more on creative process

Jon...you mentioned composing away from the guitar...I think the
following story relates. The concept for my 1st album cover ("The Gate")
arrived in my head in a most unusual way. What made it even more
interesting for me was the fact that, at the time, I was planning on
doing a jazz album, non microtonal, and was thinking about setting up
recording time. I was driving home, late at night, thinking about this
jazz project, when, all of a sudden, a picture of an album cover
appeared, totally complete and in full color, in my mind. It literally
appeared, from the right side of my head, and moved to the center of my
interior vision...I said "Whoa, what's this!" As I looked at it, I
realized that this cover was NOT connected with the jazz project in any
way...in fact, I realized that this cover would fit my 19 tone music
perfectly instead. It was at that precise moment that I decided to do
"The Gate" (as the album art had to do with that concept).
Now, this event happened to me...I in no way assembled this cover art
by any sort of logical thinking process...indeed, it just appeared in my
mind, as I mentioned. Seeing this cover art was, in fact, the reason I
did "The Gate..." The cover art pointed the musical direction, which I
find very interesting. I never would have thought of that. Since that
time, all of my album covers have been created, in my mind, without the
aid of pencils or paper, or any kind of traditional artistic devices...I
don't sit down and start doodling with ideas...I just SEE them, and
that's how they are created.
I find this process fascinating..I do, indeed, feel, at times, like
someone on the other side of this life, is showing me ideas/concepts,
and guiding me do do the things I do. I have found that, when I follow
this guidance, my projects come out very well, and I am satisfied that I
have done what I was put here to do. So, this relates directly to how
ideas/melodies appear on the guitar when I compose...I am not much into
hypothetical situations; thus, I don't care what would happen if I had
no guitar in my hands, or I used a piano instead. I am content with the
way these things manifest themselves in my creative life. The creative
process may well be different for everyone; I'm sure it is. Yet, I would
also imagine there could well be similarities between the way different
people create..I am hoping that some of the folks on this list might
want to relate their creative processes...it could make for interesting
reading...thanks for the comments...Hstick

--- In tuning@y..., "Neil Haverstick" <STICK@U...> wrote:

.......... when, all of a sudden, a picture of an album cover
> appeared, totally complete and in full color, in my mind. It
literally
> appeared, from the right side of my head, and moved to the center
of my
> interior vision...I said "Whoa, what's this!" As I looked at it, I
> realized that this cover was NOT connected with the jazz project in
any
> way...in fact, I realized that this cover would fit my 19 tone music
> perfectly instead. It was at that precise moment that I decided to
do "The Gate" ..........

This is how the structure of the classic benzene ring was born ......
This is how Theory of Relativity was born .........
and many, many more things ............

Regards,
Haresh.

Neil,

Thanks so much for sharing what are, in any light, some very personal
thoughts and events on how you create. It is such an intrinsically
personal experience for each creator, and to know the ways that
others work is illuminating.

Continued best on your unfolding voyage.

And finally, so that this doesn't end up real sappy and gooey, if you
read the subject that you posted this note in *real* fast, it is
almost like we're talking about the "moron creative process". :)

Cheers,
Jon