I come from a long line of talented, artistic and creative people.
I have often wondered if I am adopted.
I can come up with something that I think can change the world (the non-boiling kettle anyone?) but get sidetracked and instantly forget everything about it.
I live in hope of finding my field of creativity, I just suspect I haven't got 51 more years to discover it...
It's a slippery thing for sure. I've often written what I thought was a masterpiece and somehow it wriggles away before I can get it down.
Our brains seem to adapt for our environments when we're kids. It can be hard to work against that when we're older.
I like Ben's point below, creativity can be expressed in so many ways, not just making a piece of music, art etc. Maybe you do creative things but don't realise they're creative? Or maybe you just don't? That's no flaw, our society glamorises creativity a lot, tells people they're missing something without it... the truth is different and more interesting than that.
It feels like being a connector. It feels like desiring community with others and chasing that solution. I have this thing in me that I want to get out and get into someone else’s head, to show beauty, anger, some kind of emotion. If I’m lucky all the words that are chasing themselves around in my head organize themselves into something with decent comprehension and hopefully like a traffic jam at the opening of my mouth they come out slowly but precisely.
I can only see something dare I say miraculous when good songwriters convey something that actually makes me take notice. How do you not get tired of chasing the same progressions to reorder melodies that feel dishonest? Trying to use words that approach what you really mean?! How do you overcome that feeling of “birthing those children” and loving them for what they are and not what you hope they will be?
Beautiful Aubrey, and those are big questions I think we'll all be trying to answer for as long as we do this.
They can only be answered (at least temporarily) by the next great song you write. It somehow won't feel dishonest, it'll feel amazing, authentic, sublime, a signpost for your journey as an artist. So all we can do is step up and try again, and again after that. Easier said than done!
First, I love the fact that you used WLIIA? as a jumping off point for this post. Fantastic show.
Second, the references/mentions to some of your various works adds to more of the background of the artist (you) which i find intriguing since so many tell such intricate stories on their own.
As for sharing creativity, I used to be heavily involved with theater back home, but age and responsibility has removed me from such a life. Now, I find my creative outlet with my daughter.
My wife is from China and we want our child to learn Mandarin first to preserve her heritage. This is particularly difficult, because I don’t speak much of it (growing up in a small NY town). So, any little creative juices I have go to teaching something that I’m also learning at the same time. Right now, I’m lying on the floor of my kid’s room, placing these little pog-like discs over my mouth and asking her what animal is printed on it. If she said it right (tones and all), I give a thumbs up and blow it into the air so she can try to catch it (hasn’t gotten one wrong yet).
Every day, it’s a new game, book, song that I come up with with what little Chinese I know, in the hope that the student will surpass the master (my wife, not me. I’m no master!).
It’s childish in a way, but all creativity comes from the 9-year old version of ourselves Deep inside us all. And if it’s a benefit someone, to ourselves or others, than that creativity is never wasted.
Now, I’m off to read a book in a language I don’t fully understand, complete with animal noises and funny voices. Wish me luck!
Can really relate to expressing creativity with children. Love your language games!! She's a lucky kid. Creativity comes naturally to them, it's just play really, we just have to meet them there.
I come from a long line of talented, artistic and creative people.
I have often wondered if I am adopted.
I can come up with something that I think can change the world (the non-boiling kettle anyone?) but get sidetracked and instantly forget everything about it.
I live in hope of finding my field of creativity, I just suspect I haven't got 51 more years to discover it...
It's a slippery thing for sure. I've often written what I thought was a masterpiece and somehow it wriggles away before I can get it down.
Our brains seem to adapt for our environments when we're kids. It can be hard to work against that when we're older.
I like Ben's point below, creativity can be expressed in so many ways, not just making a piece of music, art etc. Maybe you do creative things but don't realise they're creative? Or maybe you just don't? That's no flaw, our society glamorises creativity a lot, tells people they're missing something without it... the truth is different and more interesting than that.
It feels like being a connector. It feels like desiring community with others and chasing that solution. I have this thing in me that I want to get out and get into someone else’s head, to show beauty, anger, some kind of emotion. If I’m lucky all the words that are chasing themselves around in my head organize themselves into something with decent comprehension and hopefully like a traffic jam at the opening of my mouth they come out slowly but precisely.
I can only see something dare I say miraculous when good songwriters convey something that actually makes me take notice. How do you not get tired of chasing the same progressions to reorder melodies that feel dishonest? Trying to use words that approach what you really mean?! How do you overcome that feeling of “birthing those children” and loving them for what they are and not what you hope they will be?
Beautiful Aubrey, and those are big questions I think we'll all be trying to answer for as long as we do this.
They can only be answered (at least temporarily) by the next great song you write. It somehow won't feel dishonest, it'll feel amazing, authentic, sublime, a signpost for your journey as an artist. So all we can do is step up and try again, and again after that. Easier said than done!
First, I love the fact that you used WLIIA? as a jumping off point for this post. Fantastic show.
Second, the references/mentions to some of your various works adds to more of the background of the artist (you) which i find intriguing since so many tell such intricate stories on their own.
As for sharing creativity, I used to be heavily involved with theater back home, but age and responsibility has removed me from such a life. Now, I find my creative outlet with my daughter.
My wife is from China and we want our child to learn Mandarin first to preserve her heritage. This is particularly difficult, because I don’t speak much of it (growing up in a small NY town). So, any little creative juices I have go to teaching something that I’m also learning at the same time. Right now, I’m lying on the floor of my kid’s room, placing these little pog-like discs over my mouth and asking her what animal is printed on it. If she said it right (tones and all), I give a thumbs up and blow it into the air so she can try to catch it (hasn’t gotten one wrong yet).
Every day, it’s a new game, book, song that I come up with with what little Chinese I know, in the hope that the student will surpass the master (my wife, not me. I’m no master!).
It’s childish in a way, but all creativity comes from the 9-year old version of ourselves Deep inside us all. And if it’s a benefit someone, to ourselves or others, than that creativity is never wasted.
Now, I’m off to read a book in a language I don’t fully understand, complete with animal noises and funny voices. Wish me luck!
Can really relate to expressing creativity with children. Love your language games!! She's a lucky kid. Creativity comes naturally to them, it's just play really, we just have to meet them there.
Do you know this newsletter - https://www.thenewfatherhood.org?
It's partly what got me onto this platform and I love that conversation about bringing fatherhood into the modern era.
Thanks Jake, I’ll check it out!