Thanks, Eric

I think it’s physically impossible to be in a bad mood when you’re listening to Eric Clapton play the blues. Yeah, I know, the blues are the blues–they’re supposed to be about heartbreak and pain and suffering. But you know it just doesn’t work that way. Blues, when played right, is about recovery and taking glory in the pain the world brings. And when Eric Clapton plays the blues it’s about the relationship between one human being and the rest of the world, as communicated through six strings and a pick-up.

I say this because I struggled to get going this morning.

I had a work call when I woke up (my real paying gig has me working with global partners, so my actual work calendar is all weird and includes early morning and late night calls–today was a session with co-workers in India). Then I sat down and struggled with getting started in a new story. I didn’t know where to start, you see.

So I plugged Eric Clapton into iTunes, and listened for a few minutes. Then I put my fingers on the keyboard and just let them go. 500 words later I’ve got the start of a story that is in no fashion anything I would have thought of when I sat down.

And, of course, I was in a good mood, too.

Thanks, Eric.