Stuff from 11 February, 2009
This is the archive of tumbledry happenings that occurred on 11 February, 2009.
This is the archive of tumbledry happenings that occurred on 11 February, 2009.
The spark of creativity is one of the most singularly electrifying experiences of the human condition. To bring something, no matter how small, out of nothing — a clever turn of phrase, a pleasant melody, an arrangement of paints on a canvas — is a powerful experience. In dental school, I miss the creative spark intensely. The longing for time to write a melody on the piano or a poem in a notebook makes me wonder: would I feel the opposite way were I in music school? That is to say: after countless assignments to “compose a melody in this time and this key signature,” would I crave a list of facts to memorize, a test in which the subjective was eliminated and I could objectively, predictably achieve success?
I don’t know. I think, though, that it’s easy to get tired of too much structure. Every life needs some breathing room. Anyhow, if you would like to hear more about creativity, consider listening to Elizabeth Gilbert (the author of Eat, Pray, Love) give a wonderful talk at TED 2009. (Via kottke.)
Well it is England, so my guess would include something about a local pub and unemployment…
My vote: Yes. You would miss facts, objectivity and that sort of thing. When I was studying writing, I found over and again that my favorite authors, and often my favorite classmates, were the ones with a background which was not English or creative writing. I found creative writing for creative writing’s sake pretty boring. People who can make (or see) the connections between objective and subjective can synthesize some interesting stuff. Maybe not a direct answer to your (rhetorical?) question, but that was my experience, anyway.