The Abstraction of Einstein Translated to Reality

 In the early 20th century, Albert Einstein was a young patent clerk working in Switzerland. It was during this time that Einstein had much time to think deeply about the problems of physics of the day. Einstein was very different from his fellow peers. He never truly excelled in school, except for physics and mathematics. He was ridiculed and called "lazy" by his professors. He never saw the true value for it, but instead focused his time on learning more and more about physics. Eventually, in 1905, Einstein had his annus mirabilis, or his miracle year. It was during this time that he launched two new branches of physics: relativity and quantum mechanics. Relativity will be discussed here, and the latter will not. First, I will explain relativity, its differences from classical mechanics, and finally how only a creative genius could have seen relativity through the clouds of classical mechanics. 

To begin, we need some background onto the leadup of the creation of the theory of relativity. At the beginning of the twentieth century, physics was considered to be complete. There was classical mechanics, which was able to accurately predict the motions of planets and everyday object, and also electrodynamics, which was being used to its fullest ability in the creation of usable electricity such as alternating current. The incompatibility between classical mechanics and electrodynamics was in the Galilean theory of relativity. According to the theory of electrodynamics, the speed of light is a constant. By solving Maxwell's equations, the critical equations that explain all off electrodynamics, one can prove that the speed of light is a constant, traveling at 3,000,000 meters per second. In classical mechanics, the Galilean theory of relativity can be illustrated by this example. Suppose a car is traveling at 10 m/s, and a person throws a baseball at a speed of 5 meters per second out of the moving car in the same direction it moves. How fast does the ball move? It moves 10 m/s plus 5m/s, which equal 15m/s. That is Galilean relativity, when one object is moving relative to another, the velocities are simply added. But what about light? Suppose the car is moving straight at 10 m/s and then it turns its headlights on. Is the light traveling at 3,000,000 m/s+10 m/s according to Galilean relativity? Or is it still moving at a constant 3,000,000 m/s according to electrodynamics? The answer to this was very subtle and swept under the rug for many years by physicists, until Einstein solved it.

The answer is the light still moves at 3,000,000 m/s according to electrodynamics. Galilean relativity, and classical mechanics along with it, was wrong. The truth is Newton and Galileo, the founders of classical mechanics, did not have access to electrodynamics that Einstein did, and therefore produced incorrect theories. Their theories did work for macroscopic objects moving at slow speeds, but failed at velocities close to the speed of light. Through the use of Lorentz Transforms and the concept of spacetime, Einstein proved two implications of a universal light constant speed. First time dilation and length contraction, which can be summed up as faster object, when moving at a significant fraction of the speed of light, will experience time slower and will contract in length. The second implication was that he showed that the fastest speed any object can travel in the universe is the speed of light. By proving these two implications mathematically as well, Einstein provided the correction to classical mechanics and put it on equal footing with electrodynamics. 

The creativity of Einstein is seen in his gedanken experiments, or thought experiments. Here is one of his famous thought experiments that illustrates the relativity of time. The twin paradox: two identical twins, Alice and Bob, synchronize their clocks. Alice stays on Earth, while Bob travels away from Earth in a spaceship moving close to the speed of light. When Bob returns, they compare their clocks. According to special relativity, Bob—the traveling twin—will have aged less than Alice, who remained stationary. This seemingly paradoxical result arises because each twin sees the other's clock moving slower during the journey. However, the paradox resolves when we recognize that the traveling twin undergoes acceleration (turnaround), breaking the symmetry and leading to genuine differences in elapsed time. Ultimately, the paradox is resolved by understanding that accelerated frames of reference differ fundamentally from inertial frames, clarifying why one twin genuinely ages less than the other. It is in thought experiments like the twin paradox, and recognizing the fatal flaw in classical mechanics, that can be attributed to Einstein's creative genius. 

