Creating at the Edge

Why did I invite a 14-year-old to create the music for my new book trailer? My son Nick is a talented musician. But beyond valuing his musical ability, I encourage him to take creative risks. I challenge him to follow his inspiration and bring his music into new areas, playing songs that stretch his ability without thinking too much about how he sounds. I want him to experiment with creative energy and let that influence what he makes, without the critical voice limiting his form. This is why I asked him to create the music for the book trailer video for Wild Creative. He began by feeling the essence of the video and creating a series of chord progressions. Then we went into a recording studio, with a professional musician guiding the process, and laid down a keyboard track, an acoustic guitar, and finally an electric guitar track. Step by step, he matched the tone of the music with the visual expression. I went into the process trusting whatever he would create, but also not knowing how he would handle being creative in this way. My favorite part of creativity is working with (or witnessing) the energy without knowing what will happen––that’s when the real beauty unfolds. Seeing Nick that day in the studio was a proud mama moment. I was proud of what he created, but I was even more proud that he could stand at the creative edge and make his music from that place.