We interviewed the Mozart of Gen Z

The Nugget

Jacob Collier's journey from creating music in his bedroom to winning six Grammys and revolutionizing live performances showcases that creativity thrives on authenticity, curiosity, and embracing the unexpected. His approach to music, collaborations, and interactions with the audience illustrates the power of genuine exploration and the importance of permitting oneself and others to be creatively wild.

Key quotes

"The audience comes last."
"If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans."
"Make music that only you could make."
"You get to make your own world."
"It's not about how many people have I reached, it's about, of the people that I reached, how many of those did I move."
"Creativity thrives on not knowing what you're doing."

Creativity is not a linear journey but a space for genuine exploration, surprise, and evolution. A pivotal part of Jacob Collier's creative process is permitting himself to be instinctual, exploring various ideas without the pressure for perfection or immediate clarity.

Collier emphasizes the symbiotic relationship between artist and audience, especially in live performances. His innovative audience choir highlights the collective power of human voice, showcasing how genuine connections are formed through shared experiences rather than perfection.

Collier highlights the importance of maintaining a direct and authentic connection with one's audience amidst the evolving digital platforms. The recent UMG vs. TikTok scenario underscores the necessity for artists to remain adaptable while advocating for systems that genuinely support creators' ability to connect and share their work.

Drawing from personal experiences and observations, Collier articulates the importance of embracing one's innate curiosity, the lack of absolute certainty in the creative process, and the power of asking the right questions. This approach underscores a more fluid and evolving understanding of oneself and one's creative pursuits.

The advent of AI in creative industries presents a unique opportunity for artists to expand their creative possibilities. While it introduces efficiencies and new tools, Collier argues for the maintenance of human elements like unpredictability, humor, and imperfection in art, emphasizing these as essential to retaining our humanity and genuine creativity.

🔄 Embrace the cycle: Recognize that creativity involves cycling through states of knowing and not knowing, with the true breakthroughs often coming from the latter.
🤲 Permission is powerful: Giving yourself and others permission to explore and be wild is crucial in unlocking true creative potential.
🗣 Connection over perfection: Genuine connections with your audience, whether through direct interaction or shared experiences, are more impactful than aiming for technical perfection.
🌍 Your world, your rules: Understand that the creative world you build is unique to you. Stay authentic and let your curiosity guide your exploration, resisting trends or pressures to conform.

This summary contains AI-generated information and may be misleading or incorrect.