Collaborations are rad.
Especially musical ones. But sometimes collaborations don't have to be physical, or really produce a typical product or outcome. I reckon my best collaborations are conversations. When you nut out an idea with a friend. Often it takes another person to say what you've been thinking in words, or to help you see the other side of things. Sometimes it just ends with a good movie suggestion. But most of the time it gets you somewhere further. Just where that somewhere is though, I can't say.
Below is a transcript of one of my recent "collaborations" with a friend. It somewhat "big-up's" my artist statement in a self loving way, but quickly gets into the nuts and bolts of it. Mainly it unpacks (oh nice design buzz word) the "struggle" I have in my design process, but also why I need it there. Funny thing is that this paragraph is now almost longer than the conversation...
Lyndall: …oh well, least she'll enjoy it. Glad you liked my artist statement btw. Hardest thing I've ever written
Friend: So sophisticated. Well put together
L: Ha, only took me weeks. How do you say I take things very seriously, but then take myself not seriously at all?
F: The interview with James Murphy goes into that. He was so conflicted
L: yes! And then you start being bothered by the conflict, and it becomes a conflict in itself
F: Haha don't read into yourself. Let it be tangled yarn
L: …so then, to actually get anything work done, you have to ignore part of it. But the whole time, you know you're ignoring something. So everything you produce, feels a little bit like cheating
F: Or play with it
L: Yeah. That's where it's at now. Playing with it
F: A conversation with in yourself. Within*. Speaking of talking to yourself. You should go see Blue Jasmine
And I am going to see Blue Jasmine. Eventually.