There’s something about getting around good art that makes you want to create. It stirs you to make stuff, but not just any old stuff, good stuff. Good art inspires good art, excellence, and creativity. This is precisely how I felt as I walked back up the ramp from the Broken Bells concert that took place in a lower level concrete parking garage during SXSW.

Broken Bells / Creativity

Danger Mouse (The Grey Album, Gnarles Barkley) and James Mercer (The Shins) are the primary creators behind Broken Bells, and they’ve got a good track record of creative excellence. The remarkable combination of sounds that is Broken Bells is simultaneously mesmerizing and pulsing. It’s a combination of a good pop record with some indie, hip-hop (not too much), and an electronic twist. Oh, throw in some horns too. And then there’s the three part melodies. And the 17 keyboards (okay, more like four). Maybe you’re starting to get the idea?

Venice is Sinking / Community

Unfortunately, I didn’t have a lot of extra time or energy to catch shows this week, and I never made it to SXSW films or interactive. However, I did have the pleasure of listening to Venice is Sinking at the Ghost Room. Thanks to John Wages, I’ve been enjoying VIS for some time. This Georgia band makes music that puts you at ease. I can write to it. The violin, the vocals, the occasional horn. Isn’t it amazing how different types of music do different things for us? VIS helped me chill out toward the end of a very demanding week. Add to that the companionship of the Wages, and you get musical-community-as-therapy?

Music for the City / Mission

I finished out the week with the Music for the City: Art of Giving showcase. This showcase was packed with talent from Miranda Dodson to Soldier Thread to Quiet Company. Sorry, Jordan, I missed your act. 🙁 Eastside Yoga allowed MFC to convert their yoga studio into a buzzing showcase. The place was packed for hours, all for a good cause. MFC is on a mission to bring Austin, Charity, and Music together. It felt great to be a part of their mission.

This year they are putting on a Festival and a Compilation album of local artists (including visual art) to benefit local charities–Austin SafePlace and Austin Children’s Shelter. Nate Navarro and Kristin Vasquez did a great job putting this showcase together. It was fun, creative, communal, and missional. Plus they had some pretty cool T-shirts for sale.

Final Thought on Creativity

You can listen to Broken Bells below, a video from the Austin SX concert, but while you’re doing so allow this creative excellence to stimulate more creativity in you. For my wife that means making a new dress. For me it means writing a new article, book or sermon. What does it mean for you? Before you write yourself as “not the creative type”, consider this quote by Harold Best: “Biblically speaking the making of art is not an option but a command.”