I’ve been wanting to write about this for a long….long time. I’ve been a musician since I was a kid. I’ve been an artist/photographer since I was a kid as well but was a late bloomer in those forms of expression only because I was so consumed with music.

I’ve read books on Dali, Picasso, and Renoir. I’ve read zillions of music magazine articles, followed the industry, the rock trends. I’ve studied music theory and sang in huge classical concert choirs. I’ve sang in small award-winning jazz vocal ensembles. I’ve played drums in funk bands, rock bands, metal bands, cover bands and jam bands. I’ve play bass in big band, swing, jazz, and funk. I’ve written dozens of my own songs.

The point of this article has nothing to do with me, what I’ve done, or my accomplishments. I just wanted to provide a background so you know I’m not completely green to the issues I speak of below.

This article is about the bullshit aspect of the creative person. The self-indulged “I’m so deep, eccentric, artistic, emotional, complex, intelligent, contemplative, and introspective that no one understands me.” type of artist.

Call me blue collar in nature but being the extremely creative and intelligent person I am, I’ve never felt the need to use it as an excuse to be eccentric or be a snob. I love art and expression for the sake of loving it. I’ve never been creative to show people how creative I was. I’m creative genetically. It’s in my blood. I know I’m over-simplifying the shit out of this right now. I know artists all have different backgrounds, various personalities, etc…and that’s all good. I just don’t subscribe to the fact that you have to act like a socially inept emotional jackass to be an artist.

This post was inspired by a few meanderings I’ve stumbled on across the way in music mags, and online art and photography groups I’ve joined in an effort to learn from the more experienced and like-minded individuals.

I recently read an interview with Maynard James Keenan in SPIN Music Magazine. For those that don’t know, he’s the frontman for the art-rock band Tool. He also fronted A Perfect Circle, has partnered with Henry Rollins on the Tool album Undertow, guest spotted on records by The Deftones, Rage Against The Machine, and is now pushing a new outfit, Puscifer. He even sang a couple duets with Tori Amos in an “Unplugged” type environment. Awesome as I’m a fan of hers too. I’ve ALWAYS been down with Maynard’s talent, art, appreciation for fine wines, etc.

After reading this article, I almost puked. Not because I was so enthralled with how deep it was or the fact that there’s cool photos of him walking through a vineyard. I almost tossed my lunch because of how ridiculous the vibe of the interview was. My perception, based on what the article said, is that he proceeded to lead the interviewer around a vineyard, answering in short eccentric sentences. They eventually ended up at his local house there and once he went into his house, his whole vibe changed the interviewer said. He got all quiet and moody, and the interview ended with him telling the interviewer esoterically, “I’m very busy you must go now”.

Give me a break dude. Like it or not, all these thousands of hessian metalheads forked over their hard earned blue collar money to buy each and every new highly anticipated Tool record so they’d have something to rock out to while drunk in an arena. They did that and now YOU don’t have to work at a gas station writing song lyrics and poetry during your graveyard shift…or work at all for that matter. When someone interviews you, let them in, talk about Tool, talk about some touring, some experiences with other people. You don’t have to sound like a jackass but give something back to your fans.

Maynard, I have so much respect for you artistically, creatively, intellectually, etc. but dude, hook your fans up with something interesting to read. If you gave that interviewer from SPIN magazine just another hour’s worth of info about your plans with Puscifer, your thoughts on wine or contemporary visual artists you’re interested in, people like me would’ve felt even better about all the concert tickets, posters, CD’s, that we paid for so you could continue to give us what you’ve given us - great music.

Ok I’m done with my Maynard jabber. With my luck he’ll happen upon this, his people will email me and tell me he said ‘fuck off’. Hopefully not though because I’m a huge fan and that would bum me out.

On the rock star front of art pretentiousness, I saw a similar thing in a Marilyn Manson interview. Let’s just say he lives in some big dark mansion somewhere with a Tim Burton-esque driveway and only hangs around awake in the evenings drinking absinthe with his silly little assistant in tow. It was more of the same old crap that I see with certain frontmen. He’s definitely more of a goof ball with that shit than Maynard is. I’m actually a big fan of Manson’s records/music and purchased “Eat Me, Drink Me” right after it came out. I love his music and his live shows are amazing. I just don’t buy the facade that is his personal life/vibe. To each their own I guess. To me, it just makes being and artist, musician, and rockstar look like a pompous bowl of Whiny McWhinerson.

Onto the other methods of expression. I’ve noticed in several art circles that you have art snobs that are really talented and then you have people who claim that their inability to be creative and to think right brain is all the more reason to put a blank canvas up in an art gallery and call it ‘abstract art’. Lame.

I’ve always been into art/music/photography for the sake of expressing myself in ways that connect me with the inherent energy that is life, people, living things, stress, love, sex, anger, happiness, peace, turmoil, business, logic, tension, social psychology. I don’t mean that in the hippy dippy tree hugger sense. I mean it in the realist sense. So if you’re an artist, especially if you have some raw natural talent, especially if you can make money at it and put food on your table from it, remind yourself that it’s a gift, that you’re lucky to have it, and that it doesn’t give you the right to act like an ass clown around others.

Peace out.