We stumbled on this video of Paul Simon performing “So Beautiful or So What”, and found the lyrics themselves to be a big fat message to ponder. Then we found a video of the riffs and starts and thinking that went into making the album and had to include that too, because it’s all about following ideas – some working, some not – and unexpected influences and revelations leading to new paths. Our favorite bit starts at 5:42. Dig that cigar box guitar.

I’m gonna make a chicken gumbo
Toss some sausage in the pot
I’m gonna flavor it with okra
Cayenne pepper to make it hot
You know life is what we make of it
So beautiful or so what

I’m gonna tell my kids a bedtime story
A play without a plot

Will it have a happy ending?
Maybe yeah, Maybe not
I tell them life is what you make of it
So beautiful or so what

So beautiful
So beautiful

So what….
(…read the rest here)

First video link here. Second video link here.

Related posts: 7 principles of comedy/design/creating anything

creative pursuit as deep sea dive (dave eggers)

wabi sabi, the perfection of imperfection

a cool way to free up the creative process

fling and be flung (jackson pollock)

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