Creativity digest: 20th April 2024
The power of the blank page and how to get started with Forrest Kinney's resources
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Every week I use this digest to flag up a few interesting articles and posts for you. Enjoy!
What I’ve enjoyed reading this week
Seth Godin’s post, “The Blank Page” is so good, I’m going to quote it in full. It has a great deal to teach us, both as creative individuals and as creativity teachers:
Sometimes, we’re so afraid of creation that we don’t even leave blank pages around.
If your workspace has a hole exactly the size of a creative idea in it, you’re more likely to fill the hole.
When we decrease the number of steps to begin creating, and increase the expectation that something is going to arrive, it’s far more likely to happen.
Book a recording studio. Leave the laptop open. Schedule a blog post. Make sure the whiteboard can be seen. Buy more blank canvasses than you need.
Blank pages beg to be filled, and it helps to have them around.
I was intrigued by Andrew Eales’ review of Little Moods by Kirsten Strecke, a repertoire book for elementary students that encourages transposing and improvising. He writes that “the more imaginative, but less experienced player will be similarly able to use these pieces as a creative launchpad, and that Strecke’s music offers an ideal playground for nurturing a musically engaged, forward looking and inspiring approach.”
It’s only tangentially related to creativity but I loved Rhonda Rizzo’s beautiful article, “Let the music be your guide”. My favourite sentence: “Like any good friendship, becoming friends with a piece of music is a long conversation, not a one-way monologue. We don’t get to do all the communicating and neither does the composer.”
What I’ve written this week
It was a real joy to see my article on Forrest Kinney’s creative resources get such a positive response and I was particularly thrilled with the Forrest Kinney team’s own response. They called it “thoughtful, insightful, thorough, and appreciative of Forrest's work and legacy.” I love Forrest’s work so gave me a real buzz!
How to get started with Forrest Kinney's resources
Whenever a creativity newbie asks about including improvisation in their lessons, you’re bound to see Forrest Kinney’s resources being recommended. And with good reason: not only did he develop an effective method for teaching creativity, but he was a very kind and generous guide.
Good to know
If you’re an EPTA UK member, Piano Professional #61 has an excellent set of resources about integrating improvisation into piano lessons
What’s in the drafts folder
an article for EPTA UK’s Piano Professional magazine about how to introduce exam pieces creatively
“the paradox of the reluctant student”
an interview with Karen Schlimp, author of Impromosaik, a unique book packed full of inspiration for improvisers
Creative Introductions for:
Prelude VII by Barbara Arens
Gigue by Samuel Arnold
King William’s March by Jeremiah Clarke
Le Douze de Décembre by Ignatius Sancho
The Echo by Theodor Oesten
Have I forgotten anything? Let me know! hello@pianocreativity.com
Have a great weekend.
Garreth
Thanks for including my latest No Dead Guys article in your letter, and than you for the other excellent resources.