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I am now going to steal from a guy by the name of Austin Kleon...this is his book:
I am now going to steal from a guy by the name of Austin Kleon...this is his book:
I recommend that you buy it
I recommend that you buy it
so that you can steal from it too...he would like that
so that you can steal from it too...he would like that
because his book is full of things that other people made,
because his book is full of things that other people made,
or stole...
or stole...
"Immature poets imitate; mature poets steal; bad poets deface what they take, and good poets make it into something better, or at least something different.
"Immature poets imitate; mature poets steal; bad poets deface what they take, and good poets make it into something better, or at least something different.
The good poet welds his theft into a whole of feeling which is unique, utterly different from that which it was torn."
The good poet welds his theft into a whole of feeling which is unique, utterly different from that which it was torn."
T.S. Eliot
T.S. Eliot
"The only art I'll ever study is stuff that I can steal from." David Bowie
"The only art I'll ever study is stuff that I can steal from." David Bowie
Bowie cited Brian Eno,
Bowie cited Brian Eno,
Bruce Springsteen,
Bruce Springsteen,
Lou Reed and
Lou Reed and
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop
as just SOME of the people he 'stole' from musically -
as just SOME of the people he 'stole' from musically -
When looking for an image to illustrate Bowie and Iggy Pop's relationship, I came across the following image:
When looking for an image to illustrate Bowie and Iggy Pop's relationship, I came across the following image:
It's actually a fake.
It's actually a fake.
No-one knows who created it.
No-one knows who created it.
Bowie's head is from his 1977 Heroes cover.
Bowie's head is from his 1977 Heroes cover.
Iggy Pop's head is from around 1969.
Iggy Pop's head is from around 1969.
Then pasted onto an iconic image by...
Then pasted onto an iconic image by...
...Phillipe Halsman
...Phillipe Halsman
"Starting in the early 1950s I asked every famous or important person I photographed to jump for me. I was motivated by a genuine curiosity. After all, life has taught us to control and disguise our facial expressions, but it has not taught us to control our jumps. I wanted to see famous people reveal in a jump their ambition or their lack of it, their self-importance or their insecurity, and many other traits." –P.H.
As Kleon says,
As Kleon says,
"If we're free from the burden of trying to be completely original,
"If we're free from the burden of trying to be completely original,
we can stop trying to make something out of nothing,
we can stop trying to make something out of nothing,
and we can embrace influence instead of running away from it."
and we can embrace influence instead of running away from it."
Note that he says 'completely original' -
Note that he says 'completely original' -
he isn't saying steal blithely,
he isn't saying steal blithely,
just don't be afraid to embrace the things that influence you...
just don't be afraid to embrace the things that influence you...
There is a saying...
There is a saying...
We are what we consume - mentally as well as physically,
We are what we consume - mentally as well as physically,
we cannot avoid influence
we cannot avoid influence
and often
and often
we are not even aware of it.
we are not even aware of it.
Watch the following clip from the 'Derren Brown Mind Control' season.
Watch the following clip from the 'Derren Brown Mind Control' season.
Derren Brown had two city ad agency creatives brought, by taxi, to an empty office building, and he set them a creative, commercial brief...
Derren Brown had two city ad agency creatives brought, by taxi, to an empty office building, and he set them a creative, commercial brief...
"The artist is a collector. Not a hoarder, mind you, there's a difference: Hoarders collect indiscriminately, artists collect selectively. They only collect things that they really love."
"The artist is a collector. Not a hoarder, mind you, there's a difference: Hoarders collect indiscriminately, artists collect selectively. They only collect things that they really love."
Austin Kleon
As the guys in the Derren Brown clip above demonstrate,
As the guys in the Derren Brown clip above demonstrate,
they, we, all,
they, we, all,
mentally 'collect stuff',
mentally 'collect stuff',
most often subconsciously, throughout our lives.
most often subconsciously, throughout our lives.
This collection of 'stuff' is the 'stuff' that we notice,
This collection of 'stuff' is the 'stuff' that we notice,
are drawn to - everything else slips through our filter,
are drawn to - everything else slips through our filter,
doesn't adhere, doesn't pile up to be absorbed
doesn't adhere, doesn't pile up to be absorbed
and form part of who we are.
and form part of who we are.
M.E. L iST
M.E. L iST
Remember your Me List, it's a collection of the things that you love. The stuff that you've noticed, have been drawn to - the stuff that makes you YOU.
Remember your Me List, it's a collection of the things that you love. The stuff that you've noticed, have been drawn to - the stuff that makes you YOU.
So with the Me List you have started to identify the different bits and pieces that colour your world, that influence you. So start there.
So with the Me List you have started to identify the different bits and pieces that colour your world, that influence you. So start there.
LOVE
LOVE
Kleon also has another great piece of advice, that fits very well with your Me List...
"The best advice (for writers) is to not to write what you know, it's to write what you like."
"The best advice (for writers) is to not to write what you know, it's to write what you like."
This is Brian Eno. Brian Eno was in Roxy Music, produced Bowie and is a prolific composer.
"My interest in making music has been to create something that does not exist that I would like to listen to.
"My interest in making music has been to create something that does not exist that I would like to listen to.
I wanted to hear music that had not yet happened,
I wanted to hear music that had not yet happened,
by putting together things that suggested a new thing
by putting together things that suggested a new thing
which did not yet exist."
which did not yet exist."
Brian Eno
Brian Eno
"The best advice (for writers) is to not to write what you know, it's to write what you like."
"The best advice (for writers) is to not to write what you know, it's to write what you like."
Austin Kleon
The illustrator, Simon Stålenhag, echoes Eno's creative impulse.
The illustrator, Simon Stålenhag, echoes Eno's creative impulse.
Simon Stålenhag’s paintings are a strange, irresistible mix of mundane scenes from the Swedish countryside and haunting scenarios involving abandoned robots, mysterious machinery and even dinosaurs.
Simon Stålenhag’s paintings are a strange, irresistible mix of mundane scenes from the Swedish countryside and haunting scenarios involving abandoned robots, mysterious machinery and even dinosaurs.
They are the product of his childhood memories – growing up in suburban Stockholm and painting landscapes and wildlife – and his adulthood appreciation for sci-fi.
They are the product of his childhood memories – growing up in suburban Stockholm and painting landscapes and wildlife – and his adulthood appreciation for sci-fi.
“I try to make art for my 12-year-old self,”
“I try to make art for my 12-year-old self,”
he said in a phone interview.
he said in a phone interview.
“I want to make stuff that would make my younger self see it and go, ‘I’m not supposed to look at this because it’s for adults, but I really want to anyway.’”
“I want to make stuff that would make my younger self see it and go, ‘I’m not supposed to look at this because it’s for adults, but I really want to anyway.’”
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