Working Through Consulting to Creative People
A blog by psychoanalyst Michael Jolkovski who looks at music ensembles, businesses & creative teams and other examples of human nature at work and play.
There is a common theme to all of this. I promise.
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On July 26th
Dumbdrummer has good things to say about creative partnerships and more…
Great art blooms from the heartfelt, illogical, sometimes even embarrassing impulses we harbor. When we mess with those impulses too much, when we censor them, smooth the edges, and try to conform them to something we presume people will like, we destroy the vitality that makes our work compelling.
On July 26th
I have learned that when people preface a comment with a disclaimer like “this is probably a stupid idea”, they are about to say something really great, so I listen up.
Variations on this include “this is probably really naive”, “I’m probably wrong about this”, “this is probably irrelevant”, etc. I have a friend who will say “this is totally naive, but…” and then say something brilliant.
I’ve noticed that practically every good idea I ever had first occurred to me as a joke. I think this works in the same way:
When we have an actual new idea, there is some feeling it’s risky. I think it’s largely about the shame of hoping you’ve created something new and the fear it’s just lame and pathetic. The feeling of embarrassment makes the disclaimer seem somehow necessary. Read more »
On July 21st
I deal with people who have strong opinions about what they do. They are passionate experts. Some of them are musicians, some are programmers, some are something else. Some complain about being accused of being snobs about whatever their thing is — some wear it as a badge of honor. But truly, snobbery is destructive — it drives people away.
It’s the opposite of what the specialist needs to do, which is to share their love and enthusiasm for whatever their thing is, whether it’s modern chamber music, database design, or fine bicycles.
If you are deeply passionate about a thing and you have a refined appreciation for it that you are impelled to share, you are giving a great gift to your audience/customer base/community. If you’re derogatory towards the unwashed masses who aren’t connoisseurs like you, they will hate you and you deserve it. Read more »
On December 19th
In today’s Wired magazine site, David Byrne has written a small textbook on the recorded-music industry that summarizes the major approaches that are available today. The included audio clips of his interviews with innovators of different business models are well worth the time.
He sets out six models of recorded-music distribution, which he calls The Six Possibilities:
Where there was one, now there are six: Six possible music distribution models, ranging from one in which the artist is pretty much hands-off to one where the artist does nearly everything. Not surprisingly, the more involved the artist is, the more he or she can often make per unit sold. The totally DIY model is certainly not for everyone — but that’s the point. Now there’s choice. Read more »
On November 10th 2 Comments
I am not a huge fan of the Kubler-Ross “stages of grief” and theories of “stages of …. ” derived from it. People mourn in bits and pieces and don’t march through neat stages. But the Huffington Post has this short article by painter Kimberly Brooks on the 8 stages of the creative process, and it rings true. In my clinical work with creative persons I have heard so much about this. It can really be useful for people to know that the painful, confusing, discouraging parts are just a stage in the process. It can help people, strangely, not be too discouraged by their discouragement.
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