Shonda Rhimes

 Shonda Rhimes is well known for her television series' and movies — many of which span years of filming and include seasons upon seasons of content. She is the mastermind behind shows such as Greys Anatomy which is now on its 21st season and Bridgerton which is about to take on it’s fourth season. She continues to create new content for her viewers, and her view of the creative landscape is different from other creatives that she works alongside in many ways. 

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0722274/ 

Rhimes has found her success from telling stories that grip the viewer and leave them wanting more. In some cases, such as in Grey's Anatomy, the viewer finds the story believable and relevant, oftentimes finding ways to connect with absurd medical situations through underlying messages that they can relate to their own lives. In other cases, such as with Bridgerton, the viewer can imagine themselves in the world of Shonda Rhimes, which she has deemed “Shondaland,” also the name of her production company. 

Rhymes says the secret to her success is her ability to think outside of the box. She finds situations that could be considered ordinary or overtold, and then puts her own spin on them that creates a whole new world for the viewer to explore. However, when asked what her process is for taking creative risks in her work, Rhimes argues that what she does should not be considered taking a risk. She says that it shouldn’t be considered taking a risk just to tell the stories in your head the way that you think they should be told. She said she believes that if we debunked this idea, the world would become more creative overall. 

“It’s not risky to want to entertain yourself,” Rhimes said. “It’s not risky to tell the stories that matter to you. It’s risky, I think, to do what you think other people want… If you’re going to fail, fail spectacularly at being you.”

https://www.shondaland.com/shonda/office-hours-shonda-rhimes-on-taking-creative-risks-or-not

Rhimes said that as it stands, the landscape of creativity is drab because everybody gets too caught up in thinking about what other people will want them to create. She argues that in order to channel true creativity and share it with the rest of the world, we must stop caring with people think and begin creating things for ourselves, modeling intrinsic motivation, and hope that our own joy will be shared by others who view our finished product as well. All of this considered, she also still says that the ability to take constructive criticism and use it to improve your process is important and something she does often, although there must be a balance. 

https://barcomade.com/blogs/my-scrublife/23-surprising-facts-you-didn-t-know-about-grey-s-anatomy

One of the ways that Rhimes makes her characters more relatable is by basing some of them off of the people that she is surrounded by in real life. For example, she modeled the character Miranda Bailey in Grey's Anatomy off of her mother. She said that they share a realistic way of viewing the world and a similar passion for what they are doing as well as a willingness to help and watch others succeed.

In Creative Spark, Fuentes talks about the ways that humans build off of each other's stories and experiences. Rhimes does this by using the things that we love in life and building upon them to create another world that is comforting and relatable to the viewer while also giving them a sense of adventure away from their daily life. She encourages others to look at things in this same way and not take for granted the things they have in life that they find boring.

Jhonen Vasquez & Cynicism

    Chapter 7 of Agustin Fuentes' The Creative Spark discusses the early history of violence, archaeological evidence, and existential questions about whether or not violence and aggression are inborn human traits. While there may never be answers to whether or not humans are inherently violent, or why violence occurs, a creative whose work accepts the dark realities in the world comes to mind-- Jhonen Vasquez, cartoon artist and the creator of Invader Zim and Johnny The Homicidal Maniac. 

    The grim nature of reality is embraced in Vasquez's angular art style, with morbidly humorous plot lines following alien invasions and tulpa-like manifestations of mental illness. Vasquez has stated that a drive for him creatively is to create the "worst" thing he can, to create characters and storylines that are ugly, disturbing, and unconventional. I find this motivation of his to be a really unique and interesting pursuit in a world where art is often something people try their best to be good at, and to please others with. I loves Vasquez's creative pursuit to make art to fulfill his own desired niche, to create weird and disturbed cartoons living in dystopic and random worlds. 

 

    While Jhonen Vasquez might not be for everyone, I see a lot of beauty in his artwork and its sardonic acceptance of the world's flaws.

Finding Community in the Pain: The Chicago HC Scene

    When do you experience community in the city? Is it when you are at your place or work? Is it when you are in class? Is it when attending cultural and religious sites of congregation? Is it at the tiny parks littered around Chicago? Is it a the lake? 

