Creativity and the arts
Creativity
idea
To be creative, Chinese philosophy teaches us to abandon ‘originality’
Whether grieving a death or connecting to colleagues, creativity enables an artful life, according to Chinese philosophy
by Julianne Chung
Music
idea
True musical virtuosos are minimalists who put roll before rock
Musicians like Muddy Waters and Charlie Watts played fewer notes than showoffs like Jeff Beck, but they were the right ones
by Mike Edison
Creativity
guide
How to be lucky
Most of us think that luck just happens (or doesn’t) but everyone can learn to look for the unexpected and find serendipity
by Christian Busch
Dance
film
How the acrobat and choreographer Yoann Bourgeois plays with gravity and time
Directed by Raphael Wertheimer
Creativity
idea
A life of splendid uselessness is a life well lived
Like the fertile soil of a well-kept garden, a life of splendid, utter uselessness yields abundance beyond our immediate aims
by Joseph M Keegin
Human evolution
idea
Why it took us thousands of years to see the colour violet
The colour violet was largely missing from art before the Impressionists, and is seen differently by different cultures. Why?
by Allen Tager
Film
guide
How to find great films to watch
Bored with Hollywood and Netflix? Becoming an adventurous and informed explorer of the cinema world is in everyone’s grasp
by Geoff Andrew
Poetry
film
Irish hills, folk music and David Whyte’s poetry form a fleeting, meditative moment
Directed by Andrew Hinton
History of ideas
idea
Ancient Indian texts reveal the liberating power of metaphysics
Indian metaphysics presented a philosophical route to a higher level of existence beyond limits of space and time
by Jessica Frazier
Stories and literature
idea
The plague novel you need to read is by Bachmann, not Camus
In Ingeborg Bachmann’s Malina, the plague isn’t a biological virus, it doesn’t cause lockdowns, but it is killing us
by Lyndsey Stonebridge
Stories and literature
guide
How to gain more from your reading
There’s more to words than meets the eye. Deepen your appreciation of literature through the art of slow, attentive reading
by Robert DiYanni
Photography
film
One photo per day for more than a year, exploring how rituals affect memory
Directed by Scott Thrift