I enjoyed a delightful conversation with a colleague, Mike Jolkovsi, on the East Coast this week (for those of you who don’t know, I’m in Seattle). Check out his website and blog at http://workingthrough.com
We talked about what our experience has taught us about some of the challenges that creative people face. Firstly, that being a visionary and wanting to exercise control over the creative process, is not a bad thing, though it is often one of the main ingredients in band conflict. The energy and commitment to one’s artistic ideas is the foundation upon which most bands exist. The problem is “in the human difficulty of working together” (Mike’s words). Merging more than one strong-minded artist into a united entity can be exciting and rewarding. Being able to communicate well, while working with so much creative intensity, can be difficult.
Secondly, we have both seen that personal backgrounds and subconscious material come into play when conflict arises. This can be a great invitation to become aware of the areas that elicit strong reactions and to deal with them openly. It is my firm belief that this choice leads to richer creativity. In addition, working together as a band on ways of communicating and learning more about each other solidifies the band and sets it on a better path for band longevity.
Lastly, we agreed that talking over ideas and concerns, whether in an individual or group setting, is a great way to embrace one’s talents and to go after the “more” that is always out there.
We share a passion to support musicians, bands, and other creative people in their endeavors.
