The Development of Creativity

This essay is an abstract of John Kao's book 'Jamming' about the 'art and discipline of business creativity'. John Kao is Academic Director of the Managing Innovation program at Stanford University.
I translated the idea of business creativity into music and wrote some exercises with each chapter.
I want to thank John Muyselaar who put me on this trail.

Creativity is a natural function of the mind, as breathing is for the body. It's not something of talent. Everybody is creative or at least capable of developing creativity.

What are the conditions?

1. Create the best circumstances to be creative. Weekend musicians can belt out some sweet tunes, but the greats practice every day. Study to be creative. Creativity is about the balance of art and discipline. Mastery is about moving from an abstract intellectual understanding to one that is 'in the bones', meaning integrated into one's worldview. Mastery understands the multifaceted nature of competence required.
Elements of mastery:

a. Fundamentals. Free your mind from the burden of fundamentals such as breathing technique, embouchure, tone quality, keys and chords. Fundamentals should be practiced and maintained to a level where it comes naturally. When your mind is less occupied with fundamentals it is free to be creative, based on the confidence fundamentals give.

b. Finding and developing a variety of spaces where critically supportive listening can take place. A creative culture can't flourish in an autocratic environment. No hierarchic structure. Everything can be said. Don't judge, listen. Keep possibilities open.

c. Give the melody the right amount of space and the right sized space in time. Sometimes it's better not to play.

d. Go from zero to one, but also from one to zero, the beginners mind. Great musicians are humble. They are not attached to the process or products of creation. The creative process never ends. Creativity is a continuous revolution.

2. Return to the beginning. "In the beginners mind there are many possibilities. In the expert mind there are only a few" Shunryu Suzuki, Zen-master). Play what you hear and listen to yourself. Play what's simple and true. Play fewer notes. Don't play if you don't know why. You have to have a good reason to disturb silence. You know what you know and what you don't know. Do what feels comfortable. Don't force yourself to do things you can't. Help other musicians to overcome their limitations.

3. Clear the mind.

a. Focus on fresh input. Do something you don't expect. Read a different magazine, go for a walk and take some fresh air. Name things differently: say dog to a chair. It's useful to break the connection between the thing and our words for it to put your thinking into the imagistic language of the creative mind. Creativity needs crazy things. Think the unthinkable. Be free to have bad ideas and discover the gold nuggets in the muddy stream of ideas. Learn to recognize good ideas. Listen to yourself and try to remember those ideas. Play them again.

b. Generate ideas through association. All ideas are welcome. The most creative inspirations come not in words but in visual images. Try to be positive: 'Yes, and....' improves the openness and participation of the people you brainstorm with, instead of 'Yes, but....'

4. Believe in the power of creativity. Take risks, don't play 'safe'. 'Wrong notes' don't exist. Creation is always a struggle. Struggle is part of the process and the struggle strengthens the end result. Positive speak inspires confidence. Allow competition, but throw away jealousies and fears. If you are confident with yourself and confident in the capabilities of your fellow musicians the whole will be better than the sum of its parts.

5. Throw away sheet music. Try to memorize the tunes you play. It will make you more free and open to communicate with your band members. It helps you to develop to hear in advance what you play.

6. Creative leaps of thought transform knowledge to insight, insight to idea, idea to value: all through conversation. Conversation is the organizational medium through which creativity is both expressed and managed. Communicate individually on stage. Some musicians need a gesture, others one note or a rhythmic phrase. Do what the other musician needs. A nod, a twinkle of the eye etc. If you don't understand what someone means: ask! It shows your respect and openness to what someone's trying to say musically.

7. There is no freedom without being in reference to something.

8. No routines.

9. The Tao of management: "All behaviors lead to their opposites". Learn to see things backwards, inside out and upside down". In other words, it's about the right issue at the right time. Sometimes we need more structure, sometimes less. Sometimes we need more professionalism, sometimes more playfulness. Sometimes we need to get back to what we know best, sometimes we need to clear ourselves entirely of preconceptions. Raising the right question at the right time is the skill of the creativity facilitator. Dualism:

10. You need a lack of sentimentality for the present order. There is only one question you can ever ask which has value: What would you do now if you were starting again? Life is what you do next. It's always next. And the greatest of human emotions is anticipation of next. Don't think of the (wrong) notes you played. The next note is more important. Creativity is how you deal with the problems that come across while playing. The way you solve the musical questions that are being asked, makes a solo worthwhile listening to.

11. Ask yourself (and others) why (five times). You will understand the essence of a situation. The goal is genuine dialogue, dialogue that leads to an explosion of ideas.

12. Seven aspects of well-crafted challenge:

a. Language: 'capture' an audience. Put everything in your solo. People want you to do something special. Make a statement rather than do the expected.

Effects a. Bugle Calls b. Bugle Calls Exercise c. Chromatic Bugle Calls d. Chromatic Buggle Calls Up and Down e. Harmonics

b. Context: Find a good context in which you perform. Know your goal.
c. Mouth and money: Make sure your idea is possible to perform.
d. Preparation: circumstances (reed, mouthpiece, materials) must be well shaped. Think before you act. Take a good rest. Don't use alcohol before and on stage.
e. Discipline: Make it happen till the end of the piece. Stay concentrated. Listen to the solos of the other musicians.

Study Licks V and II-V-I Licks

f. Complicity: we are all responsible for the outcome of the song.
g. Empathy: to your colleague musicians. Make them feel good.

13. Creative individuals:

a. Define the problem. What is your message in music?
b. Clear the mind.
c. Activate the imagination (hear your solo, sing).
d. Wish (perseverance).
e. Get a fresh perspective (ask fellow musicians, listen).
f. Shake up your routine, loose your habits.
g. Find your woodshed, a place that stimulates your imagination.
h. Expect to be creative.
i. Keep track of the process.

14. With the band:

a. Know your role. Pick the tune, its key, and its tempo. Know when to start and when to end.
b. Be protective. Your team is your baby. Guard it fiercely. Premature or abrasive judgment is a threat to your baby's health. Passionately defend free, open, even off the wall interaction.
c. Use theatrical gestures. Think of the audience.
d. Create micro cultures. An extra section rehearsal might be useful.
e. Master the art of conversation. Think and talk about music. Find the right words to describe feelings. Always be respectful.
f. Make time an alley. Decide when to do what.
g. Set boundaries. Limit freedom.
h. Practice the art of sitting out. Go to have a drink together.
i. Trumpet your creativity. Everybody needs to know you are creative.
j. Be concrete.

March 2002.

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