Jen's Reflections on Heward

Lyn Heward’s ‘Seven Doors to Creativity’ presentation was both eye-opening and inspiring; particularly from a performer’s perspective. I am at a point in my development as an artist that I am on the cusp of being able to incorporate much of what Ms. Heward speaks of into my own development as an artist.
I have also been reading her book ‘The Spark’, which covers the same elements she discussed in-class, but in a more narrative format. The book is geared more towards a ‘traditional’ business person – perhaps unhappy with their work, one who has lost their youthful enthusiasm, and probably feels trapped by their particular industry. I went through a similar questioning of my life-direction when I finished my first under-graduate degree and had been working as a secretary for nearly 2 years. Upon asking the question of myself ‘Who Am I?’, I answered it by knowing that I would not be doing office work for the rest of my life. Within six months of beginning singing training, I decided on a career in singing and music. As Ms. Heward mentions, risk is a necessary element of creativity, so in the spirit of risk and pursuit of music, I talked to my employer and was able to transfer my secure, full-time job down to part-time.
For the past 8 or 9 years I have been very focused on technique and ‘learning the ropes’ so to speak, of my craft. Now that I have an excellent handle on the more technical aspects of singing, I can focus on the more ‘creative’ sides of my craft. Every job, task, or position has constraints on it that are unique to the thing itself. Just as a project or an organization has deadlines, guidelines, and outlines; musicians and performing arts companies, particularly singers and opera houses, must work within the poetic, musical, and stylistic constraints of a particular piece. What I have learned as a performer is this: one cannot be truly, creatively, free, until one has the entire piece, including the poetry, the music, and the stylistic demands, under technical control and ideally memorized. The constraints of the piece define it, but also allow the performer to be creative in delivery. This guideline also applies to opera companies and directors where repetitive repertoire is the norm.
When one has creative ownership of a piece, a performance is more interesting to the audience. Probably the single most difficult aspect of my craft (on a personal level) is taking a risk and sharing from the inside-out. Yet, this is precisely where the greatest creative rewards lie. Just as an employee sees a leader putting in the extra hours (or not) for a project, the audience knows when they are being cheated of an honest and generous performance.
Ms. Heward’s ‘Seven Doors to Creativity’ made it apparent that creativity in the arts can be applied to any business, but can also be applied to growth as an individual performer. I very much look forward to personally developing my own seven doors to creativity.