Let me take a step back and instead ask--do you experience community in Chicago? There are 2.6 million people in Chicago as of 2025. One would think that being surrounded by this many people would make it so no one is ever lonely. After all, most people here cannot leave their house without seeing another person, and a large handful of them cannot be in their house without interacting with one in some way, shape, or form. In the city, we are never alone. Why, then, is it the we hear so many stories of people feeling as though they are alone here? I think it is so many things. I think it is the pain without togetherness, I think it is the movement, and I think it is the masks. So many of us here are hurting, stuck in a perpetual state of existential dread, clocking in, clocking out, going home, repeating. There is no time to connect to any of these people around us. There is no time or energy to even connect to ourselves. We are ushered along by this unseen sense of urgency. There is a facade that our life is our own, as if somehow it is our hands alone that have built and sustained it rather the many hands of those that live and have lived here. No one comes into this world alone. No one leaves it alone. The idea that we do is one of the most heart wrenching betrayals to oursleves and to our humanity that has arisen in the modern age. Community...when people don't feel it, they begin to die both physically and spiritually. 

This is why I go almost once a week to a dark, packed location to push, shove, and hurt with others. Chicagoland Hardcore is where I have found community. It gained traction in the late 80s and early 90s, but I am sure it was established well before it gained attention. It is so easy to move through this city utterly disconnected to one's humanity and the humanity of those around them. It is so easy to not feel. A punch to the face or kick in the gut shocks my system. It makes me feel. In a mosh pit, I am part of something. I am part of a collective energy where we are feeling together--hurting together. There are no systems or hierarchies, just movement. It is understanding without words. 

This community is a product of creative minds, feeling, and pouring all of this feeling and energy into something that speaks to them. It is raw and it is true. It doesn't matter how it manifests, from Payasa to Teeth Kids, from screamo, to punk, to traditional HC, it is about the willingness to feel and hope others are willing to feel with you. 

David Grohl: Renaissance Man of Rock 'n Roll

There are few individuals in the history of rock and roll that are as multitalented as David. Grohl. Starting as the drummer in Nirvana, and moving on to mastermind the Foo Fighters, Grohl has made an irreversible mark on the music industry. In addition to being a legendary rockstar, he’s directed documentaries, ghost-written for iconic artists, and authored books.

The Foo Fighters is arguably Grohl’s most impressive feat. After the tragic death of Nirvana front man, Kurt Cobain, Grohl was given the chance to step from behind the drum kit and go out on his own. He solo-created and produced the Foo Fighter’s entire debut album, playing each part himself and stitching them all together. From there, the rest is history. The band went on to expand past just David himself and produce ten studio albums, four of which have won Grammy Awards for Best Rock Album. Dave Grohl is still the founder, frontman, lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and primary songwriter of the band since its founding in 1994. Video on the birth of the Foo Fighters: In addition to music, Grohl has also directed acclaimed documentaries on the history of music (Sound City and Sonic Highways), produced for artists such as Queens of the Stone Age and Tenacious D, and guest-starred in TV shows and movies. While Grohl has done his time as a trailblazing musical artist, he currently does his best to make sure that young musicians have as many opportunities as possible to get their big break. He will invite young artists on stage to jam or produce projects that highlight up and comers. I think this connects perfectly to one of the themes in Rick Rubin’s The Creative Act: A Way of Being, and that is that creativity is an ever-evolving thing. Through his work with young artists, it is clear that Grohl is looking for the next evolution of creativity.

David Grohl’s one true passion is creation, and that is why after nearly three decades in the music industry, he remains one of the most beloved and highly regarded figures. He helps make sure rock music continues to evolve and connect with audiences of all generations. Here is a short interview with Grohl where he talks about his learning process.

David Bowie and Rick Rubin: Songwriting, Environment, and its Role in Creativity

     In the book "The Creative Act: A Way of Being," Rick Rubin, a Grammy-winning music produce describes creativity as not only an act but a way of life. He particular emphasizes the importance of one's nature and environment in inspiration, and the relation of creativity to discipline and freedom. 

