Bev's Blender Brain Blog

Creativity: the highwire between art and commerce

Innovation is the high wire between art and commerce ... with death a distinct possibility

Jessica Hagy's Indexed blog has received several awards, including "favorite reason for the Internet to exist." I have to agree, its a favorite stopping point for me. Every morning Jessica sits down with a cup of coffee and a blank index card, and waxes philosophical with statistically irrelevant graphs.

Like this one from January 9, 2009. (thanks Jessica, for permission to reprint)

Last May, I blogged about creativity and the day job, and where I was with my own internal struggle on that topic. Seeing Jessica's statistically irrelevant graph prompted me to think about where I'm at now.

Its clear that this topic is on more minds than just mine. Last November, Christine Kane blogged about whether or not "going pro" can squeeze the joy out of your passion, prompted by a blog by Seth Godin. I agree with Christine's assessment - I'm paraphrasing to match my theme here, but the gist is that the happiest people are the ones who decide how they are going to balance art and commerce in their lives. (read her whole post linked above, its very good)

Last week we had a surprise visit from a friend and touring musician, Hans York. I love Hans. He called us in the morning and said he'd be passing through the area later that day and asked if we had time to hang out. We invited him to stay the night, and he made us a fantastic dinner - I mean Michelin Five Star fantastic. But I digress. (and I'm still drooling...) Hans, Greg and I talked about this topic of art, creativity and money that night.

I moderated a panel at the 2008 FAR-West conference on touring strategies for independent acoustic musicians with Hans, Freebo, Cosy Sheridan and TR Ritchie. We talked a lot about balance in that session. Staying grounded, taking care of yourself, making yourself available to innovate.

Freebo is spending more time at home in LA these days, doing creativity workshops. Cosy and TR stay out about 2-3 weeks, then "head home to the barn" in Moab Utah where they run the Moab Folk Camp. Hans tours for about three months at a time - and that's really hard. All agreed that balance comes from searching out those situations that renew and revive. In Hans' case, it means not getting caught up in the quest for the big stages (not that he doesn't love playing them) but rather enjoying the intimacy and soul-feeding experience of playing house concerts.

Which brings me to last Friday night, January 9 - the day Jessica posted her indexed graph on commerce and art.

In our living room, we hosted a house concert featuring Randall Williams, another good friend and touring musician. Randall, like Freebo, Cosy, TR and Hans, is someone who has always made his living by his art. He's traveled the world - some of it solo in a very small sail boat. He's written a book about that trip, called The Sea Inside. He's taught clinics, written a book and cut an instructional DVD on partial capo techniques for Kyser. He's also currently on David Wilcox's PR/social media team.

So all of those things that are outside of writing, recording and performing his own music, would be his "day job," right? Those collective experiences are what drive Randall's innovation. The crazy high wire of booking, driving, marketing, teaching, etc. - it all impacts his writing, recording and performing. How could it not?

So here's where I am with this now: I think every innovative artist is the sum of all his or her life experiences, whether those experiences are with driving children around your home town, international travel, heartbreak, elder care or a day job related to music, PR, technology, or whatever. At the end of the day - or the end of the concert - were you moved? If so, who cares where they took their lunch break that day?

blog republished 1/15 with corrected links. and spellilng.

Scrabble, community, and what I learned from my mother over Christmas

Greg and I just spent four great days with my mom and dad in Texas, about an hour outside of Austin. No schedule, very quiet ... lots of time for napping, afternoon wine and Scrabble.

My mother is a Scrabble shark.

Over the past four or five years of visits to Texas I had never beaten my mother at Scrabble - until now. I finally realized that while I was growing up and she was teaching me to play nice, preparing me for a community-minded adulthood where I value creativity and pride myself on creating opportunities for others, what she was really doing was plotting her Scrabble domination strategy.

You see, I look at the Scrabble board and want to play a long word that will open up more opportunity for others to play. I look at those seven letters before me and I try to create something beautiful - the perfect word for the perfect spot on the board. While my mother - the artist - looks at how she can score 45 points with one letter.

This time, I finally got it. I chose not to care that the entire upper left section of the board was blank. I played the word WEIRD, capitalizing on mother's "FAKE," which included the high scoring "K." I found numerous other opportunities for those 'one letter takes all' kind of moves. Final score? Bev 301, Mom 265. Ha! Got her!

