July 17

Reading

Vein of Gold
Notes:
Mind Map

dreamtime
imagic-nation
causal plane
walking
"cross the bridge" into a "space"where our imagination and thoughts
start to take a physical form
vibration 6 rhythm
(desire + energy) + imagination (thoughts)= manifestation (solid form)
dreams (thoughts) become reality

"As we walk, we "cross the bridge" into the realm of desire and imagination."

Julia Cameron - Vein of Gold pg. 32

DeBono Creativity Work-out
Exercise #9 Value
Pick 5 random words
Which word creates the most value (Expensive, Safest, etc)

Exercise #10
Multiple Connections
Pick 2 random words
Create multiple connects for these words
(Go beyond the obvious)
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If You Want To Write - Ueland
Chapter 3

"But the moment I read Van Gogh's letter I knew what art was, and the creative impulse. It is a feeling of love and enthusiasm for something and in a direct, simple, passionate and true way, you try to show this beauty in things to others, by drawing it."

Ueland - If You Want To Write pg 19

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I've read in multiple locations in the past 2 weeks, the value of walking in the creative process. Taking a simple walk. Who would've guessed? Once again, it's the simple things. I can attest to the importance of walking, not only for the obvious health values, but also the way in which taking a 30 minute walk can free up the mind.
I started intentionally taking daily walks about 5 years ago. I can't imagine the number of miles I've covered in those 5 years. There really does seem to be some connection between the rhythm that you get into on a longer walk, coupled with the breathing that causes me to be able to go deeper with my imagination. Sometimes there is a flood of new ideas, things to do, new insights on projects, new melodies, old melodies, etc. Julia Cameron speaks of the importance of walking in the Vein of Gold. She explains how valued walking was to creative/spiritual groups all through history. Walking is an improvisation. I've asked students if they take the same route to school everyday or to their train station. Invariable, the answer is yes. Trying a new route is fun. It can be really surprising (even in your own neighborhood) what new things you will encounter just trying a different route. That's the same kind of idea as playing tunes in the same old keys. Try a tune in a new key. It's surprising what new ideas pop-out unexpectedly because the fingers aren't able to run through the same old patterns. Suddenly the subconscious is released!
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If You Want To Write-Chapter 5
Action
(Walking-everyday)

"I will tell you what I have learned myself. For me, a long 5 or 6 mile walk helps. And one must go alone and everyday.

My explanation of it is that when I walk in a carefree way, without straining to get to my destination, then I am living in the present. And it is only then that the creative power flourishes"

Ueland - If You Want To Write pg 43

Today
taking care of "odds and ends."
drivers License renewal
phone office-new battery
teaching at Senzoku
dentist
internet work
cafe-Couple of hours of reading
trumpet-late night long-tones

Taught final ensemble class of the semester today. Gave the students a copy of my latest CD. I gave them the CD because I wanted to stress to the students the idea of doing a complete creative project from beginning to end.
Create a concept/idea
Composition/arranging
Forming a band
Rehearse the band
Perform
Record
Post Production
Design/Photo/Art
Sales/Marketing
Follow-up gigs/tour

We talked about being involved in every step of the process rather than doing a

"corporately controlled"

project. Talked about how the culture is being created from the top down. (PR-propaganda-brain washing)
Documentary:
Century of the Self
Edward Bernays - "Father" of PR (Propaganda)
Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6




It's funny..serendipity I guess. This morning as I was packing to leave for the day, I put together the CD's for the students (to talk about "concept/idea oriented projects") and put an old issue of LENSWORK magazine in my bag. At the cafe, I started reading Brooks Jensen's editor's notes and he was talking about "portfolio-oriented projects" for photographers. It's really a great article and applies perfectly to musicians as well as photographers.

