The remixing approach: how one idea leads to another

One of the songs I’ve been listening non-stop is The Boy from Ipanema, interpreted by Diana Krall. Her performance is absolutely outstanding.

The first time I discovered this song, I thought it was a spoof. The original song is called Garota de Ipanema (“The Girl from Ipanema“), which was written in Portuguese in 1962 by Vinícius de Moraes and composed by Antonio Carlos Jobim. And, as pointed in the title, it talks about a girl that swings so cool and sways so gentle.

I found funny that someone would replace the word “girl” with “boy” and change a few more words here and there to match the “boy” theme. Now that I think about it, this is actually an interesting approach for a cover song. There has been 100 versions of it, and each is so unique in its own way; however, rewording it and turning into a different version refreshes the cover.

This is a great example that shows that, in the creative process, everything is a remix.

Everything we create is copied, transformed, and combined from our culture.

Kirby ferguson

Or from Ben Murray’s perspective, as written in Remixing Culture and Why the Art of the Mash-Up Matters, “all cultural artifacts are open to re-appropriation.” The results can be truly fruitful. As I did a bit more research on this song, I found that Diana Krall isn’t the only singer that has interpreted The Boy from Ipanema. Shirley Bassey, Petula Clark, Rosemary Clooney, Ella Fitzgerald, Eartha Kitt, Peggy Lee, The Supremes, Crystal Waters, and Sarah Vaughan also did it. Even if it’s the same song, each performance provides a different vibe to it.

How about Nancy Wilson’s version? It’s completely different than Diana’s.

How are you remixing things around you?

Learning mode: a constant process of discovery

We all need to be on learning mode at any stage of our lives.

It doesn’t matter how experienced we are in our professions. It doesn’t matter if we aren’t going to school anymore.

As snow falls outside and confinement remains the same, I’ve been thinking about my days as a university student. I look back and see myself sitting near the lecturer’s desk to avoid any distractions. I see my notebook ready for notes along with a black pen and a red pen to scribble as much as possible.

I was receptive to learning.

For the real world, I believe that same formula is worth implementing. Our lives and professions nowadays are demanding us to adapt to new forms of operating. The transition turns difficult when there’s resistance; however, in learning mode, it is possible to approach challenges with new eyes.

At the same time, learning means being willing to accept that there’s a whole world inside of ourselves that we know little about. We need to stay curious to unblock our own minds.

Learning is discovery, the discovery of the cause of our ignorance. However, the best way of learning is not the computation of information. Learning is discovering, uncovering what is there in us. When we discover, we are uncovering our own ability, our own eyes, in order to find our potential, to see what is going on, to discover how we can enlarge our lives, to find means at our disposal that will let us cope with a difficult situation.

(…)

Learning is definitely not mere imitation or the ability to accumulate and conform to fixed knowledge. Learning is a constant process of discovery and never a concluding one.

bruce lee

Quotes taken from brainpickings.org

What are you learning about yourself nowadays?

Maldito Dinero

Qué maldita desgracia es el dinero.

Maldita la hora en la que se inventó. Maldita la hora en la que se hizo necesario para vivir y morir; en la que se volvió sustento y liquidez de toda economía.

El dinero presiona, divide, confronta. Enferma, empuja, divorcia y a veces hasta deshonra.

Unos tienen más, otros tienen mucho menos o nada. Así empieza la lucha por el poder y el dominio absoluto.

Quien tiene dinero, manda. Luego el que manda se vuelve un idiota y un tirano al mismo tiempo. Así empieza el fin del mundo.

Atención naciones de todas las latitudes: el gran problema de la humanidad es el maldito dinero.

 

Los textos de este blog pertenecen a la autora Alice Strathern.

Espontaneidad

Por las calles concurridas
en medio de multitudes zombi
que se mueven en piloto automático,
alguien desborda sonrisas.

¿Quién es?
¿De qué privelgios goza?
¿Por qué vive con ese grado
de felicidad espontánea?

Aún en medio de la conformidad
es posible estar vivo
y reír sin aparente motivo
aún cuando el mundo se está acabando.

Los textos de este blog pertenecen a la autora Alice Strathern.

An author’s mindset for the editing process

I recently wrote about the editing process when you are a new author. This time, I want to talk about an author’s mindset when working with an editor. Interactions will vary from person to person, but I think it’s worth noting a few aspects before the work starts.

What do you need to know about this professional relationship you’re in the process of developing? I attempt to answer with a few thoughts and my own experiences for you to have an idea.

Continue reading “An author’s mindset for the editing process”

El Retorno

El aire se siente puro
tras abrir las ventanas
de par en par
tocando las cortinas de seda.

El cielo despejado,
o aborregado,
indica que será un día nuevo.
Un retorno a lo esencial.

Los árboles
se vuelven más fuertes
y las plantas florecen
con magia y paciencia.

La naturaleza
de nuestro ser
vuelve a ser auténtica
y transparente.

Que maravilla
ser inocente
y valiente
como antes.

Que maravilla
ver la vida
con ojos claros
de niña.

Los textos de este blog pertenecen a la autora Alice Strathern.

How to approach the editing process when you’re a new author

Last month, I experienced one of the greatest moments of joy that a writer can savour: finishing a manuscript. Seeing every chapter full of life, dialogues and monologues was glorious. Celebrating such an accomplishment was certainly meaningful; however, the work doesn’t stop there. The next immediate action is seeking an editor.

I did my own rounds of editing, but I’ve always known that, when it comes to ensuring that your story flows properly, a fresh pair of eyes is a must. This is the first book that I’m self-publishing, and it’s crucial to invest in its quality so that the world can enjoy it.

Continue reading “How to approach the editing process when you’re a new author”