Gobshite!
Where I'm from, James Brown would have been called 'a gobshite'.
Sometimes, the slinging of this word would have been more justified than others. Loudmouth might be more universal, but I like gobshite.
Context, among other factors, determines whether a gobshite is an asset or a pain in the arse. In the mid-1990s publishing world, James thrived, giving many artists, writers, photographers, and stars their break because his brash qualities came with bravery and a willingness to resist conforming to industry standards.
He surrounded himself with people who were great at what they did, and balanced his extreme characteristics.
I'm a social bloke, but I also need my solitude because I'm sensitive. People are nuanced.
James had his demons, and while the mid-1990s proved to be the right time for his kamikaze way of doing things, it also lacked the awareness we have today around mental health. He documents this brilliantly in his autobiography, 'Animal House.'
Abandon is a characteristic that tends to come with gobshites.
Where I'm from, that tended to lead to one of two extremes: (mostly) trouble or achievements in a field where their differences were hugely beneficial.
Education is still massively failing gobshites. For every James Brown I've seen countless others pinball through chaotic lives until the lights stop flashing.
We still, as a society, refuse to acknowledge the inarguable need for broader learning, where drama, dance, art, sport, and other vehicles for different kinds of energy and intelligences can significantly reduce the amount of pinball lives being lived.
Every gobshite who has illuminated my life has a beautiful tender side that they'll show if you give them the chance and the vehicle to show that in a way that our culture tends to barricade. These contradictions embody the human condition. I love helping my coaching client recognise this duality because it opens up so many fulfilling pathways they never even considered.
All of those 'naughty' kids at school were brimming with creativity, but their identities were built on mischief and a system that reflected only failure back at them because of its Victorian rigidity.
That was the mid-1990s.
We live in a world where technology is outpacing science fiction.
Surely we can do it better?
For deep insights into the work and creativity of people contributing to this cause:
The Creative Condition podcast episodes on this:
197 with Bikestormz founders Mac Ferrari and Jake100
175 with a head of home at a secure children's institute
183 with Loaded Magazine founder James Brown
241 with multidisciplinary artist Sara Prinsloo
99 with Gary Mansfield, who discovered art and transformed his life in prison
152 with Olympic gold medal-winning rugby coach Ben Ryan
154 with Creation Records founder and ex-Oasis manager Alan McGee
https://open.spotify.com/show/4Rs8oXioIYV32u2GwTZFfx?si=ec796ffebb2f487e