The creative myth
There’s this myth that artists can create something completely new that has never been seen before. In reality, nothing is completely original. Great work is always based on many generations of artists that came before; their work also didn’t appear out of nowhere like the Big Bang.
Find your style by imitating your heroes
Start with imitating your heroes, and you'll see that eventually, what you get is your own unique style. Nick Cave started by imitating his idols, and the Beatles started as a cover band. Your own style will appear when you fail to imitate your favorite artists.
Find work that you like. Create an Artistic Family Tree:
Pick a creative person you admire
Learn their work, story, and process
Find three people who influenced this person and do the same with them
“Be curious about the world in which you live. Look things up. Chase down every reference. Go deeper than anybody else: that's how you'll get ahead.”
Don’t abandon your hobbies
Creative work can suck you in and make you forget about the other stuff in your life. The first thing that people abandon is their hobbies. Don't do it. Your hobbies, friends, and family will inspire you when you hit a creative block.
Don't rush into fame
Most creatives want to become famous or grow an audience immediately. Sure, it's important. But let yourself enjoy the time while you are still anonymous. During that time, you can play, explore, and make mistakes.
Collect work that you like. But don’t be a hoarder.
Hoarders collect everything. Be selective about the stuff that you keep. Surround yourself with great work and talented people.
Work with your hands
Don’t be tempted to always use the computer. Creativity often comes from sketching or simply writing in notebooks.
Move to a different place to get a new perspective
Kleon is from Texas, but he has lived in many other places like Italy and the UK. He says that living abroad had a great impact on his life and career.
Don’t waste your time replying to haters
There will always be negative idiots who have something bad to say.
Praise others
The more you praise others, the more praise you’ll receive.
Praise file: Save
the most positive emails and comments you get. Whenever you feel down, pull up your praise file to remind yourself that others appreciate what you do.
It’s ok to be lazy and procrastinate sometimes
“Creative people need time to just sit around and do nothing.”
Surround yourself with talented people
“If you ever find that you're the most talented person in the room, you need to find another room.”
“Google everything. I mean everything. Google your dreams, Google your problems. Don’t ask a question before you Google it. You’ll either find the answer, or you’ll come up with a better question.”
