In this episode of the Head The Gong Podcast, I try to get back on the creative horse after getting kicked around a bit by, I don’t know, another horse? Half-marathons, job interviews, and mindfulness meditation all get mentioned at some point.
HTG Podcast #13: Pushing through resistance
In this episode of the Head The Gong Podcast, I push through some resistance by talking about pushing through resistance.
Since I’ve been putting some of the HTG Podcast episodes on my YouTube channel, I decided to record a video version of this episode. I may or may not continue to do this for future episodes, but nonetheless, here’s the video for Episode 13:
HTG Podcast #12: Next chapters
In this episode of the Head The Gong Podcast, I ponder what it means to keep the creative fires burning throughout different stages of life, maybe even right up to the end. Or maybe not. Henry Miller chimes in from his death bed, and Jeff Mangum tells us about a sad little man who wrote atonal rock operas that no one understood.
Related media:
– Henry Miller, “Alive to the end”:
– Cover of “April 8th”:
– Neutral Milk Hotel album art:
HTG Podcast #11: The future of communication
In this episode of the Head The Gong Podcast, I reflect on parallel universe toads, the battle between creative work and distracto-tainment, spirit magnification, and how Henry Miller recorded the first-ever podcast episode in 1949.
Related media:
Miller on the Future of Communication, via Cosmodemonic Telegraph Company (A Henry Miller Blog)
9 Learnings from 9 Years of Brain Pickings: Reflections on the rewards of seeking out what magnifies your spirit (via Maria Popova’s Brain Pickings)
HTG Podcast #10: Bathroom session sound
In this episode of the Head The Gong Podcast, I reflect on the simple joy of singing in the bathroom, and the not-so-simple task of capturing that sound on a recording.
HTG Podcast #9: By myself
In this episode of the Head The Gong Podcast, I take another trip to Weirds-ville, recounting a strange night of sneaking around my house ninja-style, reading books in the dark, and muttering to myself about existential loneliness. I also sing a weird little tune. Enjoy!
HTG Podcast #8: The inimitable Glen Hansard
In this episode of the Head The Gong Podcast, I pay tribute to the man who has been my top source of musical inspiration for the past several years, the inimitable Glen Hansard.
Here are some past blog posts in which I extoll the virtues of the mighty Glen:
http://headthegong.com/the-swell-season/
http://headthegong.com/red-chord/
http://headthegong.com/drive-all-night/
http://headthegong.com/11-things/
http://headthegong.com/defining-moment/
HTG Podcast #7: Keeping the Fire Burning
In this episode of the Head The Gong Podcast, I do my best to keep this podcast train rolling, despite competing time commitments, and also dig through the old song idea archives looking for buried treasure.
HTG Podcast #6: Creative Work Economy
In this episode of the Head The Gong Podcast, I talk about being burglarized, and also about resolving to be more productive creatively.
HTG Podcast #5: Struggle
In this episode of the Head The Gong Podcast, I do what I do best — struggle to express myself authentically.
Here’s a blast from the past that strikes a similar chord: Hi, My name is Bob, and I’m a struggler
It’s a two-handed stranglehold I’ve got going on: On the one hand, I struggle to get in touch with my deepest and most authentic intentions. And on the other hand, once I do get plugged in and grounded, I have a devil of a time staying on track once the initial wave of inspiration passes and I’m confronted by the fears and distractions that inevitably crop up.
So, what if I give up the struggle? Who drives the bus then—the devil or the angel? Or does it just veer off the road and land in a ditch somewhere? Does it really matter? Do all roads lead to the same place in the end?
