Inspiration and "The Muse" w/Gary Clark Jr & Suzanne Santo | Joe Rogan

Well, like back to where did music come from? You know, sometimes I wonder if like the people that came up with these things, and obviously you can go to school and learn a trade or, you know, become a master of your craft or engineering. But like sometimes I wonder if it's just like some weird other dimensional source that comes out of nowhere. That's what I think ideas are. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Ideas. I think I've been saying this for a long time. I think we should think of ideas as a life form that's trying to propagate. So because everything that you see came from an idea, everything. Yeah. Every invention, every everything, every song that you've ever written and sang, every book that's ever been read, all that stuff, every book ever written came from an idea. And then boom, it's a real thing. Like imagine if ideas because we don't know where they're coming from. I feel like that when I write sometimes I'm like, what the fuck? But do you ever feel like that was almost like a gift? Like something's given you a gift? Yes, like a chance, like it was a channel of sorts. Yes. But we're it's weird. I don't want this to be misinterpreted. Like I 100 percent give you credit for creating it. I don't. I'm saying. Yeah, we can cut that. But I'm just saying that to people that might get weird about this, that don't get where I'm coming from, what I'm coming from is everybody that I know that creates things has a very similar narrative. They're like, it's coming out of nowhere. I just have to be there to get it. You know, there's a thing where you in the group and particularly if you spend a lot of time on it and you're working at it and you're passionate about it and you're focused on it, it's it's almost like. Amuse, even if it's not real, it's still real because it's it's there's an accuracy to like if you pretended that there was some God that was bestowing upon you. These amazing ideas, if you focused on it and if you you led the correct life and lived the right path, then it would give you these gifts. If you focused on your art form and that that would be like if you if someone told you that there was a God doing that, you're like, oh, God, it's so ridiculous. But what do you give a shit? Who's doing it? It's the same thing. It's like a God's doing it for you. It really does work. Like if you focus on what you're trying to do, these weird moments do come out where creativity like pops up and you don't know where it came from. Right. An idea will come to you. I think it's equal, not equal parts, but it's, you know, when you put in the effort to like keep the muscle flex like the creative one where you're writing regularly or you're practicing regularly and then you also kind of let it, you know, sort of come in. Yeah, it's you know, I saw Dan Harmon speak once at one of Duncan Trussell's live podcasts and he had this he said he had he called it the gingerbread man theory. And he said it was almost like he was a giant. I don't know why this was what he said, but he was a gingerbread man. And there was a big hole in the top of his head. And there was all this shit falling into this hole from somewhere. And every once in a while, about 10 percent of it would lightly dust the rim inside of the gingerbread jar. And that was him. And the rest was other stuff. Jesus Christ. I thought that was really interesting. I know, right? I love Rick and Morty. I love Rick and Morty so much. But, you know, think about that and then watch Rick and Morty. If you do, you'll be like, oh, I get it. I totally get it. You get it. Yeah, I do get it. But yeah, but you also have to like put in an effort to inspire yourself and form yourself, read and learn, grow, live. And then you put all that together. And, you know, have you have we ever talked about the war of art? Yeah, field book. Yeah. For anybody that's into it's not just like writing, but it's kind of about writing. But it's also about like, I think everything is a weird thing that we call that. You know, we call procrastination. And he calls it resistance in the book. It's really interesting because you realize like what it is. There's this weird thing that tries to keep people from being their best at stuff. There's like a weird confusion and stress about it that keeps you from focusing on what you really need to do to be a true professional. And he sort of lays it out in the book in a way that makes you go, oh, yeah. I never thought because he figured it out like when he was like 40 years old. Yeah, figured out what he had been doing wrong, changed his direction and then became like super successful as a writer. Yeah. And and is like really respected as a writer. And this book is one of the most interesting things because you know, like his history that he kind of figured out how to get out of his own way to show up. Yep. And puts in the work. Well, because I think a lot of it's subconscious, too. It's like you want to succeed and you want to, you know, grow and evolve. But then there's these obstacles of like, yeah, but you know what? Today, I'm going to do this. I'm going to you know, you know, I got to I got to call. You know, you just kind of procrastinate in this. It's it's a powerful force, you know, and that can grow into so many things. You know, yourself doubt. Then, oh, I'm not ready. I can't do that. I'm not ready. I can't play that show or whatever. You know, I'm not. That's not a good example. But it seems like there's a wrestling match in creative people's heads, particularly like performance artists like you guys are like comedians or singers and anybody where there's a wrestling match between like creating stuff and and being disciplined, putting in a lot of a lot of work or slacking off and feeling like, oh, my God, I got to get back to work again and then being really excited to work hard and get going again. And some people fall too far into one way or the other. And there's like a weird balance in there. Like you almost like have to be scared. Yeah, fuck. