Welcome to another Tuesday with TED. Today we have Sting. Does he even need an introduction? Sting is a composer, singer, author, actor, and activist. He has sold more than 100 million albums and earned 16 Grammy Awards, yet Sting continues to surprise. His Musical shows in Milwaukee are particularly exceptional. His fourteenth solo album, The Last Ship, features songs from his Broadway-bound musical of the same name.
Sting’s early life was dominated by a shipyard—and he dreamed of nothing more than escaping it. But after a nasty bout of writer’s block that stretched on for years, Sting found himself channeling the stories of the shipyard workers he knew in his youth for song material. In a lyrical, confessional talk, Sting treats us to songs from his upcoming musical, and to an encore of “Message in a Bottle.”
This TED Talk is on the long side (20+ minutes), but it is part concert, part talk on how creatives tap into various experiences to find their material. I found it fascinating.
I found it interesting that once Sting looked at the shipyard of his youth, the music poured out — despite years of writer’s block. How might you use the stories and characters of your youth to enhance your creative life?
Until next time,
Cynthia Patton