True to motherhood, she was very happy for me. And she didn't even point out that she was the one who suggested I play ANTSY, which racked up a whole bunch of points.

So what was the lesson learned? Community is wonderful. Creating opportunities for others is still the best way to conduct my life and engage that community. But maybe, just maybe, there are times when I need to make sure I really understand the rules of the game and use them to my advantage. And the experts at the game might even notice my community-mindedness and offer to help me out with the tough spots, even when I get antsy about it.

Thanks mom.

Happy birthday mom - there's nothing better to be thankful for

My mom's birthday often falls on or around Thanksgiving. Today, Thanksgiving 2008, is an "on" birthday. So I'm going to get a little mushy here, be forewarned. Today, I am most thankful for my mother.

I've been thinking a lot about the mother daughter thing lately. My own daughter is 17 and in the midst of applying to colleges, which means I have less than a year to enjoy her then she'll be gone.  My step daughter will be 18 in four months and is working very hard to be independent, which means we have even less time with her. Mother and daugther relationships are tricky business indeed.

My own relationship with my mother has developed as I suppose most do over the years. I've grown to appreciate so many wonderful qualities and insights that she has, things that I was not able to see when I was younger and she was annoyed by the greasy cold water left standing in dirty bowls in the sink (and yes, now I complain about that to my own kids).

My mother is an artist - a wonderfully sensitive and creative artist. Her works in watercolor and hand made paper now adorn my walls and I think of her every day as I enjoy them. Even though I never call to tell her that. Although I didn't realize it while I was growing up, I know now that she's had a tremendous impact on the way I view the world. Seeing through the eyes of an artist means everything is possible, everything has beauty and everything can be shaped into something new.

One of the most touching and loving things my mother has ever done for me was to send me a note in the mail after a phone conversation we had, which told me she understood one of the most difficult decisions I've ever had to make. With the soft image of hyacinths, she wrote this Persian proverb:

If you of all your goods are suddenly bereft,
and of your worldly store two loaves alone to thee are left,
sell one and with the dole
buy hyacinths to soothe your soul

I love you mother. Happy Thanksgiving, and happy birthday.

I voted

 

Everyone has a story about today. Its one of those days that we'll talk about for years to come.

Larissa told me about her experience, when the poll worker asked an elderly black gentleman if he'd like to put his ballot in the box himself, and his response was "It would be my biggest pleasure."

Ann Handley blogged about whether or not kids are more civic minded today, and I commented about my memories of the 1972 election, when I was in middle school. It seems as if today's kids are more likely to speak their own mind rather than parrot their parent's thinking.

Freebo send an email recounting his experience standing in line for two and a half hours, in his racially mixed neighborhood in Los Angeles. "The vibe in that line was one of empowerment, hope and the prospect of change, optimism in my country that I haven't seen in many a year," he said.

As of this writing, 4,656,755 Facebook members have voted. This morning when I logged in it was around 2 million, and the number is constantly updated in real time.

My story? My 17-year-old daughter was the poll worker who signed me in. That made me cry all the way to work.

What's your story?

Down to the Wire for the Donors Choose Kids

I apply the concept of Just in Time Manufacturing to everything in my life. It works great for Toyota, but its not the way ANY if the self help books on organization tell you to get things done in day to day life.

The mess I've created for myself by over committing requires that whatever deadline is closest, whomever is screaming loudest or what ever pile of laundry is preventing me from finding my car keys is the one I pay attention to next.

To wit: I've been telling my friend and fellow blogger Larissa since the beginning of October that I would help her promote her Donors Choose Blogger's Challenge initiative. So with only a couple of days left before Halloween, I'm on it!

Donor's Choose is a very cool organization that matches donors with specific projects in schools around the country. Teachers outline their projects and wish lists on the Donor's Choose Web site, you peruse around and see what you'd like to make happen for some very cool little boys and girls. Just go to Larissa's Donors Choose page to find just the project that makes you smile (and open your wallet).

If you give $100 or more, or if you give the last bit of money required to complete any project, you get a fantastic gift in return - pictures, thank you notes and drawings from the kids that you've helped. How cool is that?

I was with Larissa when her package arrived with a long banner of kids hand prints, the first time she completed a project via Donor's Choose. She was all aglow. And for a regularly glowing person like Larissa, it was extra special.

