, Purple Rhapsody, and Edward Givens. Cover art is by Chris Tweed. And the release is coming from Monochrome Motif which is run by Andrew Hartshorn. * * * The photo of the dancer used at the top of this post was captured by Prashant Mevada and obtained via Pexels. ### Please share! * Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Share on X (Opens in new window) X * ### Like this: Like Loading… ### _More for you_ * * * ### Discover more from Stan Stewart - @muz4now Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email. Type your email… Subscribe

The album "elements" will be released incrementally. Get the full set of dates and read about the creative process here.

### Please share! * Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Share on X (Opens in new window) X * > “This is the short and the long of it…” ~ William Shakespeare One thing that I’ve noticed about my own creative process is that the time to create something can vary widely. What I mean by that is simply that some processes take years (or even decades) and others can be quite brief. I’ve observed similar contrasts in the artistic work of many of my friends. Many artists have a long creative process. Click To Tweet ## Long Creative Process In improv circles, there is an approach to improvised theatre that’s usually called “longform”. It got this name from its comparative long process in contrast to the (almost always) comedic shortform. Typically, the characters in longform allow the improvisation to unfold using basic agreements (notably, “Yes and…“) and plot development. Thought it does not usually aim for getting the laugh, it does because it looks so much like life. That’s the way creativity is: it’s like life. Some inspirations develop over a (relatively) long period of time. There are many ways to create art. Some take time. Click To Tweet ## Dream This One example of this longer process in my creative work was the album “Dream This“. Not only did the album take me almost three years to arrange and record, it also contains songs from every decade of my life since high school. Oddly, I had not released recordings of any of the eleven songs (12 tracks) until I was in the process of creating this album. Because I enjoy arranging songs, each of the tracks also had multiple recordings (with completely different arrangements). Typically, there was a studio version with many layers and stacks of vocal harmonies. The other version was usually a live version with more simple instrumentation and stripped down singing. As you can imagine, doing things this way meant that each song took a considerable amount of time and effort to record. ## Everything In The Open My release process during “Dream This” left nothing to the imagination of you: the listener. I shared the songs as I finished the recordings. Each one came with the story of how it was inspired and the backdrop of my life at the time it was written. In addition to the story of each song, I shared some of the pitfalls I encountered in the album creation and release process. Thinking back on all of this can be tricky since it’s an _inside job_. Obviously, there were lots of joys that were part of this long creative process as well. Every time a track came out just the way I imagined it or a vocal take was spot on, it was time for a celebration. There’s really no need to go back over the details of that. Every one of those song blog posts (complete with song player so you can hear the versions) is on this site for you to read and hear. Please check them out if you haven’t already. The point is, this album is a clear example of a long creative process. Writers like @layne_brenna often must pursue a long creative process. Click To Tweet ## Not For Everyone Creative projects that take a long time are not for everyone. This makes me think of my many friends who are writers. Their art can take months or years or even decades to complete. It’s clear that this sort of effort is not for everyone. Similarly, brief artistic creation is not for everyone either. In my next post, I’ll talk about “the short of it” in art projects. ### Please share! * Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Share on X (Opens in new window) X * ### Like this: Like Loading… ### _More for you_ * * * ### Discover more from Stan Stewart - @muz4now Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email. Type your email… Subscribe

Stan Stewart - @muz4now

Followers: 116503 Age: 18 I Am: A Woman Interested In: Women, Men, Couples Location: United States Last Broadcast: 21 hours ago Body Type: tea!! Smoke / Drink: no / no About Me: Hii welcome in Im Ava 18, petite, a little shy at first but I promise I warm up fast!! Come hang out with me, keep me company & make me laugh I love meeting new people, so say hi and tell me something about you!!

YouTube video by EvoR

Created by Stan Stewart on Stan Stewart - @muz4now - Stan Stewart - the muse is present Never throw away creative output. It may come in hand down the line. #creativity #CreativeProcess The post Nothing Lacking – Nothing Wasted appeared first on Stan Stewart - @muz4now.

