The artist, by virtue of his work, deals intimately with many of the important issues of modern life; as a performing, improvizational artist working in a group setting, even more so. An artist may ask himself the following questions:

"Am I creating something new?" (innovation)
"Am I engaging people?" (entertainment)
"Am I inspiring people to something greater in their lives?" (inspiration)
"Am I doing what I truly feel, or what others want?" (conviction vs. popularity)
"How do I balance my voice in a group context?" (the democratic process)
"What is my role in society?" (technological vs. spiritual / artistic relevance)
"How do I rate against other artists?" (competition vs. individuality)
"Am I doing the best I can?" (standards)
And, "What is the measure of success?" (definitions of excellece)

An artist considers these issues and balances them, (consciously or otherwise), in his work. With so many issues at hand and so many forces at tug of war in the world of art and entertainment, it is easy to lose sight of what creativity is about.

For me, it is about producing something meaningful. After prioritizing nearly everything in my life at one time or another, I have come to a conclusion; there is nothing more meaninful than love. At the end of the day, if we are not adding love to our lives and love to the lives of others, what are we doing? Why are we doing it? What are we contributing to this experience of 'life'? Are we creating anything of meaning?

Futhermore, it is not only the product but the process of creation that holds great meaning for us. What we can learn from the creative process is transparency. We are only as good as the extent to which we let the Creator flow through us. Divine Surrender is the key to success in any creative endeavor. And the very act of living is a creative endeavor.

The clues begin at childhood. Nowhere is the creative process more pure or simple than in children. To watch a child play is to witness pure surrender and transparency. A child simply becomes the object of thier imagination. It is this complete surrender, this loss of self, loss of ego, that brings oneness with something greater... and a very deep joy in the process.

We have all felt this experience at one time or another. Creative people are simply those who have committed themselves to finding it, again and again, throughout their lives. There is a story about Dizzy Gillespie never having played golf before, yet taking a putter and sinking put after put, to the amazement of his bandmates. When asked how he did it, he replied, "I simply imagine I'm the ball and I want to be in the cup!" Oneness at its best.

Unfortunately, along the way many artists lose sight of the original process and original Source. Instead of surrender and transparency to something Greater, they take on self as primary source - ego. And eventually the well dries up. It has to - it is tapping into a limited source.

The reality of the situation in life is that we really create nothing - we simply re-arrange the pieces God has loaned to us. Any thought to the contrary is an illusion. We grow larger by embracing Surrender and transparency to Source. I have been both inside and outside of this process many times in my life, but I am finally honing in. It is a process I truly enjoy more and more each time I do it. I hope I inspire others to do the same.

The Art of Storytelling

An artist's job is to tell a story - hopefully a good one and one told well. Music is not about notes, rhythms, chords or words. It is not about higher, louder, faster or even most unique or innovative. These can all be part of a story... but the story itself is primary. Without content, everything is meaningless.

Entertainment is diversion. Art is motivation. Art must be entertaining to hold your attention, but it always points to something greater than diversion alone. In our society, entertainment is gradually replacing art. This is an intentional process shaped by powerful forces for their own ends. Why? Because true art is dangerous because it has real power; it can make us think, it can make us feel, it can make us act; it can change lives, move societies and even restructure wealth.

Our very lives are a story. When we engage in art - in another's story - we use the unique power of human empathy to project our consciousness into another's life. This is a powerful, primary connection which illuminates our own story - our own lives. This comparative, internal 'overlapping' is one of the most powerful critiques we can experience, (up there with personal relationship and spiritual revelation). Art holds a mirror to our soul; it shows us what we are, what we want to be, what we want to avoid at any cost. Art changes lives by the power of good stories!