Sunday, March 01, 2009

Are You An Underachiever?

I have to battle against thinking I am. Thinking that would be boasting that I'm capable of actually achieving something of artistic merit and it was just down to my lazy attitude that I've never made something of my life.

I could have been a musician, a film director, a screenwriter, a novelist. All these things I could have been but I've just been too lazy to find other people with the enthusiasm to help me.

See? It's a good case for the prosecution.

Rather than make my own art I take great pleasure in criticising other people's. Is this healthy?

Well, look at all the tortured artists. There's no way in the world I'd want to be one of those. Satisfaction in your own art can't last forever. Unless you're completely up your own arse. And who wants to be Bono?

So give me the lazy life with full reign to think and observe without the drive to be someone. The drive that screws people up.

11 comments:

  1. The opposite, I suppose, is an overachiever - someone who's fantastically successful, despite being completely shit. Louis Walsh, say. Keane. Jacqui Smith.

    I prefer you, Geoff.

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  2. Yes!
    It is time for you to scribble The Slacker Manifesto so that I can pin it up in front of my screen and not feel so f*cking guilty about being ordinary.

    I could have been a Dono but I couldn't be arsed dealing with all the crapola involved in getting there..you know that part about losing your soul..that sounds bad, really bad.
    Of course I could have just slept my way to the top..hmmm?

    Anyway, it's too late now, so I will just have to be content schadenfreuding until my cremation.

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  3. I think there's a good case for Bono being a tortured artist. In a thumbscrew sense. I love some of their stuff but he is such a tosser. When he slagged off Chris Martin recently you must have been caught between two stools Geoff. In a toiletry sense.

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  4. I think I have struck a nice happy medium, I get paid now and again for making nice things, which makes me feel artistically satisfied but doesn't make enough money to render me a twatter, ace o chops.

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  5. Yeah - I think that too.
    But at least they stood up to be judged whereas we played safe.
    But how do you know when you've 'achieved' eh?
    Once you have there's only the way down..... or up - your own arse of course.

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  6. Tim - Thank you. Keane must be the biggest overachievers in indie pop. A genre of music that is not short of overachievers.

    Donn - I'm going through a mid-life change. I'm kicking off my shoes and taking it really easy. I can't even be bothered to go on holiday, just a few days out on the train, no rushing around.

    Rog - Bono and Chris Martin both have incredibly annoying stage mannerisms that make me wish for a sniper in the audience. If I had to choose between the two musically I'd have to go for Coldplay as having a bit more soul.

    Inwardly Confused - That's ideal. Low key satisfaction.

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  7. Kaz - A lot of artists I really like ended up taking their lives whether intentionally or through misuse of drugs or drink. Once you get into that creative mindset it must be a constant worry that you're losing what you had. And if you actually believe that your 15th album is the best album you've ever made you are quite clearly deranged. So you lose your mind either way. You can't tell me that Bono shouldn't be locked up by now. Or at least on heavy medication so that he shuts the fuck up and buggers off to Switzerland where he can carry on avoiding paying tax.

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  8. I can't be bothered to pick up the remote.

    Thank heavens for houseboys.

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  9. I pick up the remote. That's about all nowadays.

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  10. I pick up the dry cleaning.

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