Blog Archives – Blog Title

Archive for November, 2009

Important – “Creatives” – Creators, Artists, Performers, Innovators

November 25th, 2009 | Author: Wil

As a community, those who use their creativity to create objects, performances, or to invent and change how things are done in more technical fields are not all the same. Expression of creativity is as individual as each of us, but thinking outside the box gives everyone who does it a membership card in the larger community of those who “make” stuff happen…objects, stories and even changes in how others see their world.

This isn’t always obvious as we focus on our own specific interests and means of expression, but it’s important to remind ourselves that we are among others out there with very similar aims.

We may always function as a single individual, never collaborating or rarely working with others unless our medium demands it. It’s still important to understand the demands of self promotion and the opportunities available to promote our work via the internet do demand an understanding that the internet is a giant content eating machine. Supporting yourself through your creativity, no matter the specifics of your expression, is no longer something to be concerned about as long as you understand how to use the plethora of options available to you.

As a first step, it is far more important to do three things first:

1. Understand you are one among many in a community of creators, and it’s important to be supportive of the work of others
2. ..and to ask yourself, what is it that you make, do, create and who are those most likely for this to have any appeal to or any meaning for?

The key to this is to consider those who you consider great…Charlie Chaplin? Buster Keaton? both film comics, but entirely different and specific in what they did and how they did it. ..and they both had very specific audiences and people who related to them for specific reasons. The key to attracting following to your work is being very specific about what you’re doing and who you see as the person you’re trying to touch.

The biggest single mistake I’ve come across by creative people is in not considering anyone but themselves when it comes to their creation. We all get good feedback when something we’re doing gains acceptance, and that encourages us to keep doing it, but it’s ultimately about those people who our work is reaching.

The third point is…

3. What do you want your ideal day to be like? or, if you had to describe the circumstances of your average day from now and for the rest of your life, what would it be? …again, in as specific of terms as possible.

Once you describe it, you’ll be a lot clearer on where you are and what needs to change to get there as well as if you’re willing to spend 30 minutes to a few hours a day communicating with your following about your work. Unless you’re genuinely loving what you’re doing, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to manage this for long. If you clearly understand and love what you’re doing, you’ll eliminate everything that doesn’t contribute to it and doing what’s required will be fun.

Maybe all of the above is obvious, but I thought it worth stating before moving on to more detailed discussions and tutorials about that “plethora of options available” I mentioned above.

In the next few days & weeks, this site will be undergoing some changes including a tutorials section to breakdown the first steps “creative” people should be taking to start building a following for themselves and their work.

I hope you find them useful, and look forward to your questions and feedback. Please add your own insights and any queries in the comments.

Share and Enjoy:

View Comments

Why Encourage Creativity and Art in the U.S.?

November 16th, 2009 | Author: Wil

Why is encouraging creativity and art in the U.S. an issue? As someone who looks for creative ways to act and move in the world, and someone who’s spent a great deal of time in creative organizations, you run into some things repeatedly that are counterproductive to creativity, as well as the best interest of your community.

Most nations in the world have a long history when compared to the U.S. and this history is reflected in centuries of Art and obvious signs, documents and remains of personal and organizational expression over hundreds or thousands of years.

The U.S. has existed as a nation for only a little more than 200 years. While it has some public art, much of it is reflected in monuments and the results of a few public programs.

Many can go about their day, work, shopping or where ever without encountering anything beyond utilitarian structures, highways and parks. There is little to make them reconsider their environment and a lot to facilitate them focusing on work or supporting themselves.

Beyond this, specifically creative careers often carry a stigma with an association that the only way you can make a living is through teaching, public funding or grants. Getting a position teaching art, especially at the college level, is nearly impossible. There have been times when this was easier to do, but budgets have changed and those that have those positions haven’t given them up. Pursuing public funding and grants is an entire skill set that not everyone possesses or seeks to learn. It involves it’s own set of politics and an understanding of jumping hurdles, as well as costs of developing proposals and applications.

If you’re a person who counts creativity as a big percentage of your DNA, wouldn’t an environment where those insights were encouraged and valued be preferable? Wouldn’t such an environment provide more opportunities for the country generally? If you think so, we’re left with changing things. It’s up to us to make more Art, create more innovation and not leave the “making” to the corporations. It’s up to us to create groups and communities that make space for these activities. It’s up to us to put examples of Art/art and innovation out in the world where everyone in our community can see and experience them. Museums are great, but you shouldn’t be required to go to a specific building to see great stuff. Some things need to be lived with, experienced everyday, to allow all their benefits to seep into your experience. We’ve got to make this happen.

What do you think?

Related Blogs