This seems like a very controversial statement in the days when it is increasingly difficult to know what’s real and what’s fake. “If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him. We must never forget that art is not a […]
“What is art for? To make us feel something” Brian Eno Iris Murdoch observed that “tyrants always fear art because tyrants want to mystify while art tends to clarify” and Auden insisted that “the mere making of a work of art is itself a political act.” Art critic, novelist, painter and poet John Berger adds: […]
If you create when under the influence of a muse does that mean the work requires less effort? Aeolian harp at South Carolina, by Prof Henry Gurr The recent post in this series about how some people struggle to call themselves creative while others are very happy to say they are artists sparked a few interesting […]
How many times do you hear people say “But I’m not creative”? I’m one of those annoying people who is quite good at a lot of things – drawing, painting, music, cooking, sewing, gardening – but not very good at any of them. This is probably because I never felt interested enough to practice. I’m […]
The link between Einstein and Coltrane I started this series of essays on creativity with some thoughts inspired by Quincy Jones’ book “12 Notes: On Life and Creativity.” In the introduction Quincey Jones says the number 12 has always had a special meaning in his life. His former music teacher explained that every musician from […]