May We All Be Creative This Year

Summary

The website content reflects on the universal sources of inspiration for creativity, particularly in writing, and highlights the influence of life experiences, nature, and music, such as the Norwegian Hardanger fiddle music by Benedicte Maurseth, as catalysts for artistic expression.

Abstract

The article "May We All Be Creative This Year" emphasizes the natural and ever-present sources of inspiration available to writers and creatives. It suggests that living itself—breathing, thinking, and interacting with the environment—is a profound wellspring of creativity. The author shares a personal experience of being inspired by Norwegian fiddler Benedicte Maurseth, whose album "Hárr" won the "Best Nordic Album of the Year" and incorporates the philosophy of ecosophy, which posits that humans are interconnected with nature. The music, combined with themes from nature and human interaction with the environment, serves as a powerful creative stimulus. The author encourages readers to embrace creativity in the new year, using the example of incorporating everyday sounds into art, albeit humorously, and offers a cartoon by Tom Gauld to alleviate any guilt over dormant creativity.

Opinions

The author believes that creativity is inherently linked to the simple acts of living and engaging with the world around us.
Inspiration for writing can be found in the most mundane aspects of life, suggesting that everything has the potential to spark creativity.
The discovery of Benedicte Maurseth's album "Hárr" and its connection to ecosophy is presented as a significant inspirational moment for the author.
The author expresses a desire for readers to find their own sources of inspiration, particularly in the beauty of nature and the arts, to foster their creative endeavors in the new year.
There is a playful suggestion that even the sounds of everyday life, such as a cat's meow, could be creatively repurposed, indicating a whimsical approach to artistic inspiration.
The inclusion of Tom Gauld's cartoon implies that it's okay for creativity to ebb and flow, and one should not feel guilty during less productive periods.

Creativity is good for the heart and mind, right?

When it comes to writing, we all have our own sources of inspiration. Perhaps the greatest of these is life. Do you know that all you have to do to find something to write is to live, that is, to breathe, to think, and perhaps to walk a little under the trees? I will not be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature for writing such banalities here. But it is all so true! In fact, when you look a little closer, for us writers, is there anything that doesn’t make us want to write and be creative? Can we really start each day by keeping our creative soul at bay? I’m sure you have the answer.

A few days ago I discovered a Norwegian fiddler who plays a Hardanger fiddle, a Norwegian variant of the traditional fiddle. Her latest album Hárr was awarded the “Best Nordic Album of the Year” prize, and received the prestigious Nordic Music Award for 2022. I learned what was the particularity of the Hardanger fiddle, which is otherwise beautiful, and if your curiosity is piqued, go see here.

Here is what the artist, Benedicte Maurseth, says about the album:

(…) I have also felt involved with and connected to ecosophy (økosofi), founded by the Norwegian philosopher Arne Næss (1912–2009). This is based on the view that humans are part of an ecological system that is interdependent with nature, and that all of life and all of nature’s rich diversity have equal value. I wanted to include this perspective in the commissioned work “Hárr” as a way of focusing on its role as a creative inspiration, and to refer to the philosophy by using musique concrète from animals and human beings living, harvesting or simply enjoying the mountains’ gifts and abundance throughout the centuries. All this was combined with musical themes and fiddle tunes composed on the Hardanger fiddle, and later arranged and improvised together with the other musicians involved in the commissioned work. (…)

When I first heard the music, my heart was rocked, and my creative soul awakened a little more. After reading the few lines just above, you can probably understand why.

Today I just wanted to bring you a little bit of Norway, nature, soft music, creativity, as an inspiration for your next writing sessions. That doesn’t mean I encourage you to incorporate your cat’s meows into your next poem or essay! I know, it might be an idea, you crazy people! Just kidding.

I wish from the bottom of my heart that creativity will inhabit us all for this new year, but let’s not rush of course, it’s only January 1st. As 2023 has just begun, and in case your creativity is currently dormant, this new cartoon by Tom Gauld just below should help you not to feel guilty.

Happy New Year to all! 💚