Bleeding Out: Whiplash, Zach Hill, and the All-Consuming Obsession of the Creative Craft

Recommended Song: “Whiplash” by Hank Levy

NOT MY TEMPO! Now, if you’ve seen the 2014 independent psychological drama Whiplash, you’re probably experiencing what can most closely be described as post-traumatic stress (and I’m sorry to make you relive that). But if you haven’t, let me fill you in on one of the greatest music movies of all time, and I don’t mean that lightly.

Whiplash follows a promising young jazz drummer, Andrew (played by Miles Teller, yet another reason you should watch this movie), in his pursuit of excellence at a highly competitive and elite music conservatory. He’s discovered by Terence Fletcher, a notoriously terrifying, strict, and demanding instructor, who brings Andrew into the top Jazz Ensemble. Determined to earn Fletcher's approval, Andrew becomes completely consumed by his burning desire to achieve perfection, spiraling into an intense obsession-fueled psychosis.

Bringing you back into the real world, this obsession isn’t so much fiction as it is reality for many musicians, artists, and creatives. Yes, we know this sort of obsession is notorious in classical music, jazz, and the “high-brow” music often associated with perfectionism. But that same drive is present in the “gritty experimental new wave” stuff your parents absolutely hate listening to.

Switch it up! Let me put you onto something new: “Get Got” by Death Grips

In 2004, Zach Hill, drummer of the Sacramento-based experimental group Death Grips, was playing a gig when he cut open his finger and kept playing for over 10 minutes, bleeding profusely over his kit until the show was over. Drenched in sweat and blood (and perhaps tears?), Hill didn’t stop for anything, deeply focused and dedicated to the saying: “the show must go on.” Just another example of how musicians constantly push their physical limits for the perfect performance.

As someone with obsessive tendencies (I used to do my college math homework in pen, a very specific .38 pen I ordered from Japan, in a specific Rhodia notebook with what I determined to be optimally saturated and sized graph paper. If I made a mistake, I would toss the whole paper and start over), this sort of obsession resonated deeply. I’m a self-taught oil painter, and I’m good at what I do because of exactly this reason: I don’t quit painting until it’s perfect in my eyes.

Inspired by Whiplash and referencing the photos of Zach Hill, I created an oil painting entitled “Thank You for Watching Me Bleed Out!” (seen below) as an ode to the obsession that drives creativity. All for the sake of a good show.

Some of you might think, why is this in Vulpes Creative’s blog? What does this have to do with music marketing? Right before I started this painting, I had quit the highest-paying job I’ve ever had to chase the burning desire to start a business with creatives, by a creative. I formalized my LLC and told myself (and everyone) that I was going to wake up early like I did for my 9-5 and commit at LEAST 8 hours a day to painting and immersing myself in music marketing until I made it big. I used my savings to fully commit and live the dream life I wanted and desired.

The universe saw my sacrifice and determination: my drum painting received over 2.2 million views on just one TikTok video, with several others in the hundreds of thousands. The virality of the painting brought me an influx of music clients. None of this would have happened without the burning desire and obsession to pursue my dream.

So, as my first blog post, I want to implore you, whether you’re a curious reader or a musician: fortune favors the bold, obsessed, and committed. If you have a burning desire to make it big, it will happen if you take that leap of faith (and f*ck anyone who tells you otherwise!). I’m committed to my craft, are YOU ready to start taking your music seriously?