Padhraig Nolan's Blog

Multitasking Creativity?


'A way with words and a gift for illustration rarely inhabit same brain.' Is the theme of an article by John Keenan over on the Guardian Arts Blog. Do you agree? I don't think so. The fact is that many writers, visual artists and indeed, musicians display talent to a high level across a number of these creative roles.
Dr. Seuss, Hunter S Thompson, Miranda July and Dorothy Molloy come to mind.

The initial surge of creative expression, however, traditionally needs to be focussed in order to achieve outstanding results in any given discipline. This may result from the closely academic principles applied in 'linear' career development of artistic 'job descriptions' to date.

It is quite possible that we may yet see a new generation of 'renaissance artists' emerge from the cross-fertilisation of disciplines resulting from convergence technologies.

Remember, until relatively recently, many lauded creators weren't always fulltime, professional artists. Many lived a professional life that required energies, skills and commitments separate to their artistic pursuits. One benefit of new technologies is that these could now be brought to bear to make progress more efficiently in a number of disciplines?