Responding on his message-board-cum-blog to a question about writing and “staying in the moment” Christopher Moore (whom I’ve mentioned here before) goes on at length about Buddhist concepts and their relation to the arts. Here’s the nub of what he says:
In my studies I ran across an interview with Wynton Marsalis, wherein he compares Jazz to Sumi-e. What he said so impressed me that I used it as the lynch pin in a scene in A Dirty Job. It was like this:
“In Jazz, there is a crisis in every moment, and you bring all your skill to bear on that crisis.”
Brilliant, and true. A jazz musician does not have time to unthink his improvisation. He has to has his chops down in order to keep time. That involves the practice of scales, forever. As artists, writers, musicians, photographers, whatever, there is still a crisis in every moment, and we must bring the full measure of our skill to bear on that crisis. That is the Zen of the art. The practice and learning, not so much.
I’m thinking that of all the people who might enjoy reading Moore’s thoughts here, nobody will dig it as much as Iron Doug.
