It took, for me, a long time to develop this idea of what to do on the radio. But from the beginning of my time in radio, I had pretty non-traditional tasks.
Interpretation
Ira Glass reflects on his unique journey in radio and the time it took to define his approach.
In this quote, Ira Glass discusses the evolution of his ideas and methods in the field of radio. He emphasizes that from his initial experiences, he was engaged in non-traditional tasks that shaped his perspective and creative style, indicating that the development of one's craft is often a gradual and individualized process.
In practice
This quote can be shared during a workshop on creative processes and the importance of non-traditional approaches.
At some point, all comics have to go out and be retail salesmen doing door-to-door. And this idea of somebody who totally knows their craft having to get up for free in front of a crowd to work out some stuff they're thinking in their head, still, after as much success as you can get, is really interesting.
I think good radio often uses the techniques of fiction: characters, scenes, a big urgent emotional question. And as in the best fiction, tone counts for a lot.
It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions.
It's hard to make something that's interesting. It's really, really hard. It's like a law of nature, a law of aerodynamics, that anything that's written or anything that's created wants to be mediocre. The natural state of all writing is mediocrity... So what it takes to make anything more than mediocre is such an act of will.
I wish that someone had said to me that it's normal to feel lost for a little while.
When I was a bad writer, I would consciously imitate other NPR writers who I thought were wonderful. I suppose that everyone's artistic practice is different. But I collaborate and sometimes don't agree at all with my collaborators' opinions. It forces you to understand why you don't agree with something: what's the fight you're picking.
That's still the greatest high, that feeling of being in control of 2,000 people. It's me and them, and I like the odds. It's not even so much the funny. It's getting them quiet. In the quiet moments in '700 Sundays,' I just really love that they're getting moved.
The light music of whiskey falling into glasses made an agreeable interlude.
People probably have different philosophies about this, but I think that when you're first shaping the play and trying to find a character, the initial actors that develop it end up imprinting on it - you hear their voices; you hear their rhythms. You can't help but to begin to write toward them during the rehearsal process.
To disappear your complete self into a character is quite difficult. I've tried it 85 times, and I've succeeded two or three times.
There are artists who delight listeners with their wild and daring individuality; there are others who uncover the written score with reverence. There are few who can do both.
It is wonderful to be in on the creation of something, see it used, and then walk away and smile at it.
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