Stealing like an artist

According to Austin Kleon, David Bowie, Jay Z, Goethe, Ecclesiastes 1:9 and a whole host of other artists and creators there are no new ideas - just rehashes influenced by what's already been.

I can live with that - as long as we build on what's gone before and make it better (or just different) by adding our own special ingredients and flavour.

Seth Godin says that to be successful we should connect with one another. So, with both of these trains of thought in mind tunnels, for my blogging endeavour today I am borrowing Seth Godin's post as I rather like it. Here it is in its entirety.

Two kinds of mistakes

1. There is the mistake of overdoing the defence of the status quo, the error of investing too much time and energy in keep things as they are.

2. And then there is the mistake made while inventing the future, the error of small experiments gone bad.

We are almost never hurt by the second kind of mistake and yet we persist in making the first kind, again and again.

He's right is Seth. He's right.

Do what you've always done and get what you've always got.

I like to bend the rules. Experiment, push a few boundaries.

This is what you get when you mix a painting of a girl with a photograph of a chicken. It's also a reminder for us as artists not to be afraid to step out of comfort zones - to mix carrot with chocolate just to see what it tastes like - just because we can... Break the rules! You might just like what you get - I kind of like this! I randomly selected two images from my folders without looking and then mixed them up in Photoshop. Go break some rules my fellow artists!

Why don't you have a go. Come on now - don't be chicken!

I'm also sharing with Take a Word this week where they ask what Art means to us. I thought this post was quite appropriate.

Reminders

When I started this blog back in the olden days of 2009, when I was still in my 30s and forgotten what a paintbrush was for, back then I had a purpose and that purpose was to write. I was to write something as close to every day as I could manage. It wasn't about creating perfect prose, but rather just the exercising of words on 'paper', a purging and a practice.

Back then it was easy. I just wrote. But then I started sharing my work with others and suddenly I had a readership! Then art invaded by psyche and I bonded with global tribes of like-minded creatives. Slowly slowly catchy monkey my blog became a vehicle for my art and a place where I felt I couldn't post unless I had something really interesting to say.

This wasn't always easy. The block began to set itself in quick-drying concrete around my sentences and paragraphs. Cracks appeared as the output dried up. It was a sorry state of affairs.

Then today, in fact, just a few moments ago, Seth Godin reminded me that we never get talkers' block. We've always got something to say out loud, even if it's not set to set the tribal fire alight.

"Write anything" urges the great marketing maestro of a man "because the second best thing to zero is something better than bad".

Oh Seth, I needed to hear that today. From now on I promise that even when I haven't got anything much to say nor any art to post, I will just write. I'll write for me, for practice and for anyone that cares enough to read it.

So Mr Bloggie, you'd better get used to having me around!

Seasonal Sketches

Something seasonal for the Christmas countdown. Later today I will have to tidy away the art supplies in order to rediscover the dining table - which I keep 'for best'. I mean there's no point using it to eat on every day is there? It just won't feel special when we do.... That's my excuse for covering it with an art supplies mountain and I'm sticking to it.

In 2013 I intend to sell lots of art to fund operation 'we're going to need a bigger house'. Lately just getting through the door has become a piece of performance art in itself.

It's good to state ambitious intentions. Yesterday I took delivery of The Icarus Deception a very exciting new book by Seth Godin. He challenges the cosy old rules of comfort zones and compliance and reminds us that we all have the wings we need to soar. It's about bravery, adventure and creativity. I'm in.

Sharing today for Sunday Sketches. Pop on over and see what the gang are up to!