So... are you looking for something to remind you what's important in life? Looking for inspiration, a promise of the future? Look to these kids. They need you, and you can help.

Larissa's Donors Choose Page

Tolerance, Acceptance, and People Holding Hands

California typically votes democratic, so we're not seeing a lot of presidential campaign ads here. Its not the place to spend the ad dollars.

What we do hear a lot about this election is Proposition 8. Its one of those propositions where yes is no, and no is yes. A 'yes' vote on Prop 8 is FOR a constitutional BAN on same sex marriage.

For the conservative right, as usual, its all about FEAR.

A few years ago, I was talking with my sister about the word tolerance, vs. the word acceptance. There's a huge difference. Listening to the radio today, it really hit me. The fear-based claim I heard was that if proposition 8 passes, we won't simply have to tolerate same sex marriage, we'll be forced to accept it.

Acceptance is based in love. Tolerance is based in fear.

Greg and I went to an Obama fund raiser house concert this past Sunday afternoon at a beautiful historic home in Santa Cruz. Richard Berman, one of our favorite songwriters, was performing. Richard doesn't write political songs. He writes stories.

Holding hands in Wal-Mart
Doesn't seem especially brave
But I was right behind them
And I saw the cashier's face

The look of shock, then anger
Then the masking of that glance
So much feeling stirred so quickly
By two women holding hands

The world is not in danger
Of succumbing to a flood
Of being overwhelmed
By a rising sea of love

Every kind of caring
Is a blessing on the land
Seems what's needed here is more
Not less
Of people holding hands

The song goes on, delving into an imagined history of these women, ending with the author's thoughts as to whether or not, if he loved another man, he would be brave enough to take his hand in Walmart. 

Its a true story. And most of it It all actually happened at a Walmart in Alamogordo, New Mexico.  

Listen and download "People Holding Hands" on iTunes.

UPDATE TO THIS POST

Most songwriters, myself included, find it difficult to tell a story exactly the way it happened. Those who try usually end up with a stilted narrative, not a flowing song. Instead we take a snip of life overheard at the grocery store, see an exchange between to people on the street or read a headline in the newspaper and off we go, making up the story behind what we've seen. I always say that just because it didn't happen, it doesn't mean its not true.

I assumed that was the case with this song - that Richard had seen that glance at the Walmart check out line, and off he went. But Richard is the rare songwriter who can tell the story as it happened and make it a great song. 

The rest of the story...

One of the women had had a husband
For over sixteen years
Had worked hard to see herself
As happy as she appeared

But there was a voice that called her
From someplace deep inside
That told her not to settle
And would not be denied

Her father knows the Gospel
He's an elder in his church
And for him his daughter's choice
Unravels his life's work

"You know you're killing your mother"
He tells her when she phones
And once again she's made to see
There's no more going home

I watch these women walking
And I am a bit in awe
They pay no heed to cashiers
Or others in the store

And I wonder 'bout myself
If I loved another man
Would I walk with him through Wal-Mart?
Would I offer him my hand?

The "salad dressing guy"

Earlier this year I lamented that my daughter said she didn't like Meryl Streep, identifying her as the evil woman in The Devil Wears Prada. She had no idea about the actress's prior 30 or so years of great roles.

Here we are again. We had a rare family bonding trip to Krispy Kreme yesterday morning (another story - had to explain that now that they are taller than us they are no longer eligible for free donuts hot off the conveyer belt). In the car we mentioned that Paul Newman had died. One clueless teenager said to the other "who's Paul Newman?" The other clueless teenager said "The salad dressing guy."

The salad dressing guy??? 

In their defense, at least they eat salad. With good dressing. And the movie buff teenager wasn't in the car, he was at home sleeping. But still, I think I'll send them here to watch a few clips from Paul Newman movies like Cool Land Luke and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

And we could all learn a lesson from Paul Newman's outlook on life. This, from the New York Times article on his life and death.

“We are such spendthrifts with our lives,” Mr. Newman once told a reporter. “The trick of living is to slip on and off the planet with the least fuss you can muster. I’m not running for sainthood. I just happen to think that in life we need to be a little like the farmer, who puts back into the soil what he takes out.”

But, back to the salad dressing... read more about Paul Newman's shamless exploitation in pursuit of the common good. Then go buy some really good salad dressing and watch your favorite Paul Newman movie.