Generous and generative

Today I’m thinking about generativity – generative music, generative arts, generative principles in life.

I’m also thinking about generosity – in the arts, among artists, or anywhere in life.

Both concepts share a common Greek root – “gene-“: to beget, to give birth.

To look into yourself is often misunderstood as a selfish act – something for dreamers and snowflakes. But to generate art is to be generous: to share the insights your reflections bring forth so they can enable even more insights.

Generative processes create an abundance of variations and possibilities – for the creators and for the recipients. So does generosity.

Sometimes things just make sense.


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One thought on “Generous and generative”

  1. Interesting things you bring up, Tobias. Looking into one’s self, clear-eyed with emotional honesty, is not for the faint of heart.
    gen·er·a·tive :
    adjective
    relating to or capable of production or reproduction.
    “the generative power of the life force”
    Is a composer or musician the original creator, or a vehicle that creative energies can flow through? I’m thinking of Robert Fripp’s comment that there is but one Musician, working through many hands. How important or unimportant is this, as long as the outcome is what one designed?

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