"For me, it's a bigger challenge, it's much harder to do and much more rewarding to do well, then just to think up stuff of your own, hit or miss, because you've got to see to it that you don't torpedo any of his punch lines"
- Humphrey Lyttelton
About this Quote
In this quote, Humphrey Lyttelton, a renowned jazz musician and radio speaker, reviews the obstacles and rewards of taking part in collaborative imaginative efforts, especially when building upon someone else's work. Lyttelton is highlighting the intricacies involved in adding to or adapting existing content, rather than creating entirely initial material "hit or miss out on". The obstacle he describes is complex.
Initially, Lyttelton emphasizes just how much "more difficult" it is to develop on existing product. This difficulty occurs due to the fact that one must maintain the initial creator's intent and humor without eclipsing or misshaping it. The recommendation to not "torpedoing any of his tag line" shows the care needed to preserve the efficiency and timing of these elements, which might currently have been thoroughly crafted.
Additionally, Lyttelton highlights the gratifying nature of effectively navigating these difficulties. Achieving consistency between one's contributions and the original material needs skill and level of sensitivity, offering deep fulfillment when succeeded. This success verifies one's capability to improve a cumulative work without lessening its initial value, underscoring a respect for the initial creator's vision and audience's expectations.
The quote indicates a deeper understanding of imagination as a relational procedure. It suggests specific creativity involves not just revealing personal concepts but likewise engaging with the ideas of others, wanting to take on the risks and needs this requires.
Eventually, Lyttelton appears to promote for a collective frame of mind, valuing the experience of thoroughly and artfully weaving one's contributions into the material of a pre-existing narrative. This approach to creative work highlights a dynamic balance in between uniqueness and collaboration, demonstrating that imagination can grow most profoundly when it respects and builds upon the structures laid by others.
"One has children in the expectation of dying before them. In fact, you want to make damn sure you die before them, just as you plant a tree or build a house knowing, hoping that it will outlive you. That's how the human species has done as well as it has"
