Mike Monday

Inspiration On Demand

The Fallacy Of Expertise

While often propagated by those at the top, the idea that you’ll only make great music after attaining a certain level of experience and expertise is false.

If that were the case, the first music I wrote 16 years ago would be unlistenable and by now I’d be writing works of genius.

It isn’t and I’m not.

While experience and expertise are helpful, they can also bring baggage and the weight of expectation which gets in the way of creativity.

Give me enthusiasm and passion over experience and expertise any day. It’s no accident that an artist’s best work is often their first.

So go create! Just do it with enthusiasm and passion.

Hello Nest…

After my Australia tour I’ve been looking forward to a gig on home turf, and I can’t think of a better one than the opening night of Lean Left at London’s newest club The Nest.

The residents are the wonderful Joe Ransom and Tayo3000, my fellow guest is the uber-hot Doorly (who’s just done a brilliant Essential Mix), and the new club looks very tasty indeed.

Oh and it’s my birthday so I’ll be in party mood.

So if you’re in the Dalston area after the fireworks next Friday 5th November, come and see some fireworks of the musical variety.

Where I’m At

While it’s normal to gain insights when away from home, I’ve come back from my month in Australia with an uncommon clarity and focus about my career and life in general.

Before the daily grind kicks in and these thoughts start to feel like a dream, I created this on the flight home and now have it writ large on my studio wall:

What’s Important What’s Not Important
Intention Outcome
The journey The destination
Practise Performance
Being prolific Being perfect
Notes Numbers
Action Reaction
To play To win

Apologies if this is completely unhelpful and/or meaningless to you, putting it out there on this blog is meant as a personal exercise in holding myself to account.

But I hope you might find it interesting or even useful as a starting point for your own musings.

Dangerously Beautiful

We took a walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge yesterday. The sun was shining, the harbour glorious and the Opera House glistened in the sunlight.

But the view was obstructed by ugly railings on the bridge which towered above us complete with barbed wire. I guess they have to be there to stop intentional and accidental jumpers, but to see one of the greatest views in the world you have to bend down and peer through a small gap in the railings.

If we have to ruin something beautiful in order to be a little more safe what does this say about our priorities?

Because I know it’s not possible to create something truly beautiful and stay completely safe.