Alex Cruz: On Creativity
Marianna
What does creativity mean to you?
Alex
Creativity for me is the curiosity of stepping into something and not knowing where it’s leading to.
Marianna
Do you have a routine for entering into a creative headspace?
Alex
I need to feel light and free in my head - which often happens after having a nice conversation with a friend and after having a nice workout.
Marianna
Do you have any habits you've built for yourself to foster creativity?
Alex
I love driving in my car with/without music on, during this wandering of my thoughts in the car I can get very creative as well, and often use my voice recorder to hum a melody or something else.
Marianna
Where do you think ideas come from?
Alex
I feel that I am part of a bigger whole. My role in this life is to touch people through music (right now) and I don’t know where the ideas come from - but I feel lucky that I hear/feel/receive them.
Marianna
Do you use a process to come up with ideas?
Alex
I sometimes listen to music that really touches me….then I already get very close to my core, and I feel in that space I can make the most emotional music.
Marianna
What are the unexpected turns your life took to lead you to become who you are today?
Alex
I worked in Financial management. I also worked for one company for a total of 3 months. I just really liked the people who ran that company - so decided to work for them. At that company, I met someone who put me in touch with someone who wanted me to become their resident DJ.
So much good came out of that decision to work for that company. It was really the last step I needed to feel fully enthusiastic and focus fully on my DJ/producer career.
Marianna
What sources of inspiration do you use to foster creativity in your work?
Alex
I listen to lots of different genres of music, just to ‘feel’ music. I also love watching the creations of painters or interior design specialists. I love doing sports and be in nature. And engaging with people. That whole mix makes me feel very creative.
Marianna
What are some creative accomplishments you are proud of so far?
Alex
My Deep & Sexy podcasts including the artwork.
Marianna
Do you experiment in your work?
Alex
I experiment a lot. The creative process of making a new song involves a lot of experimenting, in my opinion.
Marianna
What do you think is something that the most creative people in the world have in common?
Alex
Curiosity for coming up with something ’new’, something which just comes from a place which is undefined and therefore magical.
Marianna
How do you make sense of chaos in your life?
Alex
Chaos to me….one of my life sentences is: life is simple. I try to keep my life very simple.
If I feel good with certain people, trips, projects, challenges, items, etc. then I say ‘yes’. If I don’t feel it or am in doubt I either say no, or I say ’no for now’.
That keeps my life clean. And also my head clean and the energy around me clean.
Marianna
Why do you think people get stuck on problems?
Alex
They think too much. If you don’t know an answer to a life question, then don’t overthink. Don't make a list of pros and cons. Just wait. The answer will come at an unexpected moment in time. If it’s a yes/no question and your answer isn’t a full yes, then say No.
About Alex Cruz:
Dutch DJ Alex Cruz is known for his Deep & Sexy music which doesn’t merely grab people’s attention, it touches their hearts. Alex’s fresh and timeless signature style expertly weaves acoustic, percussive, and vocal elements into his electronic tapestry, painting a warm, soul-stirring, and reflective image that simultaneously grounds and uplifts his listeners. Now with millions of listeners across his online platforms, Alex has released 42 adoringly received podcasts, gaining a rapidly increasing international fan base.
A few highlights include playing three times for Sir Richard Branson on his private Necker Island; being the only DJ selected to play at the Olympic Village in Rio de Janeiro; doing a closing set in Athens for 20,000 people and playing for 3,000 people on the main deck of a cruise ship following the Ziggy Marley and the Wailers band.
Alex has played all over the world, including Amsterdam, Berlin, LA, New York, San Francisco, Washington, London, Rio de Janeiro, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Hanoi, Mexico City, Los Cabos, Baja, Lima, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Necker Island, Athens, Ibiza, Milano, Mykonos, AfrikaBurn, Burning Man and many more cities/venues on this Globe.
As a producer, Alex is actively producing songs, solely or as collaborations with other talented artists. His remix of Xavier Rudd’s “Follow The Sun”, released by Time/Universal Records in 2016, quickly reached #1 on iTunes in countries such as The Netherlands and Australia. Early 2017 Alex released his version of “Sweet Child”, a cover of Guns ‘n Roses, which garnered international recognition and reached more than 25 national viral charts on Spotify including the Global Top50. 2020 will bring new music and releases, so stayed tuned!
To learn more, visit Alex on Soundcloud, Instagram, Spotify, Youtube, and Facebook.