(TL;DR - Listen to this email here: ​​We Must Have Art Madonna.mp3)

Last Friday I sent out an email with the exact same subject line as today's: We must have art.

That email got the highest open rate of all my emails this year.

So, that's information for me. That's data. And, as a business owner, I love data. Data is power.

So, today, you get the same subject line - because I want to see if this is something that resonates with people - this idea of art. And the notion that we MUST have it.

​Last week I shared a link to a performance by Patti LaBelle singing 'What is America to me'. It's one of the most incredible performances I've ever seen.

Another incredible performance?

Madonna performing Express Yourself as part of the Blonde Ambition tour.

Why?

I'LL TELL YOU WHY.

Here's the thing about Madonna - I'm not a massive fan of her voice. Madonna isn't what you'd call a powerhouse vocalist. She just doesn't have the power or incredible sound of singers like Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey or Christina Aguilera.

What Madonna has (and has always had) is the ability to lead cultural moments. She has the ability to be FIRST. Because she is unafraid - although I'd imagine she's afraid but she does it anyway.

What were these firsts?

She trademarked her name.

She exercised significant control over her image and career, including aspects like production, marketing, and financial value. (Before there was Tay, there was MADGE)

She effectively used the music video format for marketing.

And the Blonde Ambition tour?

It revolutionised pop concerts.

You know how most concerts today are full-scale productions with costume changes, special effects, elaborate sets and a sense of drama that takes the experience beyond someone just singing into a microphone? Yeah, that's thanks to Madonna.

The concert had five acts.

By the end of the tour, she'd generated more than $62 million – that’s $113 million adjusted for inflation.

It cemented the link between pop concerts and couture - the bullet bra (we ALL know that bra) was designed by haute couture legend Jean Paul Gaultier.

It was the first time an entertainer had got up on stage and made a lot of people really angry - including the Pope.

She almost got arrested in Canada for it.

And...IT INFLUENCED MICHAEL JACKSON.

The tour pushed boundaries in every possible way - artistically, financially, sexually - and because a WOMAN was doing it? Well, I'm sure she felt a lot of rage coming her way.

And you know what she said about it all?

“Like theater, [Blond Ambition] asks questions, provokes thought and takes you on an emotional journey, portraying good and bad, light and dark, joy and sorrow, redemption and salvation.”

This is what art is meant to do.

It is meant to ask questions and challenge the status quo (have you HEARD about the South Park/Donald Trump episode??).

If you are moving through life and you're not making art a significant part of it, I feel for you. I really do. You are missing out on a world of wonder, joy, feeling, intelligence and bravery.

I work in the theatre - one of the most artistic places to be. My life is filled with utter joy. Every day is different. Every audience is different. Every moment teaches me something.

And, let's get practical for a second. Let me help you with something you might not know:

If you're someone who has to get up in front of people and speak (to one or many) and you feel the FEAR about doing that, here's one thing you can do to get control, inspired by the Queen of Pop herself -

Go to dance classes.

I'm not joking.

Madonna began her career as a dancer. Not just any dancer. She trained with Alvin Ailey and Martha Graham - possibly two of the greatest dancers of all time.

Her performances rested on her dance abilities - not her singing. She is not a singer. She is a dancer.

And here's what dancers have that we don't - an absolute awareness of their bodies. When they move, they are acutely aware of every single thing their bodies are doing. And that means, when we watch them, we are utterly at ease. Because there's no weird gesturing, or stray arms moving that shouldn't be, or wandering around on the stage for no reason.

When you have to speak in front of people, how many times do you think to yourself - I don't know where to stand. I don't know if I should move my arms or my hands. Standing dead still is so boring. WHAT DO I DO WITH MY BODY?!

Every doubt you have about what your body should be doing in space, is because you aren't inhabiting your body. That's not your fault. That's the fault of our education system which taught us to sit at desks and sit still and only use our heads to think, create, express, live.

So, how connected are you to your body? When you go into a dance class, you get connected very quickly. And that means when you have to speak to an audience, you will feel grounded, connected, at ease, calm and more confident.

Right. That's my TED talk for today.

Here's the REAL question I have for you:

How can you bring more art into your life?

​And, because it's Friday, and because we all need a bit of bravery, joy, excitement and MADONNA VIBES in our world, take a look at this. You're welcome.​

Ash

PS If you're easily offended, don't watch. But if you're easily offended, seriously, why are you even here?