I recently read the book “Steal like an artist- 10 things nobody told you about being creative” by Austin Kleon. The title of the book definitely stays true to the content it contains. While reading the book a lot of the tips that were given relate to everyday motions or commonplace advice a lot of creatives or non-creatives are constantly given. The twist is that this book justifies why these should be taken into consideration as a creative such as keeping a calendar, finding a hobby, being nice to those around you etc. Austin Kleon also gives light to how the internet and tech plays a large role in our lives as creatives. That It has the power to open our creativity or to close It if not used properly, he places a value on using both in balance and have them work together. Amongst all the great points that Kleon mentioned throughout his book there are three that are most prominent to me and I believe every interactive media professional should consider as well:
Build the Environment you Want
possibly a potential bedroom idea?
image source:https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/325103666835794867/
Kleon in his chapter titled “ Geography is no longer our Master” talks about how everyone is connected through the internet and that we have the capability to pursue our creative pursuits wherever we are. He talks about how if there are constraints to re-locating to where we feel we would be most creative, is to “Build you own world” ( Kleon,90 ). We can do this by , making adjustments to our spaces; adding items that inspire us, books, music, anything that will nurture our creativity. I wholeheartedly believe this is true, personally I have for almost half of my life lived in a suburban area where the art scene isn’t really that prominent, and upon going into interactive media I realize that the city I’m in doesn’t have a big scene for that either. As a student who still lives with her parents, and is inevitably going to be doing so for quite sometime because of student debt, and just ridiculous amount of money it costs to move out I need to find some way around this. When Kleon talks about building your own world where you are it made me think about what I can do to execute that. First thought that pops into my head: My Bedroom. It’s where I do all my work, spend the most time aside from the kitche-lol and where I come to relax. I never really put thought into what I surround myself with in my room and how it has the potential to nurture creativity, I see this realization as a blessing in disguise as my parents have actually decided to give me a bigger space in the basement of our house that is being renovated. So until it is completed I’ll be spending LOTS of time figuring out what I need to put into my “world” to nurture my creativity until I can be in the world I want to be in. Professionally this also a prominent point because even if you’re in the world you want to be in there still is that gap of not building your spaces to nurture creativity. Currently I work part-time in a wholesale jewellery office. It’s a pretty typical office setting with cubicles, a main office space, desks etc. not exactly a nurturing environment for a creative like myself. It is one thing to be in the world you want to be in, but it’s another to actually build your world into it. Building a world doesn’t stop when you enter in the world you desire, for example mine being Toronto. You have to still build that world or else being where you most desire to be will be pointless. If you’re in a world that inspires creativity don’t just leave it outside your homes, offices spaces etc. Bring that creativity in, welcome it with open arms. Build that world wherever you may be.
Don’t only rely on tech for creative pursuits, use it to compliment it
Dream desk set up, all thats missing is my computer
image source: https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/743023638497771117/
In the chapter” Use your hands” Kleon talks about how tech takes away from creativity and that our hands are our most important creative tools “ I think computers have robbed us of the feeling that we’re actually making things” (Kleon,53) This is personally something I never thought about a lot. Which now reflecting back I think holds much truth. In my undergrad I studied Fine Arts, throughout my undergrad I barely touched a computer to do my studio work. Except for referencing work, doing essays etc. But all the world I made n the studio was with my two hands. I sculpted, sketched, painted, did print making, everything that pops into your head when you think of a traditional artist toiling in a studio I probably did. I remember something one of my professors told me which pretty much relates to my everyday life is that “ if you don’t use it, you lose it”. Kleon mentions something similar to this “work that comes from the head isn’t any good”. (Kleon 54) He uses this quote to compare how a guitarist performs or how a leader will give a speech and that we’ll understnad what he means to use our hands to create, by observing those that create using their hands. Both of these co-relate to one another because if we aren’t physically using our hands, practicing our creativity, moving around then creativity dies. Computers have made it so easy to bring ideas to life, but takes away the labour and movements that go into it. I found this to be true in my professional practice as a graphic designer, sadly enough I haven’t really sketched out ideas, or used a pen and paper to draw them out. I usually turn on my computer and just draw it on one of the programs I have installed. This definitely comes at a price though, and when I look back might have been one of the causes as to why I creatively burned out. I wasn’t putting labour into my work, I forgot how to use my hands. As an emerging interactive media professional and for any that are currently out there I think what needs to be remembered is that using our hands should be as an important tool as the computer we use to create work. We need to stop being reliant on the tech we use and put into practice the use of the first tools we had to practice our creativity: our hands.
Do /make something to remember your worth
In the chapter “Be nice the world is a small town” Kleon talks about following the golden rule of always being nice to those around you. Which is a pretty simple concept but, he elaborates on it by mentioning that not only should we be nice but also take steps to find people that will help us grow and be a positive influence in our lives, as well as what we can do to bring more positivity into our lives. One of the steps he mentioned is making a “Praise File” (Kleon , 113) which I thought was kind of silly at first, but after reading more about why he decided to do this it made more sense. Often times we are our biggest critics, on top of that we also have the world which can be critical of us as well too. Personally, the only tangible thing I can think of that comes close to this is this activity we used to do at my Catholic Youth Camps back when I was still involved. We wrote each other affirmations and put them in boxes that were in the common area with our names on them, and at the end of the weekend we would have a bunch of affirmation notes praising us on being a good friend, our strengths, resilience etc. Similar to how Kleon explains the use of keeping a “Praise File” of positive emails as a boost on his dark days, the affirmations notes served and still serve the same purpose. Even though I am no longer part of the youth group I was in due to conflicting values due to my sexuality and the relationship I’m in, I still keep the notes as a reminder of the good qualities I still continue to have beyond what conflict transpired between me and that group. I think this is an important practice that emerging and current interactive media professionals should implement in their lives. As corny as it sounds sometimes we all just need to be reminded of the good things we’ve accomplished, or the qualities that others recognize in us. It benefits our mental health especially in a field where people will constantly be critiquing our work.
Interac-TEA-ing with Kristen 