032. The Art of Creative Sustainability with Mark de Clive-Lowe
Description
Mark shared invaluable perspectives on:
* Maintaining a playful approach to creation despite professional pressures
* Non-musical skills that have proven crucial for his independent career
* The importance of treating people well throughout your professional journey
* Balancing artistic creation with the business side of music
Equipment Failures and Performance Stories
Some of the most entertaining moments of our conversation came when Mark shared stories of equipment failures during international performances:
"There I was, in São Paulo, Brazil, performing for thousands of people when suddenly my entire system crashed. No sound, nothing. In that moment, you have a choice—panic or pivot. I chose to pivot, jumping on the acoustic piano while my tech scrambled to reboot everything. Those moments of improvisation often lead to the most memorable performances."
Episode Guide
For those who want to dive directly into specific topics:
00:00 - Intro to ProducerHead and Mark de Clive-Lowe
01:12 - Community Building
01:27 - Creative Workflow and Time Management
06:41 - Acceptance and Overcoming Challenges
12:10 - Non-Musical Skills for Independent Artists
16:54 - The Importance of Humanity in Music
22:03 - Funny Stories from the Studio
29:06 - Final Thoughts and Advice
Three Essential Takeaways
* Protect Your Creative Time: In a world designed for distraction, intentionally guarding your creative time and space is essential for productive creation.
* Practice Acceptance, Not Judgment: Mark's approach to music shifted profoundly when he learned to accept rather than judge moments in his playing, allowing for greater freedom and creativity.
* The Well Is Infinite: Even after creating 20+ albums, Mark believes creative potential is limitless - perseverance through difficult periods will always lead to new inspiration.
References & Connections
Albums Mentioned:
* "Timeless" by Goldie
* "Voodoo" by D'Angelo
* "São Paulo, Brazil" by César Mariano
* "Past Present (Tone Poems Across Time)" Mark's latest album
Artists Referenced:
Books & Films:
* "Inception" (film)
* "The Matrix" (film)
* "The Book of Five Rings" by Miyamoto Musashi (book)
* "Mastery" by Robert Greene (book)
* "Mo' Better Blues" (Spike Lee film)
Tech & Equipment:
* Ableton Live (DAW)
* Logic (DAW)
* "Touchable" iPad app for controlling Ableton
* MPC 3000 (Akai sampler/drum machine)
* Maschine (Native Instruments sampler/drum machine)
Connect with Mark
* 🌐 Website
* 📸 Instagram: @markdeclivelowe
* 🎵 Spotify: Mark de Clive-Lowe
Connect with Toru
* 🎵 Spotify: Toru
This episode was co-produced, engineered and edited by Matthew Diaz. From ProducerHead, this is Toru, and in a way, so are you. Peace.
If you enjoyed this article, please consider subscribing and sharing it with other creators who might benefit from Mark's wisdom.
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