Category Archives: Creativity

Improvisation

Posted on September 18, 2020 by Jeff

I’ve been playing guitar off and on since the 70s. I’ve learned enough to play electric blues and blues/rock at the amateur intermediate level, but I’ve had no success improvising beyond mixing various rhythm guitar riffs. Recently I’ve realized I … Continue reading →

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Author Mission Statement

Posted on September 10, 2020 by Jeff

How (And Why) to Create an Author Mission Statement is a guest column on the Writer Unboxed blog. It’s a five step process to getting clear about the goal of your writing: What you write (e.g., poems, essays, novels)? Who … Continue reading →

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King of West Campus

Posted on August 5, 2020 by Jeff

Austin is full of ideas, music, creatives, and food trucks. There are various ethnicities (e.g. tacos, Venezuelan, Jamaican), hybrids (Korean-Mexican), and none of the above. JP’s Pancake Company is one of the latter. Or maybe one of the hybrids, his … Continue reading →

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John McPhee on Writing and the Relationship Between Artistic Originality and Self-Doubt

Posted on August 3, 2020 by Jeff

Impostor Syndrome is an occupational hazard of any creative endeavor. John McPhee’s discussion of the problem and its solution (taken from his book Draft No. 4) on Brain Pickings both nailed the problem and its solution. Read it and bookmark … Continue reading →

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One Kind Favor

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Jeff

This song was written and recorded by Blind Lemon Jefferson with just him and his guitar in the late 1920s. It has been covered numerous times. The original arrangement doesn’t do full justice to the creepiness of the lyrics. Jerry … Continue reading →

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For What It’s Worth

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Jeff

The 1967 Buffalo Springfield song “Buffalo Springfield” has remained relevant, even prescient for over 40 years. The Del McCoury Band and friends recorded their own version in 2017. The lead singer, Jason Carter, has an amazing voice with a distinct … Continue reading →