There are many things that make us happy, but the ultimate source of joy and fulfillment as a human being comes from the creative process. The ability to create something of value out of nothing eclipses momentary financial or personal rewards, and instills within us a sense of meaning and purpose that validates our very existence.
Creativity, the ability to think about an opportunity or problem in a fresh innovative way, is the driving force behind the advancement of the human race. Throughout history, we have seen the ghastly consequences resulting from the suppression of free thought, and when individuals are free to pursue their dreams, how remarkably society is benefited.
The guitar provides a threshold for people to be introduced to the creative process and does it in a way that is exciting and fun. Engaging a young person in the process gives them a perspective on life that will serve to enhance the joy and fulfillment in every other aspect of their life, not just music. [gb]
TRANSCRIPTION EXCERPTS OF THE ACCOMPANYING VIDEO
“Those of you who already play understand, and I suspect understand at a very deep level, the satisfaction (the sheer joy) that comes with expressing yourself through music, through your guitar. And those of you who might not yet play, I’m confident you have been to enough concerts to have experienced this expression of joy firsthand, and typically this is what motivates most people to pick up the guitar and start playing.”
“There is, however, a side to this instrument that rarely–if ever–receives the attention it deserves. A side that produces benefits personal and cultural that go far beyond simply making music, as rewarding and enjoyable as it may be. The guitar introduces people to the creative process–a process that as our understanding grows, becomes the greatest single asset we have in not only dealing with the challenges of this world, but in living productive, rewarding lives.”
“When a person plays guitar––this remarkable instrument with a range of expression that runs from a young mother singing a lullaby to a sophisticated jazz trio to the heaviest metal band blowing the roof off of some sports arena in front of 35,000 sonically crazed fans––it’s not just about the personal rewards that come with making music or performing or even the arts. It’s about creativity, and specifically the creative process.”
“Of all the living creatures on this planet, only human beings have the ability to reason, to conceptualize, to envision a better way. This is in fact the defining characteristic that distinguishes humans from animals. And the highest use of this faculty is creativity––to take chaos and give it order, form, beauty. To create something of value out of nothing, and most interestingly, all the while we’re striving for greater and ever greater levels of perfection. Somehow within our hearts we know it’s never fully achievable and yet this is what inspires us to keep pushing, to relentlessly challenge ourselves to be better.”
“The historian Paul Johnson expressed it so beautifully when he said, “creativity is the sovereign remedy for the ills of our existence.” Einstein believed it to be more important than knowledge. His colleagues had every bit as much scientific knowledge as he had, and some would argue more, but Einstein had the creative spirit and it gave him the confidence, the courage, to challenge himself and his colleagues to look at things differently, to think creatively.”
“Plato, whose ideas were so beautifully detailed by philosopher turned historian Will Durant, believed that rhythm and harmony find their way into the secret places of the soul, making it graceful. And in so doing, the individual develops a disposition towards justice. [Plato] went so far as to ask the question, which I’m paraphrasing only slightly, ‘how could anyone who is harmoniously constituted ever be unjust?’ And like so many thinkers before and after, he understood that music is grounded in number; math. It’s about intervals, relationships, order. This is what allows scales and harmony to work. And so, because of this, he believed that when a person developed musical ability, they became uniquely qualified to manage, to govern, to lead. And that ultimately, these very special people come to represent civilization’s greatest resource. The only guarantee we have of a bright, prosperous, future.”
“And through the guitar, we’re able to reveal and nurture this most miraculous of all human gifts––the ability to create; the ability to make this world a better place. And the only true source for a life of meaning, a life of purpose, and to find not just for the end, but for the entire journey, true happiness.”