At the 2006 TED conference, Sir Ken Robinson had some thought-provoking comments on why teaching dance in schools should be as important as literacy.
It was an exciting speech to stumble upon because Savage Tree was founded in 2004 out of the belief that every child is born creative, but that people often try to bury, forget or ignore their need to create as they get older. And we’ve always sought to encourage people to pursue that passion they’ve always wanted to explore, to offer low-cost training and opportunities to collaborate with professionals and get new work seen.
The “savage” in our name comes from the fact that the urge to create is a primal one, and just like the roots of “trees” in the neighborhoods we live in, that urge ultimately tears up any barriers set in place to stop it. That’s why you’ll see mill workers retire and fill their yards with visionary folk art or people drop out of corporate life to pursue their passion.
But, if you create something every day, whether it’s a drawing, a blog post, a photograph, a Twitter tone poem, or even a meal for people you love, you don’t have to wait until you’re so frustrated you’re about to burst. If you create something every day, you are an artist. You don’t need anyone’s permission to play.
If you don’t know where to start or what to do, think about what used to make you happy as a child? Did you love gluing macaroni on shoe boxes or making Shrinky Dinks? Wrapping sticks to make god’s eyes or drawing on popsicle sticks? Maybe you always wanted to draw comic books or write a novel. Start. Now. Tomorrow. Every day.
It’s not important how long it’s been since you’ve tried. Putting aside a few minutes every day to discover what inspires you is just as important as exercising your body physically. And the more consistently you dedicate yourself to creative pursuits, the more progress you’ll see. So be gentle, go easy on yourself. As one of my ballet teachers said, “Everyone was a beginner one Sunday.”
For the past year, we’ve been quiet on the production front, because we needed some time to pursue film projects, which are less collaborative than the theater festivals of of our past. But Robert Sanders is planning to launch a Georgia project soon, with a bunch of roulettes inspired by this great state we live in, our history and our neighbors.
So for the next 30 days, try writing, drawing, dancing, making music or whatever makes your soul sing for a minimum of 5 minutes a day. Let me know how it feels. If you want, share your work with us. And after a month, let’s see where it takes you.
