Chapter Four. Part II.

Chapter Four. Part II.

There was a specific point made to us during one of our sessions that broadened my view of how all events that precede any given moment in time enable us to arrive at wherever one finds oneself - be it: personal development; music; technology; spirituality; science; medicine, you name it. 

I should add though that any significant evolvement cannot solely be just the sum of events that have already taken place, but must also include in the equation a measure of questioning and openness to the unfamiliar from the individual, and just maybe–as the following quote suggests–a receptiveness to any prompts received from some other place?

“Every circumstance and relevant experience is contrived by your spirit. Take it like this ... firstly, your spirit ‘ideas it’, then your mortal accepts that idea, acts on it, and so in turn allows the spirit to contrive further steps.”                

John 26/3/95

The Glass Chronicles had no time frame or deadline, it was going to be whatever it ended up being, and although in retrospect that sounds ideal, it led to a fair amount of impatience along the way. 

On one hand it was a project of such personal importance, and on the other there was considerable uncertainty - a feeling that it may never be completed. 

The archetypical artistic insecurities flourished. It became a breeding ground for doubt. There does appear to be a synergy that exists in the relationship between the doubts and insecurity an artist can carry within, towards themselves and their work, and the depth of his or her creativity and their desire (or compulsion) to express themselves. 

The American existential psychologist, Rollo May (1909 – 22 October) in his book ‘The Courage To Create’ (1975), writes:

“Creative people, as I see them, are distinguished by the fact that they can live with anxiety, even though a high price may be paid in terms of insecurity, sensitivity, and defenselessness for the gift of the ‘divine madness’ to borrow the term used by the classical Greeks. They do not run away from non-being, but by encountering and wrestling with it, force it to produce being. They knock on silence for an answering music; they pursue meaninglessness until they can force it to mean”.

Ch. 4 : Creativity and the Encounter, p. 93

Of course, doubt and insecurity in one’s own ability, in itself, could just make you work harder to get it right, it could be that simple. But consequently it was about seven or eight years before I could say that the album had reached a state of completion - the final stages being a little like climbing a mountain, just as you think you’re almost there, you spot what appears to be a new apex further ahead, and so on.

Once finished, I then began to think about what to do with it, where to take it. As it was, the vision I could claim to have was uncertain and abstract to say the least. One possibility I thought was that it could be turned into some kind of a stage show, and certainly there could be a Glass Chronicles band, better still an ensemble. 

Perhaps it could be a piece of theatre? - I would have to wait another sixteen years before the personnel, the finances and the rest of the jigsaw puzzle began falling into place that would turn all of these maybes into a reality. The tale of exactly how all of that happened is about as remarkable as the rest of the story, and I will write more on that later. 

TBC ...