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I get asked about balance quite often - and I rarely have the same answer twice. In the case of music composition or content creation, it has been oddly consistent: "It's the balanced application of Art and Craft". "But Paul, what is the difference?" someone might ask, or "What do you mean, man? I just flow with it...." Art (a catch-all phrase for all disciplines or traditions) can be construed as your personal aesthetic, a culmination of your love, passion, pain - your emotional identity; brought forth into the world - and hopefully shared and pondered. I often think of art as the act of revealing truth, or capturing the human experience through applied energy or action. Art can also be "in the service of...", like creating something for a client, a gig, and opportunity. Art for yourself or for others, it's always a shared experience: we make it, but others are always listening. Craft (another catch-all phrase) means tools, fluency, grammar, mastery - what you use to apply energy in order to make art. Instruments, computers, everything in between. "So what is this whole balance thing? You need tools to create art, right?" When I was younger, I was obsessed with craft - how to best play, the best technique, the best strings, the best instruments - but as I grew older, craft became more akin to taking a breath or walking, something well learned to the point of being almost automatic. What emerged was a focus on art: what do I want to express? and why? It would seem that focused time leads to conversion to art issues - and being in the service of revealing truth, or describing the human condition A couple observations: - I know some really "arty" people who don't have a whole lot of "craft", and while they are exciting people with big ideas - they inevitable fall flat and they get hung up on the inability to function in the service of the idea. - I know some really "crafty" people who are impressive technicians or button pushers, but they never apply their craft in the service of something bigger than themselves. They are usually not sure what to say, so they just flash some fast flashy bits and hide behind the blur of it all. - The best artists I know or have experienced have a staggering amount of balance between art and craft, and have the strength and guts to wake up and apply it. Keith Jarrett. Michael Jordan. John Williams. the list is long and varied. Pyramind strives to build balance between art and craft - for our clients, for our students, for our community. If you ever feel a little lopsided, please visit with us - we'll link hands and ponder these things and make a difference. Promise. |
