I reset my expectations and made a cup of tea, stuck the lamp on and closed the door on the rest of the world. Hold your own was gelukkig een doorbraaknummer in de hitlijsten en zo kwam deze artiest ook op mijn radar te staan.

And although I use the word ‘artist’ to describe musicians on a regular basis, with Tempest the word means so much more. To me, this was a very superficial text riddled with commonplaces like “put down your phone, listen to the birds” when it could have been a lot more. Honest, hopeful and written with piercing clarity, On Connection is an inspiring personal meditation that will transform the way you see the world.Of putting distance between the view that everything you do must be to advance your craft, rather than just acknowledging that being creative is a thing that brings you joy. This short book is non-fiction in which Kae explores the value and meaning of creativity and connection to others.

Anyone who knows me, follows me on social media, or listens to me blathering away over on Picky Bastards , will know how I feel about Kae Tempest. Tempest talks about putting down our phones and paying attention to the world around us, the dangers of social media, the tragedy of placing monetary value above other types of value, numbness, avoidance - all interesting and relevant topics - but they present no new insights.Tempest talks a lot about empathy and how we need to see and acknowledge the stories behind every person we meet. Musings on creativity and connection threaded with autobiographical edge and Jung and William Blake and others. Remove these key elements, and all that's left is a collection of phrases that hover around a few themes (creativity, mindfulness, introspection and self-awareness, empathy) and carry some weight and emotion, but that ultimately fail to directly address any of these themes or make any concrete points. ACT Contact / FAQ About Events / Videos Merch / Subs Sign in/up On Connection Tempest, Kae More by this author.

While reading this I realised my numbness, how I suffered from it, how I staggered through my life, unaware of who I am, who I want to be, what my values are, if I live by what I think I believe. Tempest gaat mee in zijn theorie dat mensen zowel een innerlijke geest hebben om de diepten te verkennen (“spirit of the depths”) als een geest om de voorbijgaande tijd mee te confronteren (“spirit of the times”), en die er is om aan onze meer onmiddellijke behoeften en ambities te voldoen.

I probably can't and won't carry it around with me everywhere (can I tho) but I for sure will read it again and again. The point is that petty, frustrating crap like this is exactly where the work of choosing is gonna come in. Its thesis – that our need for connection can be fostered by creativity in general and live art in particular – has become all the more compelling since lockdown. Herinneringen, dagdromen, de geuren en kleuren dankzij je zintuigen, het inzoomen op gezichten en het uitzoomen naar een ander sterrenstelsel van waaruit het waanzinnig is dat ik hier überhaupt (be)sta… Nietigheid vernietigt niemendalletjes. Their debut novel, "The Bricks That Built The Houses", sold in a highly competitive auction to Bloomsbury and was published in territories including the UK, US, France, Holland and Brazil in Spring 2015.