The trend toward “free” under-values the ability to create great music because musicians cannot support themselves simply on the merits of their ability to play. The pursuit of the ability to make great music, to extend the example, requires financial support in some appreciable measure, and when those payments fall beneath a certain threshold, excellence cannot easily develop
Read MoreYOUR INSTRUCTIONS: RATE, REVIEW, SHARE
Some things simply don’t rate very well in the ten minutes after then pop into existence. But in a world seemingly powered by social media uber alles we seem to regard all qualitative assessments only in relation to the positive metrics defined by the title of this blog.
THE PROBLEM WITH BIG DATA
If you’re standing in a meadow, rays of sun illuminating blossoms and birds alike, you might consider fully immersing yourself in that singular moment rather than millions of others like it. The bottomless pit of data asking you to tithe one more bit cares not a whit for what you see, what you smell, what you feel when the rising afternoon breeze kisses your skin.
Read MoreTHE NOVEL
You can’t be doing something else when you’re reading a novel. You must do your own imagining. You also can’t check out periodically while you’re in the process of reading a novel. The moment you do, you’re not reading!
Read MoreCREATIVE WORK MEETS PANDEMIC REALITIES
Creative work is not something artists choose to do. The work itself chooses artists bring it to life (And if you’re not an artists yourself and think that statement is nuts, just ask a creative person in your life if he or she understands. I guarantee they do.)
Read MoreA REPORT FROM AN ASTEROID, A REPORT FROM THE ROAD
OSIRIS-REx is a shining light in the darkness, a story of how dedicated teams can figure out ways to pull together and do extraordinary things despite obstacles.
Read MoreTHE ALLURE OF SURFACES
How far away do creative people fall when they eschew anything but perfected surfaces? What happens when we no longer appreciate the smear of real paint?
Read MoreEQUIVALENCY
Is there one form of creative expression that genuinely rises above all others? Are there creative enterprises that have greater value than others, or is everything equivalent to everything else? Does my poem outweigh your selfie, and honestly, who cares in the first place?
Read MoreREAL TIME
When we shift time and space by perceiving ourselves elsewhere, we’ve transformed our physical lives into something that still doesn’t have an adequate description. Life mediated through screens is life lived some outside of the world.
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Special Announcement: NAVIGATING THE CURVE -- Now Showing!
A new documentary about life under the corona virus captures voices from around the country with stories of resilience, creativity, and resolve. Called “Navigating the Curve”, the film showcases fresh perspectives on the emerging crisis with intimate first-person accounts of life suddenly and unexpectedly transformed. The 44-minute production appears online. (URL HERE)
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