Noel Who?

As far as I understand it, the driving force behind the incredibly successful and influential rock band Oasis has always been a songwriter. Sitting in his bedroom or wherever he happened to be, putting his thoughts and feelings down on paper, he was crafting his art and learning how to produce future masterpieces, long before anyone would ever hear them. And it was during these moments, he was building the foundation for whatever his hopes, dreams and desires were hopefully going to become. Writing songs, I'm sure, was an outlet and an itch that he needed to scratch and was something he loved to do long before he needed to do it. And this means that there is a purity and an inherent beauty within his work which cannot be faked.

Jump forward a few years and it's all change. Now, the name Noel Gallagher is on everyone's lips and he's everywhere and he's suddenly considered to be an amazing songwriter. With some great tunes under his belt which just keep coming he's a superstar and rightly so.

But they're funny things success and exposure and fame. I don't know how he really measures them, and I don't know what he really thinks about them, but I'll bet what he is most proud of is what he has created. And what he created didn't suddenly spring into life when his band became famous or suddenly appear when the first record topped the charts. Noel Gallagher was a songwriter long before he was famous, and he was just doing what he loved - talking about things which were true to him and expressing them in his own unique way.

The starting point for any creative journey or artistic pursuit must surely be some kind of experience, be it positive or otherwise. And I would guess there is almost always a deeper reason for starting this journey which satisfies some kind of need or desire and one which may not at first be clear or obvious. The important thing is to get going and to start the creative process which will in turn ignite the self-expression which can be so very rewarding.

Making art for myself and making art for itself, are some of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had beyond becoming a husband, parent and father. And I continue because it is such an amazing thing to do. There really is no serious thought of fame and fortune or critical acclaim because what I have to say has probably been said ten thousand times over by ten thousand people far more articulate than I could ever be.

And my experiences are echoed every day in every town in every country across the world and they're not special and they're not unique. But despite this I continue because I don't need the fame or the success or the exposure to make what I consider to be great art, I just need to keep making it. So should you.