The approach of each New Year presents a Polaroid capture of the personal and professional hills and valleys preceding it, along with a screenshot of the potential promise ahead in the scaling of new goals and forgotten dreams. However, the strategizing towards those goals can quickly become overshadowed by a punitive outlook towards the discipline required to realize them. In a world where creative and professional success has been equated to and associated with struggle and

The life of an artist and creative can easily become overwrought and inhibited by worry and anxiety that if left unattended, can eventually block the flow of creative insight and inspiration. An unconditioned creativity—an automatic, natural state of creativity that thrives and perseveres through difficulty—can shield against the destructive effects of anxiety towards continued productivity. A life of unconditioned creativity can be cultivated through the following practices:

Best Wishes for a restful weekend ahead. In lieu of my regular blog post, I am writing to announce the launch of my new webisode series, Culture Therapy with Claudia Alexander. The show will be a continuation of the blog, exploring subjects related to Jazz, Faith, Spirituality, Artist Wellness and Artist Empowerment, in support of artists and creatives. Join me now on YouTube for the CTCA pilot episode and subscribe for future discussions on the topics above, as they relate t

Life imitates Art, and Art imitates Life. It is a familiar saying derived from the original quote within Oscar Wilde’s essay, “The Decay of Lying”, and reflects the symbiotic relationship between life and art—and the potential power of art towards change, influence and reinvention. Given the parallel dynamic between artists and culture, it is ironic that we find ourselves living in a time of chaotic uncertainty, as art initiatives and programs are experiencing drastic cuts o

Relationships are highly valued commodities—particularly within the entertainment and art worlds, where having connections is generally regarded as a necessity for career mobility and success, and a metric of industry equity. A trusted confidant can provide the encouragement and support we need in our darkest hour of perspective—while a betrayal can serve as a mentorship tool towards self-actualization as an artist, providing a window into our greatest strengths and weaknesse

What is truth? It is a question that belies the pursuit of every artist, beyond the initial infatuation with their instrument and capability and the dismantling of the romantic narrative shrouding the purpose of their gift. Truth is a highly valued commodity—an eternal source of salvation and security that endures, providing hope and immunity against the day-to-day ugliness and deceptive messages of the world. From the very moment an artist comes into alignment with their cal

Improvisation is defined as “the ability to create and perform spontaneously without preparation; to produce from whatever is available”. It is a celebrated skill within art and entertainment, specifically within music—as demonstrated in Hip-Hop, and most notably Jazz. The ability to improvise is a key signifier of merit of a jazz artist, and is an attribute that is synonymous with the art form. The creation of new melodic and harmonic language within the closed vocabulary of

Acknowledgement. Resolution. Pursuance. Psalm. These are the four musical suites of the classic recording “A Love Supreme” written by legendary jazz master and saxophonist, John Coltrane, in Huntington, New York in 1964. Within the album’s liner notes, Coltrane provided the underlying purpose for the composition: “This album is a humble offering to Him. An attempt to say ‘THANK YOU GOD’ through our work, even as we do in our hearts and with our tongues. May He help and streng

A couple of weeks ago, while visiting family in New Orleans, I had an opportunity to visit The Presbytère, a former monastery residence, which is now a museum, located adjacent to the Louis XIV Cathedral facing Jackson Square in the French Quarter. The museum houses two large exhibits dedicated to the events and aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and an extensive exploration of every cultural facet surrounding Mardi Gras. Within the Katrina exhibit there is a display midway befor

Most artists self-identify by what they do well. For most of my life—if not my entire life, my identity was cemented in my talent as a vocalist. I self-identified solely as a jazz artist. Everything in my life revolved around my ability: My hopes. My decisions. My thoughts. My plans. My language. My passion. My self-worth. But what happens when life happens, and you’re no longer able to do that one thing you’ve built your life around due to a major life event, physical disabi

‘The gift and the curse.’ This phrase came to mind this week, while setting up arrangements to record a new set of IG spots for July, along with memories of all the tedious DIY arrangements made for previous shows. After the recording, I got curious about where the phrase originated from. A Google search of keywords mostly resulted in numerous links to Jay Z’s “The Blueprint 2” album, but the notion overall seemed preexisting. The phrase has largely been used to describe the

Earlier this week, Questlove of The Roots posted a clip of the U2 eXPERIENCE & iNNOCENCE tour in his IG story. The production design was incredibly innovative and some of the design elements were reminiscent of sci-films such as The Fifth Element and Blade Runner 2049. Midway through he shared a pan shot of the entire stadium, and it was jaw-dropping at how many people were in the audience, all experiencing the show in unison. As a performer, when you think of the needs of an

Welcome to Culture Therapy with Claudia Alexander! Thank you for joining me on my new blog! I look forward to providing more content that brings added value to your journey as an artist, as well as your day-to-day life in the areas of faith, spirituality, wellness and artist empowerment -- and of course, I'll always be talking in my first language, Jazz :) Best of luck on your journey, and continued success in the pursuit of your purpose in whatever road that lies ahead. Chee