Bach, Sit Down, Be Humble

Let’s Talk Arts & Culture

Last week Kendrick Lamar was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his album ‘Damn’, which entertained with deep rhythms and transformative lyrics on the complexities of social issues. It was a shocking change of pace for the Pulitzer committee, which has historically honored more “traditional” Western classical music (as well as some jazz). Music critics and academics heralded it as a watershed moment for the industry.

In The Originals, author Adam Grant notes that scientists with the highest number of Nobel Prizes had secondary careers in the arts. Does that mean that creativity generates better ideas and better performance? At Flat World, we think it does — and many of our team members participate in the arts. Other studies show that communities with art museums have lower crime and improved student performance. As investors search for creative and competitive portfolio solutions, we can’t ignore the creative economy.

Anna-Marie Wascher, CEO

Worried you aren’t maximizing creativity while you sleep? A team from MIT’s Dormio device allows you to stay longer in Hypnagogia, the magical-sounding realm between deep sleep and waking.

Pioneer Works is a great example of a community project in Red Hook that breathes the magic of Dustin Yellin. It’s a WeWork of sorts for artists, musicians, scientists and philosophers. Bringing together community in an open garden, the center is looking to continue to give back by installing solar panels on the roof and offering power to the local community, one that is more likely to be hit by power outages during extreme weather.

So how can you think about the creative arts in your investments? Check out Calvert’s artist notes or the amazing work Upstart Co-Lab is doing.

If you need a little breathing room to maximize your creativity, Headspace is here to help. The meditation app has special modules to improve creativity.