Improvisation as Inspiration

Jazz, curiosity, and the greatest literary hoax of all time

Improvisation 27 (Garden of Love II) by Wassily Kandinsky, 1912 (public domain - Wikimedia Commons)

“We start then, with the Muses, who delight / With song the mighty mind of father Zeus / Within Olympus, telling of things that are, / That will be, and that were, with voices joined / In harmony.” — Hesiod, c. 700 BC

When you’re searching for an idea, where do you go?

If you’ve ever watched Mad Men, you saw Don Draper, the consummate creative director, try to hammer out his ideas by taking a nap, or leaving his office to head to a matinee at a nearby theater.

Some people choose to listen to music. Others open a book. And yet others take a walk.

Whatever it is, we make those choices to break up the monotony or try to jolt our thinking.

In all of those moments, opportunities present themselves: opportunities to take in and appreciate the creative work of someone else. It might be something centuries old. Or it might be a creation from this morning.

When you reflect on something beautif…