Lately I have been blogging mostly on my China related site, but its time for some non China related thoughts. Still this blog is somehow connected to a longer piece I recently wrote on creativity in China. Its a confession of one of the great creatives of our time: Sting.
I have to admit that Sting never really entered my musical awareness. But listening to his hits now, I recognize most of them as common ground music history. Sting is now 60 something, but on the TED stage he appears to be in his early 40ies. Creativity also seems to be a secret for eternal youth!
There are 3 thoughts I want to share on his TED talk, which is highly recommendable, because its private (he really tells about himself), aesthetic (what beautiful ballads) and insightful (creativity as god's gift to accomplish things).
1. Sting says: "I was left alone ... every morning when my father would deliver milk ... and I had time in those morning hours to dream up my future life." As Tom Hodgkinson puts it: "Leave the child alone!" is an essential part of developing a creative potential within a young human.
2. Sting says: "I realized that I was writing in my native dialect and the words came to me like projectile vomiting." Sometimes an assimilated language can be helpful to grow a distance between past and present. Sometimes going back to one's own linguistic past, can open up new territory for exploration.
3. Sting says: "My writing block was healed, when I returned to the place I wanted to leave with all the energy I had. It was healed when I spoke with the voice of the peopel who I had left behind." After 8 years of creative drought, Sting returns to his home turf of North England and lends his voice to the people from his childhood. He experiences purpose and his creative channels open up again.
I have to admit that Sting never really entered my musical awareness. But listening to his hits now, I recognize most of them as common ground music history. Sting is now 60 something, but on the TED stage he appears to be in his early 40ies. Creativity also seems to be a secret for eternal youth!
There are 3 thoughts I want to share on his TED talk, which is highly recommendable, because its private (he really tells about himself), aesthetic (what beautiful ballads) and insightful (creativity as god's gift to accomplish things).
1. Sting says: "I was left alone ... every morning when my father would deliver milk ... and I had time in those morning hours to dream up my future life." As Tom Hodgkinson puts it: "Leave the child alone!" is an essential part of developing a creative potential within a young human.
2. Sting says: "I realized that I was writing in my native dialect and the words came to me like projectile vomiting." Sometimes an assimilated language can be helpful to grow a distance between past and present. Sometimes going back to one's own linguistic past, can open up new territory for exploration.
3. Sting says: "My writing block was healed, when I returned to the place I wanted to leave with all the energy I had. It was healed when I spoke with the voice of the peopel who I had left behind." After 8 years of creative drought, Sting returns to his home turf of North England and lends his voice to the people from his childhood. He experiences purpose and his creative channels open up again.
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