Bob Dylan on Creativity

when i paintmy MASTERPIECE:bob dylan on creativity

a slide set by Chris Landry

On his great blog PREZENTATION ZEN, Garr Reynolds has written many times about what jazz, and jazz musicians, can teach us about the creative process.

That got me wondering what Bob Dylan could contribute to this discussion. Here are some things he’s said about creativity in interviews over the years.

on meaning

The world don't need any more songs. There's enough songs. Unless someone's gonna come along with a pure heart and has something to say. That's a different story.

That's another way of writing a song, of course. Just talking to somebody that ain't there. That's the best way. That's the truest way.

on perspective

The environment to write the song is extremely important. It has to bring something out in me that wants to be brought out. It's a contemplative, reflective thing.

on a place to write

Creativity is not like a freight train going down the tracks. It's something that has to be caressed and treated with a great deal of respect....You've got to program your brain not to think too much.

on getting out of the way

A lot of the songs were written after the sun went down. And I like storms, I like to stay up during a storm.

on time of day

Once the architecture is in place, a song can be done in an endless amount of ways.

on structure

Sometimes I'll go out and say, "Whatever else I do today, I'm going to write down all the lines that seem interesting to me. Either that I think of or that I overhear."

on listening

They say, 'Dylan never talks'. What the hell is there to say? That's not the reason an artist is in front of people.

on being an artist

Writing any kind of book is a lonely thing. You cut yourself off from friends and family to find that necessarily quiet place in your mind.

on writing

This is how I feel? Why do I feel like that? And who's the me that feels this way? I couldn't tell you that, either.

on what comes out

It becomes risky. I mean, you risk your life to play music, if you're doing it in the right way.

on artistic risk

Let's face it, you're either serious about what you're doing or you're not serious about what you're doing. And you can't mix the two. And life is short.

on intention

If you like someone's work, the important thing is to be exposed to everything that person has been exposed to.

on learning from others

on inspiration

It's like a ghost is writing a song like that. It gives you the song and it goes away. You don't know what it means. Except the ghost picked me to write the song.

Some songs are better written in peace and quiet and delivered in turmoil. Others are best written in turmoil and delivered in a peaceful, quiet way.

on performing

free images via fudgegraphics.com

URBAN TEXTURE PACK

free fonts via smashingmagazine.com

GRUNGE SERIFIA

JELLYKA, ESTRYA’S HANDWRITING

interview credits available at

CHRISTOPHERLANDRY.COM/BLOG

need slides?

chrislandry100@gmail.com

www.christopherlandry.com