A GOOD TIME HAD BY ALL

Imagine my surprise when well over 100 people showed up at the Factory, just outside of Nashville, to hear about the Z.  Wish my camera had a wider-angle lens, but this shot shows the center 3rd of the crowd.  A number of  indie artists showed, as well as any number of record label executives.  A senior VP of A&R who attended emailed 2 days later and said the seminar was already affecting decisions at the label.  Another has scheduled a luncheon to continue the discussion.  Just shows: the Z has juice for creatives who want their work to do more than just exist - who want it to connect.  Thanks to the folks at Journey Church who supplied real technical expertise so that the tech-heavy presentation went off without a hitch.

For the last few years I've been thinking about what makes us creative - and whether or not being more creative is something that can be taught.  I even conducted a grand experiment with 17 college students Belmont University for an entire semester (see below).  Along the way, I started wondering about the Z - the unseen force that pushes creative work above the noise into mass popularity.  The Z is powerful.  When it's switched on - like the light bulb in this graphic - the Z can turn even average creative work into a cultural phenomenon.  But work against it, and the Z can doom even the best efforts into obscurity.  On the 19th, the creative community of Nashville is invited to discover the Z - and learn how to use it.   See you there.

The death of a hero

Freya von Moltke, humanist, Christian, wife, scholar, hero.

Yesterday, I learned that one of my heroes passed: the extraordinary Freya von Moltke.  If you look on my profile, you'll see that the book Letters to Freya is, in fact, one of the most influential in my life.  I read it a decade ago.  The book is comprised of letters written by Freya's husband, Helmuth, during the black days of WWII.  Helmuth worked from within the Nazi intelligence services to block its efforts wherever possible.  Reading the letters, written over several years, is a remarkable map of 2 human souls and of a equally remarkable marriage.  As the war continues, Helmuth's frustration with the evil and absurd policies of the Reich grows.  He is posted far away from his beloved Kreisau, the family estate.  And he is ultimately (and inevitably) arrested for sedition.  The last letters he writes to Freya before his execution are both heartbreaking and soul-enlarging, something very few writers achieve - yet this work was not written for effect, but as genuine correspondence between very real lovers.

I was fortunate to make a small personal connection: I noticed the book was translated into English by Beate Rhum von Open, and her excellent introduction to the book was signed from Annapolis, MD.  Now, this was before Google days, but I was so moved by the book I wanted to thank this Beate.  I called information (something people used to do), and asked for the number.  I was surprised to receive it.  I called, and a rather elderly-sounded woman with a pronounced German accent answered.  It was Beate.  We had a wonderful conversation about the book.  "Was Freya still alive?" I asked.  She was indeed, in Germany at that time, and in fact Ms. von Open was on her way to see her.  So I was able to deliver a small bit of correspondence, via this generous woman, to Freya herself.

One vivid example of Helmuth's insight: "Yesterday I saw an impressive sight: In one of the rubble heaps I passed there must have been a carnival shop.  Children from 4 to 14 had taken possession; they had put on coloured caps, held little flags and lanterns, threw confetti, and pulled long paper streamers behind them, and in this get-up they marched through the ruins.  An uncanny sight to see, an apocalyptic sight."

The Great Belmont Experiment

A few months ago, I posed a question to Belmont University: can creativity be taught?  17 students signed up to find out with me.  The answer seems to be "yes".  At the end of the semester, lots of things existed that didn't at the beginning: a couple of film treatments, the first chapter of a novel, a photo shoot, some wonderful work combining dance and childhood development, the score for an independent film . . . and much more.  How great is that?

who IS this, anyway?

Reed Arvin was born on a working cattle ranch in Kansas. As a young man, he built fence, tended animals, and spent a lot of time wondering what was beyond a horizon 20 miles away. It’s fair to say he discovered the answer. As a musician, Reed has toured the world, produced albums with sales in the millions, and performed with Amy Grant on the Grammy Awards telecast. At the same time, a restless literary mind has created 4 novels, now published in 20 countries and 13 languages. Two have been optioned for film development, including The Will, to Paramount Pictures. His work routinely appears on major-media “10 Best” lists, and in 2007, Booklist named him their “Rising Star” in the crime novel category. His creative work has been covered by the New York Times, People Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, and many others. Reed is frequently quoted in the media and has been a featured guest on NPR's Talk of the Nation.  Reed’s current project is Americus: a novel of miracles.