MENUMENU
  • About
  • Buy
  • Press
  • Book Clubs
  • Writer Resources
  • Allie Larkin
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • g

Allison Larkin

Internationally Best-Selling Author

You are here: Home / 3Ws / 3Ws – Mark Erelli

3Ws – Mark Erelli

December 16, 2014 Filed Under: 3Ws, music

MarkErelli1color_300dpi

What do you create?

Ostensibly, I’m a songwriter and I create songs. But I’ve created a lot of seemingly different things over the years. Growing up, I was an avid visual artist and for a long time everyone just assumed I’d go into graphic arts or design of some kind. Then I got really into ecology and started doing a lot of finely detailed pen-and-ink scientific illustration. Then I got a masters degree in evolutionary biology and I had to wield a fair amount of creativity to develop hypotheses and solve problems with experimental design. Though I’ve been a professional musician for 15 years, I write essays for my monthly newsletters and have gotten back into visual arts by creating illustrations for covers of my albums. Now that I have kids, I’ll create in their media as well…like ABC books with a Beatles theme or kickass Lego spaceships.

Why do you create?

The real thread that ties all my disparate endeavors together is an overall desire to create some kind of understanding the world and my place in it. I create to make sense of the world, which would sound pretentious if I really thought that it was ever possible, which I don’t. I think of it as like surfing on this asymptotic curve, which always approaches the axis (or objective truth, if you will) but never meets it. That feeling of just wanting to get a little bit closer to the truth, to write or play a little bit better than I did yesterday, that’s what keeps me creating. That this process can never be finished inspires me.

What do you consume?

In the most general sense I am a voracious consumer of the details of my environment, whatever that may be. I don’t necessarily need to seek out new environments–I’m not a natural traveler, I’d be fine walking the same path through the woods everyday–but I love finding new observations in familiar surroundings. I can extrapolate this process to my emotional environment, learning new things about the way I’m feeling or how my actions affect others. Or I can use the same tools to tease new observations about things like books and songs that I love, so that they seem to become richer and more resonant over time. That is essentially what I’m doing every time I read a book or listen to music, which are the things I consume the most. If we’re talking about the physical act of consumption, then I’d have to go with Earth Balance’s Coconut & Peanut Spread, which I spread on apples and consume in quantities greater than I should ever admit.

Links

Website: http://www.markerelli.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markerelli
Twitter: https://twitter.com/markerelli
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/hillbillypilgrim?feature=mhum
Bandcamp: http://markerelli.bandcamp.com
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/mark-erelli/id5972276



 a0847154153_2 a0872225213_2

 

Leave a Comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Home
  • Allie Larkin
  • Blog
  • Book Clubs
  • Contact
  • Writer Resources

allielarkinwrites

Internationally bestselling author of STAY, WHY CAN'T I BE YOU and SWIMMING FOR SUNLIGHT. THE PEOPLE WE KEEP coming from @gallerybooks on 8/3/2021

Allison Larkin
A few days ago, I took this photo of turkeys while A few days ago, I took this photo of turkeys while I was out on a run, marveling at how wild animals do not seem to mind when they see me. Once, I almost bumped into a deer, the way a couple might meet-cute in a rom com. We just didn’t see each other. I’ve always thought it was a fun little quirk. Not even bunnies are afraid of me. But this afternoon on my run, I came up over a hill and was suddenly within fifteen feet of a wild boar. Thankfully, a year or two ago I got curious about the big traps that show up trailside around the bay, looked them up and learned about how fast, ruthlessly aggressive, and unpredictable a wild boar can be. Otherwise, I might have (stupidly) thought I was in the middle of another one of my Snow White moments and been all “Hello there, Mr. Pig! Look at you!” believing that I could quietly observe in wonder. Instead, I knew this was a bad situation. The boar grunted and moved to the center of the trail. It felt very ‘You shall not pass!’ But I did not want to pass. I wanted to get away. I backed slowly for a few moments and then turned and ran faster than I ever have in my whole life. I’ve since learned that there’s no way that boar chased me, because there’s no chance of outrunning a boar (climb a tree if you can). But I know that boar saw me and also wasn’t happy about the surprise, and I had a moment, racing back over the hills I’d just run — not daring to look behind me more than once or twice in fear I’d lose my footing — when I truly did not know what would happen. I’ve been in scary situations, but they were a different kind of scary. I don’t think I’ve ever flat out run for my life before, but that’s truly what I thought I was doing. Right now I am still full of adrenaline and also exhausted and so so thankful to be okay.
My lemon is a happy fox. #fruitfaces My lemon is a happy fox. #fruitfaces
I think there’s something about getting older an I think there’s something about getting older and reaching back to the core of who you are. I’ve always been at my happiest when I’m up in a tree.
Portrait of the bestest girl. Stella may be slowin Portrait of the bestest girl. Stella may be slowing down, but she’s still exceptionally curious. #dailystelladog #germanshepherd
Portrait of a woman who just wants a free moment t Portrait of a woman who just wants a free moment to paint over the poop brown bathroom walls that came with this house.
Working on a thing for a thing, but I ran out of d Working on a thing for a thing, but I ran out of daylight and dog patience. Back at it tomorrow. #authorsofinstagram
Load More... Follow on Instagram

© Allison Larkin | Site by Little Leaf Design