Nearly every day, I am faced with a moment or two of terror. Am I doing the right thing? Should I be doing something else? Do I read the world around me correctly? Am I adding (enough) value?

Like someone rubbing a lucky charm to sooth away fears, I look for balm, for people who speak to truth. Recently, that has been revisiting John Cage’s advice to students; now paired with Thelonius Monk’s download to band members.

Tonight’s LIFE CHANGING advice TANDEM! Courtesy T. Monk & J. Cage. pic.twitter.com/nFEa33knzk

— Jonathan Anthony (@ThisMuchWeKnow) December 27, 2014

Most pivotal of all? Cage’s

NOTHING IS A MISTAKE. There is no win and no fail. There is only MAKE.

J. Cage: NOTHING IS A MISTAKE. There is no win and no fail. There is only MAKE. #yourturn — Jonathan Anthony (@ThisMuchWeKnow) December 27, 2014

This echoes Ai Weiwei revelation that his favourite word is ACT.

Meanwhile Monk espouses

Don’t play EVERYTHING (or every time); let some things GO BY. Some music just IMAGINED.

We need space, breathing, even boredom to coexist and act as counterbalance.

T. Monk: don’t play EVERYTHING (or every time); let some things GO BY. Some music just IMAGINED. #yourturn

— Jonathan Anthony (@ThisMuchWeKnow) December 27, 2014

Geniuses are those who have moved beyond in their thinking, behaviour, outputs. They are future ready, and as the speed of work and the world increases, we will need more and more of them. We may even need to be one ourselves.

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