The Mystical Muse

Creativity can be learned and developed. A bold statement but one which I stand by. Let me explain.

It is in the interest of the creative industries to perpetuate the notion that creativity is the preserve of the few and inaccessible to the many. This serves the purpose of creating a distance between 'them' and 'us.' It helps put musicians/songwriters/artists on a pedestal and in many ways the view that they are achieving great things that appear un-achievable to us. Sure, creative activities may initially appear intimidating and at times unwelcoming. Sure the possibilities of not achieving the goals set by an initial outcome may be fairly high. But often there are processes and ways of working creative problems that are developed through experience. A quick internet search asking 'where do creative ideas come from?' shows us that even the most celebrated creative figures found a way of working, in some cases developing a template, on which to hang their creative ideas. Even the great composers had form to hang their compositions on, be it Fugue, Sonata or Rondo forms, these templates helped to shape and direct their music.

It then asks the question of whether the writing of a song or a composition is a creative process all the way through, or whether their are pockets of creativity buried within the music and learned technique or templates as guide between these creative ideas. I think it is an interesting notion and almost all composers and songwriters will leave musical thumbprints such as a favourite chord progression or melodic fragment. Looking even more broadly at the music industry, which is largely consumer led, trends appear year on year which could be to do with the structure of a song, the way certain sounds or instruments are used, a featured effect(think Cher!) or a certain drum beat. These can also be genre defining. The TR 808 and 909 which are synonymous with early hip hop help, define the genre and make it instantly recognisable. Or Blues music featuring a 12-bar structure, or Electronic Dance Music featuring a 'four to the floor,' kick drum. These are templates from which styles can grow and develop to make new styles. But more often than not it is not truly innovative creativity. Ideas are adapted and used in different ways. Songwriters are also pretty good at perpetuating the myth of the muse. This even extends to lyric writing where some words are more in vogue at certain times than others. For a bit of fun, this website looks at lyric trends in different decades. Tunrs out 'thang,' was one of the most commonly used words in lyrics during the 1990's!

Thomas Edison once famously said that "Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration." There in lies the crux of the matter. Any creative activity requires a strong sense of resilience, a high level of personal reflection and an ability to trust in the process. In a school environment, we are often tasked with achieving results as well as gathering and collating evidence in quite short time frames. But there needs to be a recognition that in order for creativity to properly be developed, skills will take time to be nurtured and supported.