get back and van gogh
i recently joined the millions to watch peter jackson’s “get back,” a revised look at the famed beatles footage of the making of “let it be” and their legendary last “rooftop concert.” this viewing closely followed a visit to the immersive van gogh exhibit, complements of my daughter and son in law., and, interestingly, a late birthday gift. as is often the case in an observed life, these two pieces of art provided clues to the answers for questions i’ve been asking myself in recent months.
like many of my creative contemporaries, the perfect storm of COVID, industry contraction and retiring or expiring industry champions has caused a disruption in what had otherwise been a fairly smooth and comfortable artistic life in a corner of the music business. this is not unusual, since all things change no matter what, but in this case, the change has been abrupt rather than gradual. this has caused me to ask myself what the purpose is of a later-life career that may have already peaked, and that’s where the beatles and van gogh come in.
i’ve been using the phrase, “paint the sky and put your words on the wind” in my recent writings to express the temporary nature of art, because, notwithstanding digital replication, most works of art disintegrate over time. so i ask myself, “what is the purpose of creating?”
in van gogh’s case, he painted feverishly throughout his short life and died impoverished. about painting, van gogh said: “I am not an adventurer by choice, but by fate.” in “get back” we finally see the beatles on the rooftop, playing for no one, yet the power of the ensemble at work, and their collective joy, is the payoff of the series, and, it appears, the payoff for them. in both of these cases, the work is the purpose, as is clear from van gogh’s poverty and the beatles’ professional quarantine.
the van gogh exhibit stayed with me for days after i saw it, as did the joy on john and paul’s faces during their rooftop performance, as they sang their hearts out to virtually no one—- ah, the answer!
in a world of celebrity and financial worship, it’s hard to hang on to a sense of purpose, since purpose seems to have lost much of its social value. will we ever return to these ideals?
i don’t know the answer to that question, but i now know the answer to the question: the purpose of creating is to create, and in that act, we bring joy to the world. where does the joy go? i do not know. but i do know that there is a shift in the energy during the act of creation, whether it’s by myself of when collectively creating with paul and clayton, and i believe the energy of creation is a positive energy— it is as life-affirming as birth, and i believe that, in some way, the act of creation perpetuates universal life.
perhaps i’m trying to find justification for my life and circumstances, but i don’t think so. i have a good life that has been made possible by my dedication to music, so by “conventional” measures, i could be considered modestly successful. but it’s not about conventional success for those of us who create— it’s about purpose, so these unconventional questions become more important as we go.
the van gogh brothers (ironic? possibly!) return to vincent’s worcester on december 11th for our final show of 2021, where we will celebrate paul’s birthday with the same joy expressed by john and paul in “get back.” please join us to experience our lucky partnership.
likewise, we will finish the final overdubs of our latest album this month, which we will then prepare for a 2022 release, along with a more “formal” release of this year’s “ghost.” a double album! who cares? who cares! as much as we love to know we are appreciated and listened to, the joy of creation is now firmly planted in the process, and we have continued the process of creation over these many years in lean times as much (or more) as in the bountiful moments. i remember well speaking with paul from malibu in the fall of 2015 and remarking we didn’t have enough money to record, only to receive the gift of free studio time literally within the hour. those recordings became the first tracks for “Love Letters.” the universe has looked after us and kept us on our way.
i hope we get to see some of you at vincent’s and we hope you all have a safe and happy holiday season and a healthy and happy new year.
love,
jc