Carl Piaf
Carl Piaf is a professional actor, poet, songwriter and musician, and technical AI and psychology specialist. His work is often ambiguous and metaphorical, expressing emotional and philosophical concepts in ways that invite the reader to reflect on their own nature and interpret the writing from their own unique viewpoint.
His works are influenced by a vast range of topic areas: he always excelled in the biological sciences at school, as well as learning to program computers at the age of 12, at a time when such a skill was an extreme rarity. He began writing poetry at high school and it became a habit that has followed him for decades.
He graduated first in cell biology and immunology, then with a master’s degree in cognitive science and continued on to a doctoral education in computer science, specialising in AI and deep learning in the early 90s. Since then he has worked in the IT industry and international education (as a science teacher, psychology teacher and headmaster), and as a circus skills consultant, an actor and musician. His main focus now is on his acting career, the collaboration he has with June, and projects he undertakes applying AI approaches to psychology and neuroscience.
He has lived for extensive periods of his life in a wide range of countries and cultures: his birthplace, the UK (where he first worked as a circus skills consultant), Sweden (he speaks fluent Swedish and did his first acting work in Stockholm), Guatemala (he speaks Spanish and lived for a time in the Guatemalan jungle), Belgium (where he worked as a researcher studying brain function), India (where he worked as a headmaster), the Philippines and Nepal (where he taught psychology) and Thailand (where his acting career is blossoming).
While Carl’s background is rich and varied, the most significant influences in his poetry come from humanistic psychology (particularly the work of Carl Rogers), Zen Buddhist philosophy and meditation, and the natural world. His works are often uplifting metaphors which embrace a sense of awe about the nature of existence and the positive emotions which may be derived from acknowledging the miracle of our existence.
the collaborative approach
The initial phase is a completely passive stage for Carl, with minimal communication with June. She is unconstrained in her process by Carl, expressing herself freely through the medium.
Once the artwork is finished or nearly complete, Carl begins his creative process. This phase, like the first, is largely a non-interactive phase in which Carl is free to interpret the piece in their own way. Occasionally, June briefs Carl on the intent or inspiration behind the piece. At this stage, he usually intuits his understanding of June's concept. Once this concept has been identified, one of three processes ensues: Carl may perform a concept word search of his already vast bank of unpublished original poetry and lyrics and identify an appropriate text; he may create a new poem specifically to express the intuited concept and felt mood of the piece; he may create music and lyrics based on the concept and mood.
The final phase involves the presentation of the poem or song to June in the presence of the visual art piece, to confirm that the mood and concept of the lyrical piece are congruent with those felt by June. There has never been any disagreement or incongruence felt at this point in the collaboration.