My
Week with Tori Amos
 Posted
Mar-28-2005
Pieces of a Librarian’s
Tale about a Beekeeping Boy
I’ve embraced a new creative voice into my life, and
am in the thick of celebrating what it’s teaching me.
A week ago, I wrote about an electrifying Tori Amos current
running through me (Revisiting
Tori), and it hasn’t
stopped. Like other inspiring things, this phenomenon has
embedded itself into my consciousness. I haven’t felt
this manic about an artist since Kate Bush in the 90s, and
am experiencing an enormous wave of creative energy infusing
me. I’ve added three more Tori
Amos CDs to my collection, spinning each non-stop: Tales
of a Librarian, Boys
for Pele,
and The Beekeeper (I wanted to get Little Earthquakes,
but the local Borders was out). On top of that, I spent three
days submerged in her biographical book, Tori Amos: Piece
by Piece. I finished the book yesterday, feeling optimistically
full of the creative potential that lies within us all. I
don’t buy books off the shelf often, but this one was
worth every penny (but cheaper
from Amazon).
I suspected there was something I was ready to learn from
the artist Tori, and I believe it came in part through her
book reflecting her voice of experience, the creative process,
and understanding archetypes. An abundance of insights were
communicated through the book, which acts as a companion
to her latest release, The Beekeeper. The book gave me a
deeper appreciation for the creative process musicians and
songwriters go through to produce a single work of art — much
like a visual artist. The steps
of creativity are universal.
Oh, and the music. I love the music. I especially like The
Beekeeper, the new CD that’s been getting mixed reviews
from long-time Tori fans. After reading Piece by Piece, I
understand the uniqueness of each of Tori’s “works” and
how they reflect a specific space in time for her. Personal
growth is an amazing process to watch.
I’m not a critic when it comes to an artist’s
expression of creativity. How can you judge what comes from
deep within another human? I know — there’s a
balance to strike when you’re producing art for others
to consume. That’s one reason I side with the needed
expressive “personal creativity” aspects of art,
music, and writing. It’s such an important thing for
people with creative passion, whether or not they benefit
monetarily from it. I get downright sad when people give
up expressing themselves creatively because of external judgment
and criticism. Tori’s book helped me to empathize with
that balance. I’ve gained so much respect for artists
who are able to achieve that balance between their creative
needs and satisfying their fans.
After I have some time to digest Piece by Piece, I’ll
write more about it. For now, I’m going to visit the
sonic library and listen to the Tales of a Librarian. •
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