Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi sums up the mentality of many creative pioneers as "driven by a feeling of responsibility for the common good, a feeling that sometimes borders on traditional religious values but more often seems to depend on a spiritual sense for the order and beauty of natural phenomena that transcends any particular creed" (Creativity, p. 316).
On that note, the following video sums up Bob Marley's creativity and his values. In it, he talks of his youth and his natural attraction to the the domain of music. Of the connections he made in the Rasta culture. His relationships, fame, and wealth. Of the great sacrifice he made for his country and the assassination attempt he narrowly survived. And the video culminates with the most moving and significant moment of his life, when he utilized his creative outlet, music, to emulate the philosophy of "One Love" by crossing cultural boundaries to inspire political progress:
Suddenly, Marley summoned Prime Minister Michael Manley and Opposition Leader Edward Seaga to join him on stage. I was ready with my camera as the crowd was now on their feet anticipating the next move. Both leaders had to respond to Bob's request as they were put on the spot without notice. Seaga was the first to be pulled to the platform, followed quickly by Manley.
Positioned between the leaders with hands on both their shoulders, Marley literally pulled them together as they shook hands. Bob then placed his hands on the hands of both leaders and raised them in a show of Peace and One Love to the applause of the audience.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi states: "To achieve the kind of world we consider human, some people had to dare to break the thrall of tradition. Next, they had to find ways of recording those new ideas or procedures that imrpoved on what went on before. Finally, they had to find ways of transmitting the new knowledge to the generations to come. Those who were involved in this process we call creative. What we call culture, or those parts of our selves that we internalized from the social environment, is their creation" (Creativity, p. 317).
Many years after Bob Marley used music to bring rivals together, his socio-cultural significance echoes in the sentiments of another cultural-political icon:
You really don't have to look very hard to see the impact that one of the most creative and inspiring artists of all time, Bob Marley, has made on our lives. He created and continues to create good vibes. His words and his message are timeless creations: "Let's get together and feel alright-"
No comments:
Post a Comment