### Please share! * Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Share on X (Opens in new window) X * There’s so much that’s beautiful about making music. But sometimes it ain’t easy. ## Beauty and the Beast There are mountains of reasons to play musical sounds. They start with the joy of connecting to other music makers. And then continue through those cascades to a sense of personal satisfaction (or at least catharsis). For me, another big part of why I make music is that I am compelled to do it. Something in me keeps calling to a particular part of my brain and soul that cannot stop. When I hear that call, the only thing that will keep me from going nutty is to play an instrument, write songs, and sing. ## What’s Driving? But not all of creating music is pushed along by that drive. I play music live and I also create music in a recording studio. Both of these call on me to bring out what I’ve learned over the years. But more than this, these call on me to be vulnerable. Making music is a potentially scary endeavor. I’ve written about this before, but this time, it’s pushed me too far again. I have now attempted to write a commissioned song 5 times. And I can’t get it to how I want it to sound. The real problem is that I’m afraid that the client won’t like the song. Or worse-yet (says my brain), that they won’t like me. ## The Essence of Making Music Obviously, I’m grown up enough and smart enough to know that I don’t control how other people think. Plus, my music and myself are not identical. As much as I feel close to the music I make, it is not all of me. It’s time to drop back into the joy of creating. Making music comes from my soul (but is not my soul itself). Let’s try that again: ~~Sometimes~~ Making Music ~~Ain’t~~ Easy. ### Please share! * Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Share on X (Opens in new window) X * ### Like this: Like Loading… ### _More for you_ * * * ### Discover more from Stan Stewart - @muz4now Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email. Type your email… Subscribe

Stan Stewart - @muz4now

### Please share! * Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Share on X (Opens in new window) X * I’ve been working on this album for a while. Am I even making progress? Are we there yet? ## The Long and Winding Road Not yet. There’s still a long journey ahead. But I made significant strides over recent few days. I’m working on a new rendition of “Wreak-less”. Yes, I already have three versions of this song, but give me a couple of minutes to explain. If you’re following along, you know that I have been working on a folk album for more than two years. Every song has some or all instruments recorded (but read on to learn about the surprises on this current song). There are two songs in preview. Those are “Wayfaring Stranger” (a traditional song) and “Early” (a recent original song). That’s progress, but not even close to done. ## Progress In Spite Of There are 9 songs in progress for this album. As I noted, Wayfaring Stranger, the one “cover” song, is ready. There will be two original songs that I’ve previously recorded. The other six songs are newly (not previously recorded) written and arranged by me. I’m mostly excited about these new tracks. Unfortunately, the times we are in have taken a toll on my drive and inspiration. Living under a fascist government definitely hurts the soul of a caring artist. We creative folk long for freedom and this regime wants us to be anything but free. So, I (and we) must find our way through this in spite of that thwarting. We seek ways to rise up. In fact, the title of my album is “How To Rise and Keep Rising“. Appropriate given the backdrop. ## Singing Is Telling This current song presented me with several attention-getters in recent studio sessions. First, recording vocals is one of the very challenging parts of this process for me. In order to make progress, I have to feel the fear and record it anyway. Once I have ~~a good~~ an adequate vocal take, I work with it in the mix. That tells me a lot both about the singing track, but often even more about the instrumental tracks. This was certainly true on this new version of Wreak-less. There was a guitar part that was bothering me. All of the instruments in this recording are acoustic, so this very electric-sounding acoustic guitar part was not working. I decided to ditch it. ## Telling Is Progress Well, almost. I kept it in the choruses, but as a background part. To adapt the song to the much softer, more introspective version that’s shaping up, I pulled out my Taylor. This acoustic guitar lent itself easily to a finger-picked track. This is the instrument that now holds the center of the arrangement. My guitar playing has taken second fiddle (pardon my mixing of metaphors). I’ve been fully focused on piano and organ playing (besides singing). Still, the simple chords in this song were quite easy for me to fill out an arpeggiated finger-pick. That shift allowed the lead singing and harmony vocals to shine. Are my vocal lines perfect? No way. But they are part of the progress for this album. ## Focus Ahead In this rendition of “Wreak-less”, I really wanted a mellow, pensive mood. And I think I’ve created that. The track is not done, so I am not ready to share it yet. Except with my spouse. When she listened to it, she encouraged me to strip out even more. So, this track will be the height of exposed vulnerability (at least for me). There are places where a single voice and single guitar hold down everything. I look forward to being able to share it with you. Meanwhile, the progress on this song is helping me to be more hopeful. May you find reasons to hope and thrive in the challenging times we are facing. ### Please share! * Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Share on X (Opens in new window) X * ### Like this: Like Loading… ### _More for you_ * * * ### Discover more from Stan Stewart - @muz4now Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email. Type your email… Subscribe