A few days after I posted an article on the connection between delight and work, I watched an awesome video about the musician, Jack Johnson. The video, which is part mini-documentary, part acoustic jam sesh, not only elevates my respect for the King of chill, but elaborates my so called ‘theory of delight’. I want to briefly highlight what he says because it’s a prime example of what I was getting at.
At one point in the video Jack describes how he got his start in songwriting: he says his family, including his grandmother and young nephews and nieces, would sit around in a circle and he would play the few guitar chords he knew while everyone sang along.
He goes on to say that whenever he writes music he envisions that circle. He imagines his grandmother and nieces and nephews gathered, and he tries to make music that they would all appreciate and enjoy singing along to. For him, music is inseparable from the family.
I’ve been a Jack Johnson fan for a long time, but it wasn’t until I heard him make the explicit family connection that something clicked and I began to hear his music anew. As I explained in my article, delighting means seeing the face of those we serve, which is exactly what Jack does. It’s which gives his art it’s uniqueness.
Jack may be known for his ‘chill’ vibes, but a close listen to the lyrics reveals music that never succumbs to breeziness or superficiality. It’s soulful, deep, even prophetic. I think one reason he achieves the uncanny balance of lightness of heart and lyrical depth is precisely because he writes looking outward, at those he cares about, and not just peering inward at his own self reflection.
This is a masterclass in delight. Sometimes we fear that if we attend too closely to others they might hamper our self expression or creativity. Jack Johnson proves the opposite. His other- centeredness does not deprive him of his artistic individuality or his unique sound. On the contrary, it reveals it.
show & tell 