I dusted off my copy of Frank Chimero's The Shape of Design recently to take a fresh look at the different ways folks approach the creative process.
This is part of my process of poring through all my notes as I figure out just what I have here with DEAR CREATIVE.
From The Shape of Design:
"First, design is imagining a future and working toward it with intelligence and cleverness. We use design to close the gap between the situation we have and the one we desire. Second, design is a practice built upon making things for other people. We are all on the road together."
I highly recommend buying his book. You can buy a copy here. (When I ordered, I left a comment asking him to sign it — I LOVE to ask folks to sign their books!!)
I've also revisited elements of Walter Isaacson's Steve Jobs. Steve believed in design and being a true artist with your work. When he was younger, he talked about getting older and looking to the future:
"Your thoughts construct patterns like scaffolding in your mind. You are really etching chemical patterns. In most cases, people get stuck in those patterns, just like grooves in a record, and they never get out of them."
He goes on to say:
"If you want to live your life in a creative way, as an artist, you have to not look back too much. You have to be willing to take whatever you've done and whoever you were and throw them away.
And:
The more the outside world tries to reinforce an image of you, the harder it is to continue to be an artist, which is why a lot of times, artists have to say, "Bye. I have to go. I'm going crazy and I'm getting out of here." And they go and hibernate somewhere. Maybe later they re-emerge a little differently."
This reminds me of one of my favorite artists, Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, and the origin stories around some of his best music:
"Venturing off into the woods isn’t everyone’s thing, but I, for one, am glad that Bon Iver gave it a try, as it clearly birthed a masterpiece."
🌈 Creative Fuel ⛽
How might you embrace patience as a creative act?
When you’re feeling stuck in a brainstorm, or worse — feeling completely on an island, try these 5 tips I wrote about for Headspace, inspired by the concept of brainwriting:
- Go it alone.
- Work with whatever tools are most convenient and accessible to you.
- File away ideas you don’t need right now.
- Embrace the occasional distraction.
- Think in fragments.
Read the full piece here: https://www.headspace.com/articles/fresh-ideas-brainwriting-might-just-need
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Peace,
Andy
Artist + Founder, Creative Taxi Ltd. 🚕🫧
Moving creative minds.
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“Success is not winning championships. Success is winning the mundane work you committed to doing today.” – Sharran Srivatsaa