Tag: creativity

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Clang, clang, clang!

Today I made the delightful discovery that Voctave has recorded “The Trolley Song” — one of my absolute most favorite songs of all time!

My first introduction to this song was on my Dad’s recording of the Dave Brubeck Quartet, featuring Paul Desmond on alto saxophone. I was in high school and saxophone was my main instrument at the time. So, Paul Desmond was basically my hero, but more than that was simply how the song made me feel. It’s just so buoyant and happy.

It wasn’t until many years later that I saw the movie, “Meet Me in St. Louis,” and finally heard the original version of the song, sung by Judy Garland. I found it to be just as buoyant and happy as ever.

Which brings me back to Voctave. In addition to the buoyant and happy song itself, I love the over-the-top fun and creativity they brought to their version.

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Making it up as we go along

It was (and still is) a great idea. Everyone thought so.

And the obviously perfect date for it was…well, yeah, maybe a little soon.

But no matter! Let’s go for it…except it’s maybe just a little bit bigger than we counted on?

Oops.

That’s okay. There’s nothing like a bit of pressure to raise one’s energy and level of creativity, right?

Right?!? 😂

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The fierce urgency of now

Today I’m experiencing the intense frustration that results from feeling my unique version of the “fierce urgency of now,” while at the same time feeling stuck, as though there’s something holding me back from the appropriate “vigorous and positive action.”

Arggghhhh!

I could be wrong, but I’m beginning to suspect it has to do with the fact that I haven’t made virtually any music in almost six weeks. And it’s not just a matter of my singing/playing getting “rusty;” it’s the not dipping into the flow of creativity and not enjoying the energy exchange that comes with participating in an ensemble and from performing for people.

So, in looking for a visually magnetic version of the above Martin Luther King quote, I stumbled on a blog with the attention-getting (to me, at least!) title of “Shut Up and Create.” This really felt like Divine Mother was talking to me! 😂

Anyway, this particular “Shut Up and Create” post — The fierce urgency of NOW…it’s on us — was published almost exactly a year ago and contains some sentences that really resonated for me…
“…your work, ideas, activism, advocacy, and creativity are needed NOW. What are you sitting on that will make our world a better place to be free in?” [and] “The world is waiting for you to put your ideas, skill, talents, and thoughts into action. That book, app, learning community, workshop, non-profit, social enterprise you’ve been sitting on is needed NOW.”

Reading this is both exhilarating and terrifying, because I know in my heart that this is my time and my test.

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A doodle (re)discovery!

I called a business today and was put on hold. Nothing new there.

But then I did something I haven’t done in ages…while waiting I started to doodle. And that was actually quite amazing; I don’t know what prompted me to do it, but it felt like an important (re)discovery.

I used to doodle a lot when I was young; both in-the-margin type doodles and drawings that involved lots of repetitive detail work. But somewhere along the way I seem to have stopped. I wonder why…

After I had finished the phone call I continued doodling for a while, just because. It felt rather odd, like I was “rusty” at it, but it also felt…good. That made me curious to know more about it.

Turns out doodling is a trendy thing nowadays (unlike when I was a kid and you just did it!), mainly because science has proven its benefits. I found a ton of interesting articles about it (see links at the bottom of the page).

But here’s what I found truly hilarious: there were also lots of articles and videos and products on “How to Doodle” — I mean, correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that like taking lessons in how to be spontaneous?

Oh well, the important thing is that I think it would be a good idea to start doodling regularly again. Fun!

The Power of the Doodle: Improve Your Focus and Memory (Wall Street Journal)

The Cognitive Benefits of Doodling (The Atlantic)

5 Big Benefits Of Being A Doodler (HuffPost)

The Benefits of Doodling (Vox)

The Power and Purpose of Doodling (The Art of Education University)

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World Brotherhood Day 2020

This evening we kicked of our (adjusted) holiday season by celebrating World Brotherhood Day entirely online! As with so many other events throughout this remarkable year, creativity and expansive thinking carried the day and it ended up being more inspiring than ever!

The interactive breakout sessions were great fun, but my favorite moment was the spontaneous sing-along of “The Christmas Mystery” after the event was officially “over” — pure bliss!

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A successful day in the studio

Christian and Neha in the booth while Ramesha lays down a violin track.

Guitar track. ✔
Melody vocals. ✔
Background vocals. ✔
Keyboard strings. ✔
Violin. ✔

Laughter. ✔
Satsang. ✔
Creativity. ✔
Fun. ✔
Joy. ✔

Yep, most definitely a successful day in the studio! 🎤

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Creativity down the drain

I’ve been in a less than exciting process these days.

Gathering details and resources; embedding links; uploading files (which seems to take forever). It’s all for the worthiest of causes (a virtual choir video in honor of Swamiji’s discipleship anniversary). But it’s also just a wee bit tedious.

Work like this seems to drain away all my creative juices. I know it hasn’t really; that it’s just how it’s feeling in the moment. Not much fun, regardless…

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The power of video

I happened to stumble upon an article in blog post about creativity in advertising (no idea how I got there! 😄). It was about a Nike video and had this to say:

“The astonishing editing work is a great way to deliver the message—about the unifying power of sport, at a time when the specter of Covid still hangs heavily over all professional sports leagues’ best-laid plans; and about the pursuit of an equal playing field by athletes looking to create change.”

Needless to say, I was intrigued and promptly watched the video. Which is, indeed, awesome.

https://youtu.be/WA4dDs0T7sM

So then I explored further and watched another Nike ad that I found deeply inspiring. This quote is a statement by the video’s narrator, basketball star LaBron James:

“The whole world, we’re fighting for something bigger than a championship right now. People are struggling, and this continues to be an incredibly difficult time. For me, thinking forward to a time when we’ll be able to play again, it keeps me going. Even if basketball looks different for a while, I’m excited about the possibility of getting back in the game because I know how inspiring and powerful sports can be. I think the lessons we learn from sport can inspire us all.”

https://youtu.be/R-t8qPldklc

So, then the article referenced a Nike ad that was described as:

“this stark meditation on racism and the Black Lives Matter movement.”

And I was blown away by the simple power of its message.

My takeaway? It takes impressive amounts of talent and resources to create such incredibly potent combinations of visual imagery, music, and words. I’m just grateful that the powerful messages conveyed are ones of positivity, inclusiveness, and compassion.