One of the most creative people I ever met...
One of the most creative people I ever met was Stefano, a fabulously generous and warm Italian in his early 50's. His main profession over the span of his life was writing and journalism, in particular music journalism, also radio journalism and broadcasting.
What made him so memorably creative?
I think his unwillingness to conform, to be put into a box created by society's expectation. In conversation he was sumptous, abundant and elegant, his rich sturdy oak of a voice wrapping its Roman accent around near perfect English, along the way dropping all kinds of musical, literary, biblical and philisophical references.
Listening to him was on one level like hearing epic passages of classical music and on another level like a crash course in history, philosophy, music, mythology, religion and politics simultaneously. Just a five minute conversation with him would leave me with a dozen ideas and people to investigate and research further.
What I remember most about his creative output were the mere two letters he wrote to me. They were among the most rich, delicious and eloquent pieces of writing I've ever read, spiralling off at mad tangents before drifting back into the main point and flow and attacking once more with searing intelligence and poetic grace.
As well as the incerdible content, he wrote on whatever paper was to hand, and in different colours, directions and angles, little pictures and illustrations scattered between the words. Reading these letters was a huge inspiration to me and an affirmation to continue to explore my own writing with an sense of experimental freedom.
So what's the moral of this? I think that by having his general unwilllingness to conform to society on so many levels, to do what was "expected" and to fit in a pre-fixed notion of what he should be and what he should do with his life, Stefano was freed up in his mind to be as creative and imaginative as he wished. In the process, he was creatively a great inspiration to all those who spoke with him and the lucky few who received one of those amazing letters...
Who's the most creative person you've ever met..?
What made him so memorably creative?
I think his unwillingness to conform, to be put into a box created by society's expectation. In conversation he was sumptous, abundant and elegant, his rich sturdy oak of a voice wrapping its Roman accent around near perfect English, along the way dropping all kinds of musical, literary, biblical and philisophical references.
Listening to him was on one level like hearing epic passages of classical music and on another level like a crash course in history, philosophy, music, mythology, religion and politics simultaneously. Just a five minute conversation with him would leave me with a dozen ideas and people to investigate and research further.
What I remember most about his creative output were the mere two letters he wrote to me. They were among the most rich, delicious and eloquent pieces of writing I've ever read, spiralling off at mad tangents before drifting back into the main point and flow and attacking once more with searing intelligence and poetic grace.
As well as the incerdible content, he wrote on whatever paper was to hand, and in different colours, directions and angles, little pictures and illustrations scattered between the words. Reading these letters was a huge inspiration to me and an affirmation to continue to explore my own writing with an sense of experimental freedom.
So what's the moral of this? I think that by having his general unwilllingness to conform to society on so many levels, to do what was "expected" and to fit in a pre-fixed notion of what he should be and what he should do with his life, Stefano was freed up in his mind to be as creative and imaginative as he wished. In the process, he was creatively a great inspiration to all those who spoke with him and the lucky few who received one of those amazing letters...
Who's the most creative person you've ever met..?
posted by Dan at 9:14 PM
As a Creativity Coach I work with people who are frustrated that their creative talents are underused. 
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