Nick Sieger: Jazz and Creativitydo what you lovetag:blog.nicksieger.com,2005:TypoTypo2007-08-31T17:45:53+00:00Nick Siegerurn:uuid:343835a4-4080-4207-99d0-cfaaf87784592006-04-29T03:43:00+00:002007-08-31T17:45:53+00:00Jazz and Creativity<p>Short bio moment: I am a jazz musician. I have not been actively
playing in recent years as my dual life as information economy worker
and father have dominated, but the essence of jazz as a form of
communication, interaction, problem solving, patterns, repetition, and
creativity have remained in the core of who I am. Whenever I’m having
a down-cycle in my life, it always seems like it’s because I’ve gotten
away from listening to jazz.</p>
<p>So, with that as background, imagine you’re me and go read Garr
Reynold’s recent post on <a href="http://presentationzen.blogs.com/presentationzen/2006/04/jazz_and_the_ar.html">Jazz and the art of connecting</a>.
Even if you’re not a jazz lover, many of the quotes there resonate so well
with any aspect of a creative profession. My favorite (and Garr’s):</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“Anyone can make the simple complicated. Creativity is making the
complicated simple.” – Charles Mingus</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Now, <a href="http://www.37signals.com/svn/archives2/constraints_breed_breakthrough_creativity.php">37 signals</a> may appear to have the recent trademark on “embracing
constraints” and its relation to creativity, but it sounds like
Charles beat them to the punch! Time to go dig around in some jazz
biographies again!</p>