I Believe In The Good

What inspires music?
Or art, or the written word?

Love inspires, as does despair.
Pain can cause words to flow. Or the simple joy of being alive and aware of it for the miracle it is.

I tend to think that dark feelings, however powerful, do not produce the same level of work as when we are happily inspired. Darkness does produce very strong moods, consuming feelings. But they are not the emotions of productivity. To put forth your best effort requires all cylinders be in running order. To have one cylinder firing louder and harder than the rest is counterproductive.
It's like playing when you are high, you may think you are inspired, but the fog is only allowing you to see a small piece of the picture. Darkness takes a lot of effort to maintain. It is hard to remain angry without using a great force of will.

The lighter aspects of human nature such as love require much less effort to sustain, so there is a large store of energy waiting to be put to good use. When the trees are pretty, when the air tastes good, works pour forth like water that had been dammed. Not just quantity, but quality of the work is elevated by the mood of the author.

Musicians who have a smile on their faces seem to be not necessarily more prolific but the caliber of the work is higher.
Look at the band, The Police.
When Sting was a happily married man the music the band released was stirring. The bass was a focused piece, the band itself was very precise and articulate. Very little flash, rather it was a high order of music due to happiness. 'Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic.' A wonderful tune with a tale to spin and a bass line that defines a walking beat.

As life took it's toll and Sting's marriage ended, the music took a sharp turn toward  mediocrity. Sting's bass playing became stilted and angular. The band sounded disjointed. And the mood of the pieces went positively creepy - 'I'll Be Watching You,' for instance.

An artist that works on canvas is easy to trace his moods. In every pursuit there are telltales which alert us to the mood of the artist.
As an artist I have learned to find stability in my own skin. That in turn has allowed me to put some consistent music together. It's kept my energy level high as I waste no calories worrying nor fretting.
Looking through my catalog of music is much like reading a diary - my moods are very easy to follow.
And my best pieces are those that I wrote when the sky was at its bluest.

It doesn't mean to avoid composing when you are down. It means look to lift your mood and then write it down.