Being that Emil Amos is tirelessly dedicated to his work, I would have understood if my conversation with him lasted 15 minutes. However, within a few exchanges, I was aware that Emil is not interested in the disingenuous mundane conversations that artists so often give to their fans. Instead, I had the privilege to hear the passionate opinions of someone living vicariously through the philosophy of tearing away what he deemed to be false.
A common theme within our conversation was the idea that nature determines who you are as a person. So my interest in writing and Emil’s love for music are results of the spiritual path we were meant to follow from birth. What we find intrinsically interesting is not something that can be bought or achieved through education he explained. In this process Emil does not take credit for who he is, separating himself from the so-called “self-made man”
This belief however is not the majority. Emil described the “consumer-grade individual” as someone unwilling to get their hands dirty, uncomfortable thinking for themselves, “and sitting on the couch in sweatpants watching friends.” On the contrary, those who innovate are obsessed with their passion, constantly focused, and willing to ditch comfort in pursuit of their path.
However, What an individual is expected to accomplish is set to a low standard. The pressure to achieve nothing and be “a mindless piece of shit” is greater than the incentive to evolve mentally, spiritually, and morally. Emil told me “the idea of potential is that you haven’t done something yet, but you are in touch with what it is and it will happen.”
I left our conversation with a newfound motivation to invest time into things I care about. At times when I find myself complacent or comfortable I’ll remember how Emil said “If you don’t have curiosity or the appetite to learn, it’s over.”
JT Schultz Content 