Notes:
why do folios?
project-oriented photography
material included (quantity) varies from artist to artist & project to project
consistency throughout the project
there is a "big picture" idea that encompasses the project
portfolios are about ideas-another level above just photos
tells a story
creates emotion

July 15

Exercise
Yoga/chikung/weights/walk

Practice
Morning/afternoon/evening sessions
Slow-slow-slow practice
A lot of interval practice today.
Learned the Monk tune: We See

Food

Spent some time reading at Mister Doughnut today. Had to try a new mango/peach/orange frozen drink and green tea doughnut. Have to keep tryin' new things!!!

After Mister Doughnut, went across the street to SATY department store/cinema complex. Stopped in the entrance and donned a pair of 3D glasses with some kids to catch a preview of a new Disney movie.

Movie
KNOWING - Nicolas Cage

Reading

Picked these things out randomly this afternoon to take to the cafe and read. Kind of surprising later when I got into the reading. Julia Cameron was referring to Ueland and her book in Vein of Gold. And then I started reading a great interview/article in Scientific American on the Creative Mind and found that Cameroon was one of the writers being interviewed.

If You Want To Write - Ueland
In chapter 4, Ueland speaks about the necessity for idle time in the creative process. Constant "busy work" can block the flow of new ideas. She says to not feel guilty about having periods of inactivity.

Vein of Gold - Cameron
Your Mode of Transportation: Walking
Cameron speaks of the importance of walking as a creative tool. She cites examples throughout history of creative/spiritual people making daliy walks a part of their creative process. This also goes hand in hand with Ueland's comments about being willing to have periods of idleness (which could include taking long walks each day).

Scientific American Mind
"The Creative Mind"
A valuable article with tons of info given in a very straight forward manner. In a nutshell:
Capturing Surrounding Challenging Broadening

"But if it is the dreamy idleness that children have, an idleness when you walk alone for a long time, or take a long, dreamy time at dressing, or lie in bed at night and thoughts come and go, or dig in a garden, or drive a car for many hours alone, or play the piano, or sew, or paint alone; or an idleness-and this is what I want you to do-where you sit with pencil and paper or before a typewriter quietly putting down what you happen to be thinking, that is creative idleness. With all my heart I tell you and reassure you: at such times you are being slowly filled and re-charged with warm imagination, with wonderful, living thoughts."

If You want to Write - Brenda Ueland
pg 33

"Walking is the most powerful creative tool that i know. Although it has fallen into disuse in our hurried times, it may be the most powerful spiritual practice known to man.

A creative life is a process, and that process is digestion. We speak of "food for thought" but seldom realize that as artists we need thought for food."

The Vein of Gold - Julia Cameron
pg 25

May 31

Yesterday, I mentioned Julia Cameron's book, "the Artist's Way." She explains that once a week or so it's important to take a day or part of day and have time to explore. She calls this the Artist's Date.

Artist's Date
"The Artist Date is a once-weekly, festive, solo expedition to explore something that interests you. The Artist Date need not be overtly "artistic"-- think mischief more than mastery." - J. Cameron

Today I got on the train and went about an hour northwest of Tokyo to Kawagoe. In Kawagoe is an old historic town called "Little Edo." Spent a couple of hours walking around taking photos. I left my house around 5am. It was so great to be walking around at 6 or 6:30am taking photos with no one on the street. So peaceful. When I finished, my energy felt restored.

Here a few samples (haven't had time to edit cause I've been taking so many photos the past 2 weeks!):

May 30

Clearing
Cleaning out/organizing/deleting files on the MAC today.
The "clearing process" is an amazingly simple tool for getting new and fresh energy flowing again. Cleaning a closet or a drawer...organzing a bookshelf...schedule. Maybe it only takes 5 minutes. But afterwards I feel great.

By doing this blog the past few days, I've been reminded about a powerful book I used in 1996. Maybe you've heard of "the Artist's Way" - A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron.

In this book, Cameron has a process called "Morning Pages" which is a very powerful tool for creativity, clearing, and establishing focus all in one. I highly recommend this book. For me this blog has been kind of a return to the "morning pages." Below is a link to a pdf file on her website that gives you a set of tools to work with if you are new to her work or a good review if you've been down that path already.

The Basic Tools page
The Basic Tools pdf