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, I think that because that's that's your vulnerability is a big part of of it's, you know, giving an honest thing to a crowd when you're playing music or comedy. You know, I think that. Sorry, I feel like I'm talking too much. Gary, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Don't worry about it. Well, we're all going to talk for a long time. Yeah, we are. Yeah, we usually do. Just express yourself. It's OK. I I've played music with folks and I don't want to like say say this in a in a knock against conservatory students and things like that. But I found that people that are really, really smart in the musical education element and, you know, again, I got a lot of friends and I hope I'm not stepping on any toes. But it's almost like harder for them to vibe out because they're so smart and they're they're almost mathematical with their playing, whereas like Gary, like, let's just fucking rock. Like, let's hang out and like find the thing where I think sometimes I felt like when I played with people that I know I'm going to get so much shit for this, I'm so I'm like kind of embarrassed to say. You are. I am going to get so much. You're a nice person. You got to say it in a nice way. I'm trying to I'm trying to find the middle ground. That's like, you know, I'm not going to piss off too many people. It's not always the case. There are some brilliant, but like the vibe is where it's at. So what I'm trying to say is, yes, you can go to school and be the smartest and know the map frontwards and backwards. But if you can't feel it when you're playing live and playing with other people, then there's a huge missing element. That's what I want to say. I'm not I don't want to. But I think that you almost have more of an obstacle when you are. You have that kind of intelligence with music because it's upstairs. Do you agree with that or is this fighting? You guys fighting? Maybe the referee. No, but I think I understand exactly what you're saying, but I kind of simplify it like this. I think of it like a radio like like, you know, back in the day when you would tune a radio, you try and dial in whatever station and you get that clear channel. Sometimes you'd have to move yourself. Sometimes you'd have to just, you know, get yourself in that place. And I think that as a musician, for me, what I'm trying to do is gather information around me, gather little things and not consume myself with it. So when I'm in that place to receive that inspiration or that that thought or that melody, whatever that is, I'm not clouding myself with doubt or this isn't what this person's doing or whatever. I'm just I'm here in this with everybody. But I'm like, all right, I'm going to dial this in. So the noise goes away a little bit less. You're a good listener. You know what I mean? As a play. I don't know if this makes sense, but that's how I see it. How can I as an artist, how can I dial into that channel? That how can I be the receiver and get that clear thing? And and whatever you were talking about with the ginger, you know, that same little that little piece of you at the top is like, you're holding on to that thing. Yeah. And, you know, putting that all out there as a as a force. It makes sense to me, but that sounds stupid. No, it doesn't sound stupid. Some people are so consumed with giving what they know. Right. Right. Right. And and pushing everything out there that they're not taking the time to sit back and listen. Yeah. And like, just shut the fuck up for a minute. Yeah. Listen to this beautiful inspiration that comes out of nowhere. Yeah. Just like listen to yourself, your inner thoughts at being, you know. Yeah. So would you show up to a place and, you know, you jam? And of course, you're going to it's going to be somebody who just comes in and go just gives you everything that they know. Right. And be like, yo, I just crushed this thing without without accepting the fact that like there's a we're a collective here. Yeah, there's other people playing. We're trying to all tune into the same station. And that's when that magic happens. That's when you let yourself go and be that writing or jamming or playing whatever recording. Can I ask you, is this approach something that you've evolved or something you knew intuitively from the jump that this is how you need to like tune out and like look at things from don't get to like the way you're describing your ability to shut the fuck up and look at the world and draw inspiration from the world. Is that something that came to you in time or or is it something that you always kind of intuitively knew? I just I think it goes back to like. Sitting around smoking weed with my friends and just like, you know, not getting caught up with the bullshit, you know, just getting caught up with the bullshit. Putting so much pressure on myself to be. Yeah, what it is that, you know, is happening. And that's such a gift to be this type of an artist to be this. It's like, you know, just who listen to myself, who am I? And listen to myself. I feel like is listening to the, you know, this is going to sound tuning in that channel. This is going to sound goofy, but that's what comes out in your music.