August 21

Noticing that there is a major distinction between creating ideas and doing the necessary execution to bring the idea into reality.

I'm wondering if there could be a right-brain left-brain connection problem. People that are great creating ideas seem to have trouble sometimes with the step by step methodical execution of the idea/plan. The "grunt" work involved in making the idea into a real thing appears to be boring for some.

There's really nothing creative about sitting in a room [for hours, days, weeks, months, years] and practicing scales/chords and technical studies. That is a very left-brain kind of activity. However, it's quite necessary if one has any hope of being able to do the execution required to bring out that idea that's floating around in the inner ear.

August 15

Recently, heard about the trumpet player Florent Brique. Been checking out his band. Here is a nice groove they did at the Vienna Jazz Festival.

Really creative project.

August 14

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrence_McKenna
http://deoxy.org/media/McKenna

My buddy Curtis turned me on to McKenna today. Woke-up, came in and sat dow at the computer and there were the links sitting in front of me in a chat box.

August 7

Can't say enough but, don't want to say too much about this interview. Lawrence says some priceless things. I would put some quotes here but, there are simply too many. Young creators really should listen to this (many times) and older creators should listen to get "re-grounded" into the things that drew them into the creative world in the beginning.

Lawrence Williams Interview (video

Art of Lawrence Williams

August 5

"If you don't know history, it's like you were born yesterday."

Howard Zinn

August 3

Went to Miyakojima in Okinawa last year. Maybe it's just about time to go there again. Miyakojima is a tropical paradise, actually closer to Taiwan than the main southern Japanese islands. I didn't see any evidence of over-development there. Lots of wide-open spaces, sugar cane farms, beautiful white sand beaches and quiet. I'll have to say, in the past few years, except for my occasional trips to West Virginia or west of Tokyo to the Japanese alps, I felt the most inspired to create while on Miyakojima. I just love nature. That's it. Period. Very difficult for me to feel inspired living in the city. I guess I can create anywhere and under a lot of different conditions. But, if I had my preference......

July 29

Saw this amazing site today riding along in the bus from Tokyo to Karuizawa. Fortunately, I had my camera on the seat beside me and was able to grab a quick shot of this beautiful green valley.

I had been feeling really stressed for days before this trip. As soon as I saw this site and was able to get a photo, all of the tension and stress left my body. Amazing. It was such a simple thing that brought transformation. and it happened so quickly and effortlessly.

As I dig deeper into this "creative process" project, the more I find it's really the uncomplicated, effortless things that seem to create and/or bring me back to a state of "flow."

July 28

The Future of Music on NPR
Great interview with David Kusek (Berklee College of Music)
Click on the above link and listen/download the interview.

As independent musicians, should we make CD's in the future? Just record tracks and sell them online? How to build a base of people interested in our music? Record deals? Do we need the major labels anymore? Just use the recording as a promotional tool, as a business card? Wondering where the creative process plays a part in all of this. Branding?

June 26

Quote

"The painter passes through states of fullness and of emptying. That is the whole secret of art. I take a walk in the forest of Fontainebleau. There I get an indigestion of greenness, I must empty this sensation into a picture. Green dominates in it. The painter paints as if in urgent need to discharge himself of his sensations and his visions."

Christian Zervos and Pablo Picasso, "Conversations with Picasso"
Cathiers d'Art, 1935
The Creative Process, pg 59

Interview
Jon Hassell | Ambassador From the Fourth World

June 24

Music
Had a fun gig last night with the Jeff Curry Trio at the New Marunouchi Building in Tokyo. It was great playing again in a piano-less trio. No offense to all the piano players I know. It's been a while and felt good. Harmonically, I like that freedom. Also, it felt comfortable to play flugel in that group with the wood bass and wooden drums and in a large open space. Tone of the instruments seemed to match up well. I need to consistently play in a group like that because maybe sometimes I rely a little too much on listening to piano players for the form. When playing in this type of trio I sometimes feel like I get lost in the form or am on the edge. That used to bother me a lot more than it does these days. I just figure if we lose the form, that's how somebody on the bandstand was hearing it and let's go with that. It used to be a source of tension and stress. These days, my thinking has completely changed about those things. I love a quote I heard yesterday...

"If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original."

Ken Robinson

Art
Living in Tokyo? If you're into going to museums, you have to use Tokyo Art Beat's handy little guide to the Tokyo Art Scene.

Tokyo Art Beat Website
Tokyo Art Map (download) PDF

Powered by Tokyo Art Beat

Magazines
I've enjoyed Z magazine because of the wide spectrum they cover. Just scanning through magazines like this can open up some new areas of thought.



Exercise
Doing a new yoga pose today. Great for stretching knees, legs and ankles. Been having a lot of pain in my left ankle recently. Sometimes it has been difficult to walk. Going to the doctor SOON!
Utthita Parsvakonasana


Movie
Saw a great 1954 Japanese movie today at Shin-Bungeiz theater in Ikebukuro. They're having a film festival celebrating the work of Kyo Machiko. The name of this movie was Shunkin Monogatari (The Story of Shunkin).
Shin-Bungeiza Theater



Misc
Sat in a cafe doing some DeBono random word exercises tonight. Did one called "double effect." The results were really surprising.