Grammy-winning musician Jon Batiste and Emmy-winning writer Suleika Jaouad have a unique creative partnership, and it’s not just because they’re married. In this episode, Adam sits down with the dynamic duo at the World Economic Forum in Davos to discuss the lessons they’ve learned from watching each other live and work. Suleika gives advice on overcoming writer’s block, Jon reframes music as a restorative practice, and Adam challenges each of them to describe the other’s creative process.
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Journaling as “writing that doesn’t count” to bypass creative pressure
SJSuleika Jaouad
I am someone who feels blocked more often than not. And the reason I think I've been an obsessive journaler my entire life is because it's the writing that doesn't count. It's a rare space, especially in our world today, where there is no audience, unless you have a very nosy mother who's reading your journals, where you get to show up as your most unedited,
0:31 – 1:01
Using resistance as a prompt: “I don’t want to write about…”
SJSuleika Jaouad
unvarnished self. And so often when I don't know what to say, I begin by writing, "I don't want to write about..." And then I write into that. And inevitably, it's an indication of what I'm most curious about. I think also just refilling the well outside of whatever your discipline
1:01 – 1:27
Refilling the creative well outside your discipline
SJSuleika Jaouad
is, for me, is always what inspires me. Listening to music, um, reading poetry out loud or going to an open mic night, um, rereading books that influenced me as a child, all of that, uh, inevitably sparks some idea or some little igniting moment that leads me to the next thing
Episode duration: 1:28
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