Years and years ago, I read a great interview with Jam and Lewis, the R&B producers, in which they described what it was like to be members of Prince's band. They'd sit down, and Prince would tell them what he wanted them to play, and they'd explain that they couldn't--they weren't quick enough, or good enough. And Prince would push them and push them until they mastered it, and then just when they were feeling pleased with themselves for accomplishing something they didn't know they had the capacity for, he'd tell them the dance steps he needed to accompany the music. This story has stuck with me, I think, because it seems like an encapsulation of the very best and most exciting kind of creative process. .Nick Hornby
About This Quote
This quote illustrates a productive and enriching creative process. Creating what we do is a collaborative effort between the artist and the medium in which they engage. There is no such thing as a person who possesses all of that great creative skill and then just sits there and waits for someone else to inspire them and then produce their wonderful work. As artists, we should be able to create things when we need to create them even if we don't possess all of the skills required to do so. The only way this could be achieved would be if we had an outstanding amount of creativity and were able to produce amazing work without any assistance whatsoever.
Source: The Polysyllabic Spree
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