Brian Eno on Working with Strict Structures
From Brian Eno’s A Year with Swollen Appendices, an excerpt of an email to Stewart Brand:
More and more I find I work better with quite strict structures around me. What I was doing last week in those early mornings was working up some new material for these [David] Bowie sessions. I only had a few days – and the effect of this is to focus attention. Less exploring of all the possible journeys you could make; more determination to take one journey (even if the choice of it is initially rather arbitrary) and make it take you somewhere. The big surprise for me when I work like that is discovering myself capable of an almost ‘automatic writing’ way of working. I cease to evaluate much, instead just letting something carry me along. listening back later, I think, ‘How on earth did I get an idea like that?’ Working with greater leisure, my ideas become much more ‘reasonable’ and surprise me less.