Where does innovation come from?

I have been thinking a lot about the creative process lately. About how important it is for me to not go through it alone, how I flourish in a team environment where like-minded people are pushing toward a common goal.  This is why I love directing a troupe--not just because I prefer dancing synchronously with others and the aesthetics of group performance, but because I prefer the process of creation more when I share it with others. Even now when I am not myself performing, directing my student troupe, sharing our ideas and combining all of our energies to create a performance is such a joy.

This attitude is what makes online discussions such a valuable part of my creative evolutionary process as an artist.  I feel that engaging in discussion/debate with others--comparing and contrasting my instincts and opinions with others of various backgrounds--strengthens my mental and emotional impulses.  I am better as an individual because I become a combination of ideas and considerations introduced by others. Being challenged by someone who doesn't share my vision is an opportunity to expand the scope of my understanding, and better hone in on the "how & why" of my own tendencies or opinions.

And it is also why I love to teach workshops and get to travel to bellydance events in other parts of the world.  Being able to teach, to share my ideas, and in return be exposed to so many other attitudes and ideas is so invigorating to me!  To sit over a meal and a glass of wine and geek out over dance stuff is my idea of a perfect evening.  Combine that with some performances, workshops, and lots of laughter, and I come away from it inspired and refreshed.

I recently watched a TEDTalk with Steven Johnson, exploring the idea of "Where good ideas come from."  What he talks about really reinforced my own experience with the creative process, and how important these words are in my life: connect, communicate, commiserate, community. Below are some quotes I felt particularly moved by, and the full TEDTalk is below that.

Fresh take on a TEDTalk - impulses

Two months ago, I posted a TEDTalk which featured Benjamin Zander talking about getting modern audiences to love classical music.  I didn't tie it into anything dancey, I just really was moved by the video and wanted to share.

Today I was trolling Blogrolls for some new dancey blogs to read, and I came across "The Tribal Way", written by a gal named Chella. She watched the same video a month later, and had a brilliant observation to make connecting Zander's discussion of "impulses" to learning and refining tribal bellydance.

"Zander notes how the learning of a skill progresses. The novice puts an impulse, an emphasis or concentration if you will, on every key. They have to think about each note as a separate entity. As their skill increases, they don't have to think so much about each note - their fingers know where to go and the emphasis is on fewer notes. Finally they become so proficient that they place even emphasis on an entire phrase of notes - one impulse for an entire stretch of music. This is where the magic happens! The notes are smooth, beautifully running into one another with no hesitation.

This idea of impulses can be applied to dance as well. A beginner concentrates on each facet of each move, and you can see it in their bodies - the concentration as they move between each motion. There's nothing wrong of course, this is just the start and I'm sure we all looked a little jerky and robotic in the very beginning. However, when you look at a professional dancer - Carolena Nericcio, Rachel Brice, etc - you will see no impulse, no jerky hesitant movements. Their motions run gracefully together in a stream of dance.

You can see this easily when you watch videos of Fat Chance Belly Dance, and other extremely skilled troupes as well. Why do they seem so graceful? So in sync and smooth?  Other troupes may do the exact same movements, but you cannot deny the certain 'je ne sais quoi' that FCBD possesses. Well, now you do know what - they have so few impulses. Their skill has grown so great that they are playing their instrument with only one impulse."

The rest of her excellent post is HERE. Enjoy!

On Music and Passion

I loves me some TEDTalks, and this one is no exception.  I dare you not to be moved and inspired by this talk by conductor and musician Benjamin Zander.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

The Benefit of Letting Go

A great post from Lateral Action:
http://lateralaction.com/articles/creativity-unconscious/

"Whenever you set out to do something extraordinary, there comes a point where... you have to choose between trying to control everything – or letting go and getting carried away by something bigger and more powerful than yourself."

It reminds me of a similar message from Elisabeth Gilbert in her TEDTalk, which I adore so. Head over to see a man about a horse, and possibly enjoy the same "hell yeah" I experienced when reading it. ;)

Seth Godin: Why tribes, not money or factories, will change the world

When you choose to lead a movement, key questions:
Who are you upsetting? Because if you' re not upsetting anyone, you're not changing the status quo...
Who are you connecting?...
Who are you leading?...

Qualities of leadership:
Leaders challenge the status quo.
Leaders build a culture.
Leaders have curiosity about the people in the tribe and those outside.
Leaders connect people to one another.
Leaders have charisma -- you need not have it, being a leader *gives you* charisma.
Leaders commit--to the cause, the tribe, to the people.


Tell a story: Connect a Tribe: Lead a Movement: Make Change

Check out this great TedTalk about how tribes are the future...the present!

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/seth_godin_on_the_tribes_we_lead.html

TEDTalk - the life of a Creative

I posted this a few places not long ago, but it is worth another look. Really incredible talk by the author of "Eat, Pray, Love" (good book, by the way!) about what it is like to be a Creative, and the importance of accessing a "divine inspiration" to keep your work alive and relieve the pressures of being simply human.
I totally cried when I watched this, and again now as I re-watched it. Enjoy!