Come Original

I was jogging yesterday and a song by John Reuben came on called "Thank You." I've had this song on my iPod for years but for some reason, this time, I listened more intently to the lyrics. This line stood out:


"I really know there's nothing new under the sun, but yet I want to do it like it's never been done."



It started my mind spinning... There are only 4 colors, 7 notes, 10 digits, 3 dimensions, 26 letters... What limitations! As creative people, we are challenged with finding new ways to create within these limitations. How can we "push the envelope" or "think outside the box" when our limits are are so defined? We struggle to find originality within ourselves and so often is the outcome tainted by our knowledge of the already-created. Sometimes I feel like originality is the art of camouflaging someone else's idea; Taking what already exists and twisting it beyond recognition. Is this a form of originality?

Last night's American Idol featured songs from the Lennon-McCartney songbook. These former Beatles are praised so highly for their contribution to music and songwriting. Of course, their songs have lasted decades and will probably continue to stand the test of time. That said, what is it that makes their compositions so steadfast? They were also confined to the "7 notes" limit. (7 notes and 5 semi-tones). That magic combination of wordplay and melodic surprise, conjuring emotion and provoking imagination.

So that's the secret - using the knowledge of our limitations to our advantage. Knowing that we have 7 notes, one language and 3.5 minutes to make a smash hit... 4 colors and a square canvas to make a masterpiece... 10 digits and 26 letters to assign a unique license plate! In all aspects of our daily lives, we are called to be unique; to stand out. Our employers value it in us, and our employees rely on it. For some, it comes naturally. For many others, it's a constant battle. Humans have been making music, painting, creating languages for thousands of years. Will we eventually arrive at a point where it's all been done? Will there ever come a day where originality becomes synonymous with reinvention? I guess the next question is... is that such a bad thing?

The Process

I absolutely love my job (if you could even call it that!). I look forward to stepping into this studio and cranking up the equipment and just being creative. Whether it be all by myself or with a group of 20 people, the process of creating music gives me an indescribable rush.

I'm often amazed at how intimidated some people are by this place. Not just the complicated equipment, but by the prcoess of creating a song itself. Some people are under the impression that if they don't have a band, or a chord chart, or an ability to play an instrument, they can't record. Of course they can! In fact, most people come in here with nothing but a melody in their head. It's my job to translate their vision into a recording. The process is a blast for all involved.

I bet there are a lot of people out there who never end up recording because they never feel like they're "ready." I hope some of them are reading this!

alimento de conforte

You know the feeling. Nothing can come close to the way you feel when you bite into what you call your "comfort food." You've had a long day, received some sad news, argued with someone close to you... and all you want is your comfort food. We know that in this crazy world of fleeting relationships and overwhelming choices, there is at least this one thing that will always stay the same. Comfort food grounds us, in a way, and reminds us that there are some things out there that won't betray us.

That said, I'm hungry.

Baby don't believe it,

Oh, it's in your eyes.

I can see the weakness,

You don't have to hide.

I can take you under, under my wing

'cause your voice gives me a song

That I love to sing...

"Build You Up" by Nelly Furtado, Folklore (2002)

Off Days vs. Days Off

Yesterday, I experienced what I like to call an "off day" with a client of mine. It was simply a day where creativity, energy and motivation were at a low. It happens. It's happened with most every client I've worked with. It's a part of the process.

Creativity is a funny thing. It can wake you up in the middle of the night, pounding on your brain to take initiative... or it can be an elusive foe, hiding just beyond reach. You can force it, often with so-so results. You can even fake it, again with a lackluster outcome. One thing is for sure - you can't ignore it. You must take advantage of it.

So what do we do on a day where crativity chooses to take a vacation? We quit! That's right. Turn your focus somewhere else. If you start to feel like you're beating your head against a wall and nothing you do is coming out right, move on. Go somewhere else and do something you want to do. Something you know won't be taxing on the brain. I guarantee that in a few hours time, creativity will come out of hiding and dance in front of you.

P.S. The same is true with motivation and energy. Quick fixes for these? Respectively: procrastination and caffeine. :)

Music

"Teaches us the art of forming concords, so as to compose delightful harmony, by a mathematical and proportional arrangement of acute, grave and mixed sounds. This art by a series of experiments, is reduced to a demonstrative science, with respect to tones and intervals of sound. It inquires into the nature of concords, discords, and enables us to find out the proportion between them by numbers."

- from Lightfoot's Manual of the Lodge (Texas), 1934

An Exclamation Point is A Gift from Above!

I studied Spanish in High School, and even what little college I actually attended. It's always been a fascination of mine, and I've continued my study of the language in my own time. Recently, however, I've had the desire to use it. I've rarely had to speak it, and I always clam up when the potential for conversation arises. I'd love to be confident enough to strike up a conversation with a native speaker. Also a fascination of mine has been Portuguese. The language is similar to Spanish in form, but very different in pronunciation. I've taught myself a handful of Portuguese words and phrases and spent a substantial amount of time learning the ins and outs of the language's quirky phonics. The language has a rich cultural history and the lexicon is a cornucopia of origins. Thirdly, American Sign Language (ASL) is a language I long to be fluent in. I've had a number of friends throughout my life who use ASL frequently and have taught me a lot. What a beautiful thing! To be able to communicate without speech.

I'm not sure where my appreciation for language comes from, but one thing I'm determined not to forget is that English is an amazing language that gets taken for granted by its native speakers. Of course, a language is something that grows and evolves over time, and can even grow into a region-specific dialects. That said, I think it is very important to preserve as much of the language as we can. How often have you seen this sentence: "Wut r u doin?" More and more, I see similar (and sometimes more severe) perversions of the English language. It makes me sad to think that some people don't know the difference between they're and their. I don't believe it's a product of poor education, but it's a result of the growing phenomenon of the way kids communicate with each other: texting, email, blogs, etc. Words have become approximated and their meanings expected to be interpolated. Are we witnessing a degeneration of our language? I'm sure we're all guilty of it. Most of us say "gonna," "wanna," and "k" (instead of okay). But we know that writing those words as we say them is... well, incorrect.

I always say that it must be frustrating to be learning English as a second language because of the examples we choose to elevate in our pop culture. Song titles and lyrics are littered with poor grammar and intentionally misspelled words (guilty!). I believe that there is a place for such "cutsieness" in pop-culture. After all, one of the wonderful things about our language is its flexibility and readiness to adapt. But let's draw the line! Let's take email and texting back! Let's use capitalization and punctuation the way they were intended! English is rich and full of expressivity. Instead of using smilies and various onomatopoeic expressions (like "ugh"), let's use English correctly! Let's use it to its full potential and stop using shortcuts when we write.