"The thin precarious crust of decency is all the separates any civilization, however impressive, from the hells of anarchy or systematic tyranny which lie in wait beneath the surface."  Aldous Huxley ...<< MORE >>

The King of Pop was a broken man.

Fabulous entertainer, master musician, choreographer, divorcee, suspected pedophile, recluse:  how to reconcile the extremes in this single extraordinary man?

James Hillman wrote in The Soul’s Code of the inhuman encased in the human—divine talent housed in a fragile shell.  How does this fragile shell sustain the force of the talent?  Youth helps, but over time the demands of life, the losses and the loneliness take their toll.  Perhaps Michael’s body simply grew too tired to house, and be the instrument of, this talent any longer.

In his glory days, there were indications of this dilemma.  Note his performance of Man in the Mirror at the 1988 Grammy Awards.  There’s pain and urgency there which go deeper than the profound message of the song.  The music flows through and consumes his body, every beat finding expression, while his reedy voice soars over the backing track and singers who join him on stage.  After ferociously pleading with us to “make that change,” he slumps to his knees and appears unable to stand.  One of his backing vocalists moves to him and helps him to his feet.  He is not defeated; rather, the music and passion lift him to a stunning crescendo. He is simultaneously possessed by and in command of his music.  As the crowd rises to its feet, his sweet gentle voice whispers into the microphone, “Thank you,” and implores us to “make that change.” He sinks his head in a deep bow and the lights fade to black.

Today, thankfully, Michael is free of the frail body that once housed his soul.  Perhaps he’s now swapping stories with Judy Garland, one of his iconic peers, who also lived a life of incomparable talent and deep sadness.  Judy Garland explained her dilemma this way:  “Maybe it’s because I made a certain sound, a musical sound, a sound that seems to belong to the world.  But it also belongs to me because it comes from within me.”  Michael had a sound deeply his own, that millions around the world came to own, too.  His music touched each of our experiences of life, love, loss, fear, and redemption, all packaged in images and moves that set the standard for artists to come.  And, if he wasn’t singing of our experiences, his music was, at least, the soundtrack to them.

In recent years his life became a freak show, sadly eclipsing his artistic contribution to this world.  His eccentricities, like Elvis’s, are legendary.  Michael shares Elvis’s dichotomy of power and weakness—great talent and success that brings with it isolation and a sense of unreality that most of us don’t experience in our daily lives.  This unreality leads to behaviors and actions that appear weak and unstable.  The Soul’s Code suggests that these events are evidence of the larger-than-life talent seeking grounding in human experience.  The talent seems to lift the artist up and yet drop him down in the arc of its expression. 

Ultimately, the true artist surrenders to this middle ground between inspiration and sweat. Michael Jackson gave himself completely to his artistic expression, and to the brokenness that came with it.  May he rest in peace, united fully with our merciful God, the source of all creativity.

"Creativity is not a gift from the gods...but is the product of preparation and effort," says Twila Tharp, the great American choreographer, in her book, The Creative Habit.  Though all of us are born with certain gifts and talents, it is in the development of these gifts that we bring them into their fullest potential.  This year, I've seen evidence of this on the reality show, American Idol.

Now, the artists among us will look with skepticism on American Idol as a resource of creativity.  What I have witness, however, amidst the programming and popularity contest, are moments that illustrate Ms. Tharp's assertion.

This week, we're down to the final 7 in the competition, but earlier this year hundreds of contestants vied for these spots.  One, Tatiana Del Toro, embodied the "I'm the center of the universe" drama-queen-diva, using her powerful personality and above-average pipes to bulldoze her way to the top 36.  She had three key opportunities to sing for the judges, and each time, she sang the same song, "Saving all My Love for You," originally performed by Whitney Houston.  Her third performance was in the "wild card" slot, a total gift from the judges.  Following her performance, Simon asked her some critical questions.  View her performance and most of the judges' comments; Simon's scrutiny begins around 3:20.

Simply put, Tatiana performed the same song three times because she didn't have another song ready. Simon called this lack of preparation "rubbish."  As I often do, I agreed with Simon this time.  Here she stood, on a national stage, with an opportunity that thousands of people longed to have, and she was unprepared.  Only one song in her repertoire; performed reasonably well, but not the show-stopper she needed to advance in the competition.  Opportunity dashed.

Those who aspire to the creative life should take a lesson from Tatiana: Get ready.  Or as our Boy Scouts might say, "Be Prepared." 

Another contestant embodies the results of time invested in preparation and effort: Adam Lambert.  The 26-year-old contestant admits that from an early age, he knew he wanted to be a performer, and has pursued that goal through musical theater, live musical reviews, talent shows, etc.  This experience has garnered him tremendous stage presence, confidence in his abilities, a wide repertoire of songs and styles to perform.  Certainly, he has been gifted with an extraordinary voice and handsome presence, but it is his investment in his craft that has brought him to this moment.  Each week, he brings a fresh take to the song he performs.  Here's just one example of his work.  Watch through to the end to see Simon's reaction.  Browse his other performances and one thing is clear: Adam is ready.

Creatives, take note!  Opportunities will come our way--are we ready to rise to the occasion?

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Author's note:  I've been away from Time2Muse for a while as I launched two more blogs and books!  Please visit the Prepare Your Heart Series sites:

Prepare Your Heart and Be a Great Mom
Prepare Your Heart for a Great Christmas

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