The Art Of Improvisation

Life Unscripted With Curtis Dean Harrier

“As you recognize what is and you respond to it, that is the most creative thing anyone can do.”

In this episode of Life Unscripted, Curtis sat down with Stephen Nachmanovitch as they explore art, creativity, philosophy and improvisation. If you are an artist or an aspiring one, you don’t want to miss this episode!

Stephen Nachmanovitch performs and teaches internationally as an improvisational violinist, and at the intersections of music, dance, theater, and multimedia arts. He is the author of Free Play and The Art of Is. Born in 1950, he graduated in 1971 from Harvard and in 1975 from the University of California, where he earned a Ph.D. in the History of Consciousness for an exploration of William Blake.

His mentor was the anthropologist and philosopher Gregory Bateson. He has taught and lectured widely in the United States and abroad on creativity and the spiritual underpinnings of art. In the 1970s he was a pioneer in free improvisation on violin, viola and electric violin. He has presented master classes and workshops at many conservatories and universities, and has had numerous appearances on radio, television, and at music and theater festivals.

Episode Spotlights:

· Stephen’s journey to Free Play: Improvisation in Life and Art (0:42)

· Avoiding Fears to Hold You Back from Creativity (5:25)

· Art, Creativity and Uniqueness (11:48)

· What is the Starving Artist Mentality and How to Get Away With It? (14:38)

· Money, Philosophy and Art (19:50)

· Importance and Power of Support People (22:58)

· “Blocks are the price of avoiding surrender, and that surrender is not defeat but rather the key to opening out into a world of delight and nonstop creation.” (25:55)

· Finding Your Own Style and Artistic Voice (32:15)

· Stephen’s Message to Current and Future Artists (35:00)

· A Peek on Stephen’s New Book: The Art of Is (45:38)