Upon Syd Barrett's Passing.....

I was wondering if he ever knew how much of an influence he had over the generations of artists who followed him. And I was surprised to find how much he influenced David Bowie. I'd never heard that before. It's amazing how you study a particular artist or musician to find their influence leads you in a direction you didn't expect.
As a creative person myself, I find inspiration every day that leads me to a different place. Be it a sound, the way the light hits an object, a pretty girl looking at you across the aisle in the supermarket, anything can inspire you to create. Sometimes I wish I could turn it off for awhile, but then I realize it's the way I experience life. And I'm thankful for that, because I couldn't imagine not seeing the world in my own way.
Which brings me back to Syd. I read that he spent his time painting, riding his bike around Cambridgeshire, and tending the garden. He may not have been making music, but he found other outlets for his creativity.