Steal Like an Artist: A no BS guide to Creativity
The word "creativity" is overused and mostly in the most absurd contexts.
So, what's creativity for you? (Take 2 minutes, think about it, and share your thoughts in the comments below 👇)
Okay, whether you have a definition for creativity or not, let's add some more flavor to your notion of it.
In Ep 2 of The B&B Podcast, Neel and Harshil sit down with the book (literally) Steal Like an Artist and talk about the juiciest topics.
It's like a chat with an artist, seeing the world through their lens. We're talking about things we know of but don't practice often.
If you were to meet an artist in real life and ask about their secret to creativity, here's what they might say:
"Art is theft" – Pablo Picasso Great artists steal. Yes, you read that right.
"The only art I'll ever study is the stuff that I can steal from."
— David Bowie
Steal from whom, you ask? The finest in their discipline. Their heroes. Pick one or two artists from your field that you truly admire, and learn everything there is to learn from them. Don't try to follow everyone, you'll choke. In other words, climb your own family tree (your creative lineage).
Art is about curation. Keep your collection. Be mindful of what you collect. Your creation will only be as good as the stuff you collect. Don't be a hoarder.
Start creating. You have a question here, right? Create what? Don't get ahead of yourself by trying to be original. Simply copy. Humans aren't capable of copying something/someone exactly as is. We simply can't.
"Start copying what you love. Copy, copy, copy, copy. At the end of the copy, you will find yourself."
— Yohji YamamotoCreate with your body, not just your mind. There's a saying: "Bring your whole self to work." It stands true for the act of creation as well.
Creativity is subtraction. This one is really, really important. An art museum is a mind-blowing experience not because of the stuff that's inside. It's because of the stuff that's not inside. Otherwise, it would be a warehouse.
Alright, that's about it for this one. Until then, have a good one, folks. Keep stealing, keep creating 🔥
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P.S. If you like these faces, you can watch the episode here.