Ghost Lion

A few people are afraid of good ideas, ideas that make a difference or contribute in some way. Good ideas bring change, that’s frightening.

But many people are petrified of bad ideas. Ideas that make us look stupid or waste time or money or create some sort of backlash.

The problem is that you can’t have good ideas unless you’re willing to generate a lot of bad ones.

Painters, musicians, entrepreneurs, writers, chiropractors, accountants–we all fail far more than we succeed. We fail at closing a sale or playing a note. We fail at an idea for a series of paintings or the theme for a trade show booth.

But we succeed far more often than people who have no ideas at all.

Someone asked me where I get all my good ideas, explaining that it takes him a month or two to come up with one and I seem to have more than that. I asked him how many bad ideas he has every month. He paused and said, “none.”

And there, you see, is the problem.

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Last week, while I was singing, writing, trying to finish a new song, Emily told me she didn’t think she liked the verse very much. I don’t why, but for some reason, that comment just knocked the wind from my creative sails right then and there; I didn’t feel like writing anymore. I mean . . . I couldn’t — how could I keep playing this song over and over knowing that someone, particularly my fiance, in the room over doesn’t like it?

Two things came to mind:

1. Honest feedback in our people-pleasing society is like water in the desert; it should be cherished.

2. Artists, who have made a mark on history, followed their muse despite negative feedback.

Within that dichotomy, there is a delicate chemistry. It’s “how do I fine tune my abilities to communicate well with an audience” but still do it in the way that I want, saying exactly what I want.

How do you balance criticism, feedback, and being true to yourself?

- blake

JP is a friend, artist, and cinematographer and has always had an eye for capturing moments – this time with light painting, sans photoshop or any post-production effects.

Reminds my lazy, ADD self to act now and live in moments. His cube series pictured above is my favorite from him so far. Check for more of Jason’s photo’s at JasonDPage.com

Falling Whistles – Be a Whistleblower for Peace in Congo from Falling Whistles on Vimeo.

I’ve been putting my finger down my throat in order vomit these words out and I’m relieved and excited that the song is almost complete. Here is the rough draft of what I’ve got so far:

I Know Evil (Like A Friend)

I got it, I know it
Mostly flawed with a pinch heroic
I’m Murray ghostbustin’
Slimers in my head

Somethin’ ain’t right
Somethin ain’t right

Role models, I got none
In truth, I did but then they shot em’
Hey hot slug, did ya achieve your dreams?
I still dream

Somethin’ ain’t right
Somethin’ ain’t right

Is there just one honest man
To lead against the old command
I’ve got the brains but not the rep
I know evil just like a friend

du, du, du, ga ga ga go oh

I’ll fight ya, no nunchucks
A heritage spawning who can we trust
White guilt here. who? me? nooooo

Somethin’ ain’t right
Somethin’ ain’t right

Is there just one honest man
To lead against the old command
I’ve got the brains but not the rep
I know evil just like a friend

Take my weakness
Don’t blow away
My house built
On just paper plates

But we’re moving
with bags of stones
I’ve got mine
And you’ve got your own

Build a home with burnt forrest
And we’ll make a cake out of porridge
Take my weakness and transform it

Is there just one honest man
To lead against the old command
I’ve got the brains but not the rep
I know evil just like a friend

HOW YOU LIVE CHANGES YOUR BRAIN by Milton Glaser

I was fascinated by a story in a newspaper a few years ago about the search for perfect pitch. A group of scientists decided that they were going to find out why certain people have perfect pitch. You know certain people hear a note precisely and are able to replicate it at exactly the right pitch. Some people have relevant pitch; perfect pitch is rare even among musicians. The scientists discovered – I don’t know how – that among people with perfect pitch the brain was different. Certain lobes of the brain had undergone some change or deformation that was always present with those who had perfect pitch. This was interesting enough in itself. But then they discovered something even more fascinating. If you took a bunch of kids and taught them to play the violin at the age of 4 or 5 after a couple of years some of them developed perfect pitch, and in all of those cases their brain structure had changed. Well what could that mean for the rest of us? We tend to believe that the mind affects the body and the body affects the mind, although we do not generally believe that everything we do affects the brain. I am convinced that if someone was to yell at me from across the street my brain could be affected and my life might changed. That is why your mother always said, ‘Don’t hang out with those bad kids.’ Mama was right. Thought changes our life and our behaviour. I also believe that drawing works in the same way. I am a great advocate of drawing, not in order to become an illustrator, but because I believe drawing changes the brain in the same way as the search to create the right note changes the brain of a violinist. Drawing also makes you attentive. It makes you pay attention to what you are looking at, which is not so easy.

Excerpt from “Ten Things I’ve Learned” by Milton Glaser