Psycho Killer

In our first Class, Dr.Griffin Lectured on The Psychodynamic Tradition behind creativity. We explored Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist Sigmund Freud who first proposed that mans consciousness was split into two parts. The first being a good or virtuous side, and the second a dark evil side that is kept hidden from others. Freud’s Psychodynamic tradition of creativity was based on the idea that creativity arises from the tension between conscious reality and unconscious desires. Freud theorized that creative drive is merely the sum of unconscious desires expressed in a publicly acceptable form.

This got me thinking, is creativity just a physical expression of our dark inner consciousness? Is Freud's "dark passenger" what drives us to be creative? If so, does that mean that if we don’t express ourselves in a positive and meaningful manner, we are destined to commit terrible and unspeakable acts upon society? Think of all the famous mass murderers and killers throughout history, were they just expressing themselves in the only way they knew how? Were there crimes just the circumstance of not being able to express themselves positively? It is a little spooky to think that the place where we draw our greatest source of creative inspiration can also be a dangerous and dark place we hide from others.

In the beginning of this clip, David Byrne, the notoriously wacky front man of Talking Heads, known for his unusual singing style and off the wall performances touches on Freud’s theory of dark unconscious desires expressed through creativity.

Interviewer: “Is this new record a final farewell from the psycho killer David Byrne?"
David Byrne: “Originally, I think I was this very very quiet person. For instance, in social situations I was very [scared awkward motion]"
Interviewer: "David Byrne and feelings didn’t seem to go together for a couple of years?"
David Byrne: "The other side has to come out somehow. Either I kill people or I sing."

The rest of the interview branches off to other topics, but being that I love talking heads and David Byrne is in my opinion one of the most interesting front men in musical history, I thought it was interesting how he describes his own intense need to be creative through singing.