The malaise that might have been

[pjthompson]

I was going to blog about a writing malaise I've had all week—for a couple of weeks, actually. Then I heard this song and things were better. Things are always better when I listen to music, but this one is especially about the kind of malaise that takes all artist/craftspersons sometimes, and uh...it just helps to hear that "fellow feeling," even if it's not personally directed towards me. In an interview on NPR, Jakob Dylan said he wrote it for people who were trying to hold on, trying to get back in touch with their spark. I think he did a good thing. It's a gentle song that concludes:

Sometimes a high wall, is just a wall
Sometimes it's only there to make sure you feel small
Or may be there to save you from the depths of a much deeper fall

The truth will not set you free
It's ok to believe that you're not good enough
God is not angry, not blind, deaf or dumb
He knows how far you've come

The malaise may come back. It's kind of an endemic thing, especially at times when I'm trying to redefine myself and to let go of one part of my identity, one thing I've been living my life through, and trying to take up another. I am so not alone in this.

"You're not the only one who's failed to hang on to a moving star."

You're right, Jakob.

It's a great interview, btw. You can listen to it here:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4766510

Comments

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

Good thoughts--and I love the quote.

Thanks for posting that.

[pjthompson]

I figured I wasn't the only one it might help.