ZM took a hiatus from performing the past few months – new babies and holiday bustle took priority. We’ll be getting back out there with live shows lined up in January, February, and beyond. Stay tuned for those!
In the meantime, here are some New Years Day thoughts about how music, and all art in general, meets three primary human longings.
First, we as humans long for community. We long to share our experiences with others and hear about theirs. There is a certain validation that we are not alone, that we are good, that we are capable and worthy of each other, when we come into community with others. Gathering together to enjoy music together, no matter which side of the stage I am on, inevitably satisfies this longing.
Second, we are an inherently creative species. Whether your expression is of an ilk commonly thought of as “artistic” (music, paint, culinary, sculpture, cinema, etc) or of other means (business, team building, teaching, problem solving, sales, finance, coaching, and 1,000 other ways to express your creative self) we all have an intrinsic energy to innovate. Sometimes this is a personal process, yet there are times we come together with others to cultivate our creative expressions.
Finally, a third human longing that is satisfied through artistic expression is simply: love. To give and receive love. It is such a powerful way to express our care for one another – supporting and collaborating in the creation of something new.
These three longings are satisfied each time I take my place behind the keyboard as a musician. I strive to be my best, technically, but underneath is a simple need to satisfy these longings.
I express my creative self as a musician but also…
As a business leader.
And a father. Brother. Son. Student. Friend. Blog-writer. Community member. Farmer’s Market attendee. Cubs fan. Broncos fan. Mountain climber. Bike rider. And on and on. All the different ways and places I join together in community with other people. I’ve learned the most enduring, most memorable events in my life happen in the context of doing something new, something creative with other people.
I haven’t found a better narrative to describe what brings me back week after week, year after year, to spend my precious energy and time with Zen Mustache in this crazy creative music experience.
I haven’t found a better explanation for why I’m so passionate about building great teams in business. Business is an art, after all, and discovering / cultivating / learning / solving / helping / being with others in the art of business satisfies all those human longings.
Community. Creative Expression. Love.
Whatever your artistic expression is, I can’t wait to see you out there doing your thing in 2017. Zen Mustache will most certainly be doing ours!
