Tweaking!

When I ripped away what you thought was creativity, (the ability to create something from nothing [link to the post in blog post Creativity and your Drums]) you may have tried to think of things that sounded completely original to you at the time when what you thought of creativity may have been an illusion in the past. The reality of the illusion is the fact that people hear, feel, and taste so differently at any given time, day, or year. The experiences other people have are radically changed when they look back on them sometimes, and how they take that experience and tweak their words into poetry, a song, or even an image.

That comes from a long time of flexing the creative muscles, which in turn, makes them think they are creative, and making some combination in their head or even on paper, making them think they were creating something from nothing. When in reality, they were tweaking what they have experienced (either real or fantasized) and putting it into artistic and graceful words (graphic artist analogy coming next). Some people may feel envious that the artist is able to come up with such amazing graphics, when in all actuality, it’s just a lot of hard work and twisting the arms of the graphics until they come out smoothly, beautifully and to the artists liking; However, you have to have the basics of drawing as to do so. (Which is where Mackendricks saying comes in play)

The ability to let your mind wonder into something usable and great is far in between with most people. And there is nothing wrong with that.

So next time you are having any kind of creative block. (As the title of my last blog post iterated. [do as MacKendrick says…]) Maybe all you really need to do is step back to the basics and copy what you see, until productivity becomes second nature again. Then creativity will flow out of your ears!

 

Edited by: Samuel David Larson III

Do as Mackendrick says…

As I tried to express in my previous published statement on wordpress.  Creativity is a mash up of everything you’ve seen or heard in your past.  (depending on your medium)  Now it’s time to talk about something just as controversial to some.  But yet still on the same subject of creativity.  Alexander MacKendrick, a famous 1950s director, once said something like,  “Copy what you see, until productivity becomes second nature, to think creatively in that medium.”  That’s my take on what MacKendrick said anyway.  I posted that on my facebook (Joshua Meggison on facebook) a while back.  What I mean by that is, you have to learn the rules of football before you play football, or your whole team will be punished and pushed back yards after each play.  Now, is copying what others do in your medium stealing?   No it’s a learning tool.  Who’s to say you will use the copied material you just got your hands on?  You don’t have to.  Although I guess you could in the world of music.  However, I don’t suggest it.   The basic 4/4 drum beat is used often enough.  (But things you are actually able to do can influence/inspire you more than what other people have proven they can do.  They are not you. They have different teachers, and different thoughts on what your art should evolve into.)  Copying what you see or hear is yet another way to get your head wrapped around new things.  That is how we all learn to talk.  Just copying what others do with there mouths.

Just don’t call someone’s work your own if it isn’t.  Say you were influenced by it, and this is what came out.   Try not to make or be a carbon copy.   That will not progress us as a race, or bring us to find our niche, or help any form of expression.  Also, one more thing to add on this.  You may be burning down bridge you wish to keep in it’s place if you end up blatantly stealing.

Creativity and your Drums

Hey guys, welcome to my humble abode of the interwebs. My electronic home away from home, where I can speak freely and honestly. First order of business is something that might be controversial to some of you, and in order to read this I must ask you to have an open mind, just hear me out.

I used to be a magician before I played the drums, I noticed that their wasn’t a vast amount of material out there. This might seem strange for non magicians to read as you don’t know that world. Just trust me on that, or ask a magician you know what the ten theories of magic are. Those 10 theories are your only options in one of the oldest arts in the world. Imagine having the same ten articles of clothing that everyone else has, and creating something new from it each day. And making it hip and make sense. Hard to do.
I forgot where I heard or read the following statement before, and I believe I am changing the wording a tad. But here it is! Brace yourselves.

Creativity is a mash up of everything you’ve seen in your past.
Added notes (You just have to learn to be playful to uncover the creativity.)

“DAMN did he just say that?!” Oh, I did guys, keep reading though. Nothing worth having comes easy guys and an occasional miss lady. Creativity is in that category. How can you expect something new from nothing? You need a foundation. A wealth of visual and auditory information and your brain to be playful with it. You can’t just create a delicious dish of food without the proper ingredients. It may be a mash up of two or more tastes, or a mixture of two or more vegetables (a pear mixed with a apple. Peapple. Or mixing chopped onions with julienne [it’s a type of cut, which I didn‘t know till recently] tomatoes) or you add a new spice, but trust me you’ve tasted all the ingredients in it before. The notes, tones, or orientation is different. (Yes I just compared culinary arts and music.) I don’t mean to rip away what you think may be creativity. (I will elaborate on that later date.)

Now the real reason I brought up creativity. Drums is an old art form as well. Creating a new beat may seem difficult, but if you mash up things you’ve heard in your past, it may be easier. Get your memory bank working in overload, give it new information. Even your own mistakes. Like, “Oops I just hit the drum sticks together.” You may incorporate it. Who’s stopping you?

Listening to mainstream music is probably not the best place to start when it comes to “creative drums” but to each their own. It’s all a process. The best thing to do is give yourself constraints when listening, not to the genre, but think I want this sound, but without this part. That part is mushy and clumpy. Or I WILL add this to my beat or groove. That will make it yours!