What to Believe In?

Folk #1: A few days ago, my companion & creative collaborator & I were engaged in a long conversation with a fellow musician & singer/songwriter. He was spinning out, stuck in an existential crisis, questioning everything about the creative process, writing songs, the grind of playing shows, & the unsatisfying nature of of having always having to hustle & promote. It's funny, it was a great exercise. Everything our friend said was in direct conflict with our own philosopy & attitude about the creative journey. So, yes, the conversation was very enlightening and contructive by what it revealed and exposed. Being creative, doing it, living it, is the main driver, the grand project for my partner & I. Essential to who we are, how we act and think, and go forth into the world. Writing songs, playing instruments, leading a band, rehearsing & performing in public is absolutely fundamental to us. We can't imagine carrying on without this core mission in our lives. It's a process, a discipline, an approach to Life, that fuels us, & feeds us, fires us up, suffuses us with Hope & Faith. Wanting to make a difference, recharging our belief in doing the "good work." One of our go-to phrases: You Must Believe.  What to believe in? A better day, a better way, the power of Art and Creativity. The possibility of transcendence & connection. We always want to put ourselves in situations where those amazing, enlightening, uncommon moments emerge, those moments when you totally lose yourself in the making & doing, and totally succumb to the glorious kick of performance, and connecting with an audience. These moments are fleeting & ephemeral, they are everything. It's important to drop the "thinking," focus on the process, intuition, the subconscious, and stick to the doing/being. What does all add up to, lead to, or mean, in the grander scheme? Who knows? We believe the creative journey is essential & mysterious, it changes us, just in the doing, the being, it feeds the spirit. This discipline & process carries us forward in all aspects of our lives. Yes. It's that important & powerful. We we were a bit amused & bemused, by the wrongheadness of our friend, we felt sorry for him; he really seems lost, floundering & alone. We tried our best to cheer him up, but really, you can't tell anyone, anything, it just doesn't work that way. We encouraged him to try to get back to basics, not sure if that landed with him or not. We are lucky. My partner & I, two of us on the same mission, we can pick each other up, when one of us falters. We too have had moments of disconnect, feelings of futility, there are times we need to take a break, renew, recharge, but that too seems to be just part of the process. Sure. None of this is easy. Every day is a challenge, and often, there are failures, side-tracks, fuck-ups, dissappointments, and "No's." Not everything is gonna pan out. That's just part of it. Not giving up when confronted with obstacles. Enduring the "pricks & kicks," and, well, fuck it, plowing forward anyway, damn the naysayers, & damn the torpedoes. Getting on with it. That is where the magic & the "reasons to believe," resides...