Wednesday, June 04, 2008

I find as artists, we tend to beat ourselves up quite a bit, and the reality is, it's a bunch of nonsence. I Find that if you can let go of comparing yourself to others, you will set your mind free, Relax more, create more and accept what it is you are currently doing as reality. The bottom line is "WHO CARES" Life is too short, so enjoy it.
I came across this on the web and I liked it. http://www.gapingvoid.com/Moveable_Type/archives/000932.html
It hits the nail on the head. so I wanted to share.

So you want to be more creative, in art, in business, whatever. Here are some tips.

1. Ignore everybody.

2. The idea doesn't have to be big. It just has to be yours.

3. Put the hours in.

4. If your biz plan depends on you suddenly being "discovered" by some big shot, your plan will probably fail.

5. You are responsible for your own experience.

6. Everyone is born creative; everyone is given a box of crayons in kindergarten.

7. Keep your day job.

8. Companies that squelch creativity can no longer compete with companies that champion creativity.

9. Everybody has their own private Mount Everest they were put on this earth to climb.

10. The more talented somebody is, the less they need the props.

11. Don't try to stand out from the crowd; avoid crowds altogether.

12. If you accept the pain, it cannot hurt you.

13. Never compare your inside with somebody else's outside.

14. Dying young is overrated.

15. The most important thing a creative person can learn professionally is where to draw the red line that separates what you are willing to do, and what you are not.

16. The world is changing.

17. Merit can be bought. Passion can't.

18. Avoid the Watercooler Gang.

19. Sing in your own voice.

20. The choice of media is irrelevant.

21. Selling out is harder than it looks.

22. Nobody cares. Do it for yourself.

23. Worrying about "Commercial vs. Artistic" is a complete waste of time.

24. Don�t worry about finding inspiration. It comes eventually.

25. You have to find your own schtick.

26. Write from the heart.

27. The best way to get approval is not to need it.

28. Power is never given. Power is taken.

29. Whatever choice you make, The Devil gets his due eventually.

30. The hardest part of being creative is getting used to it.

31. Remain frugal.

32. Allow your work to age with you.

33. Being Poor Sucks.

34. Beware of turning hobbies into jobs.

35. Savor obscurity while it lasts.

36. Start blogging.

41 comments:

Jamil R. Lahham said...

I am usually a big fan of quotes and proverbs, and these quotes made feel how lacking my quotes' library is..
Thank you for sharing.

rafianimates said...

awesome, much appreciated! I think I'll be re-reading this post fairly frequently.

Amaroo said...

One should probably read some of these as a mantra every morning before work :)

Actually it would be great if there is a page-a-day calendar with such quotes. We can call it "Survival Kit for the trouble minded artist"... I am guessing it would be a blast ;)

Brett W. McCoy said...

Thanks for sharing. #6 is especially important.

Rochelle LorrĂ¡e said...

"The best way to get approval is not to need it."

That one means a lot to me unfortunatly.
Thanks for sharing these. :)

Unknown said...

Amen, brother. So many I want to point to. Oh, THIS ONE is important. Oh, THAT ONE is words to live by!

I think ultimately they all are words to live by. Thanks for the great list!

And Amaroo is onto something there. What a great calendar to keep you on the creative straight-and-narrow...

Lettie Lo said...

very interesting .. thanks for sharing!

Rex Ver said...

It's Hugh Macleod's post on "How to be Creative". Hugh can work blue at times, so his some of his work may not be safe for work.

Regardless, he's brilliant, and this is a great reminder for any creative person.

Matthew Lau said...

very nicely put..

Jeffrey Cheung said...

helpful advice, thank you.

Raghu G said...

thank you for this inspiring post ...good advise.

George Kaprielian said...

haha. step one is my favorite

Craig Zablo said...

Well said!

Dan szilagyi said...

way to go steve! this is a great post, i think everyone (artist or not) should keep them in mind, but it comes down right to that i suppose, i think most people know what to do but get a little lost here and there.

thanks so much for the share!

Stacey Chomiak said...

Hey Stephen, thanks so much for this post, I completely agree! Coincidentally, I just listened to your podcast today where you were talking about not being afraid to fail and just do it!

Thanks so much for the motivation! I think all us artists should take on the responsibility of cheering each other forward.

David Colman said...

not many people realize alot of what you have posted, glad you shared this perspective homey

abhishek singh said...

hi there ,
a huge fan of ur work and approach ..
if followed in the right sense what you shared ..we'll truely evolve as artists.
i'll be humbled if you can look at sum of my attemts on my blog.
abhishek
india

Unknown said...

HA ! HA !! These are great!! One of my favourite is Steve Jobs' speech "Stay hungry; Stay foolish" It shares the same wisdom as what you have mention. :)

Unknown said...

Wise stuff from a wise man. Wonderful tips!

Omar "OX" Rodriguez said...

love the last one...start blogging...hilarious

DarylT said...

Thanks for the tips. I'm sure they will be helpful.

Anonymous said...

I wish I still had my first box of crayons... I am buying a new box tomorrow.

Richard Gaines said...

Man, you are so right, Steve. I've put myself down so much because I got into the terminal habit of comparing myself to other more experienced artists. These are words to live by.

Thanks so much for sharing this.

Patrick LaMontagne said...

You have such a great attitude, Stephen, and the fact that you consistently try to instill that in other people, that's a legacy you can be proud of, in addition to that of your great artwork.

Jay D Smith said...

awesome advice!

Donta Santistevan said...

very inspiring. not only the words of wisdom but also your art.

Unknown said...

It's nice hear that others have that same feeling from time to time. I think you have some great advice there. Love you work.

De said...

I'm sure that by the time you've read through every other comment that responds to your journal, you can no longer count on both your hands and even both your feet the number of times the word "inspiring" has been used. I agree with all the rest in that these quotes are beyond helpful, but for me personally, these words uplift more than they inspire, and encourage me to cast off my old doubts and fears, but not necessarily create a new self in the process.

It's a bit ironic though, the situation. I was sent to this page, where your post instructed it's readers to stop comparing themselves to others, and yet it was through the journal of an artist I'm always comparing myself to that I found it. :) Funny, eh?

Either way, this post is very much appreciated, and will probably be bookmarked for future use.

-Madame

Jeremy Canton said...

Wow.. thank you.

Jav said...

Some good insight here... and encouraging words.
I really do agree.

+MaCe+ said...

Hugh mcleod right?!! great stuff!

Boris Andreev said...

I like it. And I also like Madame's comment on it :o)

justfrancesca said...

These have a lot of truth in them.

uncleporkchop said...

i really really like this guy allot!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Stephen,

You are so incredibly talented --and I'm not just talking about your art.

You are geenrous with your art ahd yourself and your thoughts, where others in your position can and have been selfish. You inspire, encourage, enlighten and enliven.

If you were to try your hand at writing, I reckon you would do it with as much flair as you do character design.

Again, thanks for sharing this with us along with your own insightful comments.

A deep admirer of your soul

Maritze said...

Excellent advise... step 1 is brilliant!

Loved looking around your blog, by the way. Great style!

Roberta Tam said...

And there it is! 36 perfect quotes to live by.

Thank you so much!

rsnarr said...

Love the quotes and the mix of art and life anecdotes on the blog. Not typical of me to leave comments on blogs, but your ideas have helped an aspiring artist learn more about what he wants to be when he grows up.
thanks man.

Christina said...

I know this post is over a year old, but I can't help but comment on it... I'm currently a senior illustration student, and feel like I've been hitting a lot of walls lately, so it was really fantastic to read this. Thank you so much for posting.

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