    In an interview from 2014, Bowie emphasizes the importance of embracing the surrounding environment and nature when songwriting, saying that wherever he's "writing, that place tends to make itself very known, either in the atmosphere or sound. Using Heathen [2002] as an example, that was written up in the mountains of Woodstock. And you do have that sense of the magnificence of this really disquietingly tranquil place, but the sense of indifference about nature within it all"(DeMain). Rubin discusses the importance of environment when it comes to the creative process, stating that in order "to vary your inspiration, consider varying your inputs. Turn the sound off to watch a film, listen to the same song on repeat, read only the first word of each sentence in a short story, arrange stones by size and color, learn to lucid dream" (Rubin). In this instance, both Bowie and Rubin emphasize the importance of one's surroundings when it comes to creative inspiration, and Bowie himself emphasizes the importance of this source of inspiration when mentions how the peaceful environment of Woodstock served as inspiration for Heathen [2002]. 

    Bowie also mentions the importance of maintaining a beginner's mindset when it comes to his work. This might seem foolish at first, however, Bowie specifies that " it is terribly important for me to do that. It’s absolutely essential that I get surprised and excited by what I’m doing, even if it’s just for me. I think process is quite important. To allow the accidental to take place is often very good. So I trick myself into things like that. Maybe I’ll write out five or six chords, then discipline myself to write something only with those five or six chords involved" (DeMain) . Rubin also stresses this idea in his book, writing that "as artists, we seek to restore our childlike perception: a more innocent state of wonder and appreciation not tethered to utility or survival" (Rubin). This is also a perfect example of Rubin discussing creativity as situated in between discipline and freedom. Bowie himself also mentions that he sometimes strays from the specific rules he sets for himself, and mentions setting arbitrary rules as a means of overcoming writers block, then eventually breaking these rules once he overcomes writer's block (DeMain).     

    In conclusion, Bowie is a perfect example of an artist who actively embraces creativity as a way of life, specifically when it comes to embracing discipline and freedom as a means of spurring on the creation of art. He is also an example of how embracing one's environment is important for inspiration.

Works Cited:

Rubin, Rick. The Creative Act: A Way of Being. 2023.

DeMain, Bill. “David Bowie on Songwriting.” Louder, 28 May 2014, www.loudersound.com/features/david-bowie-on-songwriting.

Glass Animals: Dave Bayley and The Magical Process of Songwriting

 

 

Glass Animals is an English indie rock band that is known most by their hit single, “Heatwaves,” which was voted number one for Triple J Hottest 100 of 2020, had over 2 billion streams on Spotify in 2022, and reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Albums from the band include Zaba (my favorite :D), How to Be a Human Being, Dreamland, and the most recent one, I Love You So F***cking Much.

Though Glass Animals is made up of four creatives, I will be focusing on Dave Bayley’s songwriting in this post.

Dave Bayley describes his creative process as something that surprises him, and something he cannot control. The best songs come from when he writes the first line of a song, and he can see the end of the tunnel. He hears the sounds, the tempo, the chords–it all tells a story. Often, he has a little recorder next to his bed and when he wakes up, he will see things he recorded that he does not remember saying. In addition, he says the songwriting process is kind of magical. There are moments where something clicks or when a lightning bolt of inspiration comes.

 

In connection with Faith, Hope, and Carnage, Nick Cave describes how his album, Ghosteen was subconscious, vulnerable, and focused on interiority. The reason it had such an emotional pull was because it came from the subconscious and the hidden yearning of his heart. Dave Bayley had a similar experience where a lot of his song-writing process is emotional and comes from the subconscious, which would result in him finding a melody and lyric that is heart-wrenching.

 

Both these creatives show that the creative process can often be vulnerable, uncomfortable, and transcendent. 

 

Sources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNEvi2417pQ

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass_Animals#History

Faith, Hope, and Carnage