Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to WOODY JARRETT. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
WOODY, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
I believe most people possess creativity in greater quantities than we realize, but I also think creativity is greatly misunderstood.
As children, society generally encourages us to be creative…from Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy, to imaginary friends, creativity and imagination are qualities that are generally embraced. However, as we age, speaking about our “imaginary friends” might just get us committed. So how do we keep creativity alive as we move through this life? In my opinion, there are three main attributes one should possess…(1) the ability to ignore the judgement of others, (2) the ability to “practice” being creative, and (3) the ability to control your mental state.
On the most fundamental level, creativity is disruptive. If you decide to walk backward on a busy sidewalk, for example, you are being creative and disruptive…and people might say you’re crazy. If you write a pop tune with a unique chord progression or paint in a non-traditional way, some may judge you like the person walking backward on a sidewalk. Ignore them and keep being creative!
Creativity is also not something you can be good at if you never do it. How do people become good at freestyle rapping? By freestyle rapping. How do jazz musicians become good at improv? by improvising. This all seems quite logical, but it is surprising how many people see creativity as a purely innate gift as opposed to a skill that requires practice.
Finally, it can be difficult to be creative if you are angry, depressed, anxious, etc. Therefore, “turning creativity on” starts with optimizing your mental state. I personally rely on meditation, breathe work, and concentration drills to set me up for creativity.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am a partner with Beyer Entertainment, a talent and production company based in Las Vegas. We currently book over 500 shifts of entertainment each week. My goal with this venture is to always add value for both our customers and for our talent. For customers, we provide premium local talent in most major us markets across a variety of genres and formats. For talent, we provide an array of performance opportunities in most major US markets, quick payments, production support, and training.
Our goal is always to create NET new jobs for musicians, meaning we don’t just want to take another booking agency’s job…we’d rather create one that previously didn’t exist,
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Organization — Number one without question. If you don’t have the ability to plan, make to do lists, honor meetings and other commitments, etc — learn this skill now.
Empathy — Empathy is a critical business trait, from negotiations, to hiring, to setting prices, having insight into other people’s perspective will greatly assist in decision making.
Personal Responsibility — Learning to take responsibility for your actions, especially when you’re the boss helps you more quickly devise solutions. It also helps you present yourself as a better leader.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Contact Info:
- Website: beyerentertainment.com
- Instagram: @beyerentertainment
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beyerent
