Intentional Thievery
A NOTE about the Focus Pocus art: I am in the middle of a book project called Octabusy: How To Let Go in a Sea of Doing. I’m excited about it and want to focus my art-making energy on it in the next couple of months. So instead of making more complex art pieces for the Focus Pocus blog, I make little cartoons like this one that feature characters from the book. This week, the moon jelly and the sea star teach about the myth of originality and how intentional thievery leads to a life of creativity. Listen to the sea star: go read Austin Kleon’s book!
I’m about to blow up how you think about creativity and originality.
Actually, I’m about to blow up how you think about creativity and originality by stealing from Austin Kleon’s book Steal Like An Artist.
Actually, please go to the library or your local book seller and get this book and read it. Even if you don’t think of yourself as an artist or a creative person. ESPECIALLY if you don’t think of yourself as an artist or creative person, please read go read this book.(It’s short! It’s illustrated! It’s fun!)
I recognize that you might not do this. Which I get.* So here are a couple of things. First…
Nothing is original. Even what you think is totally wildly amazingly original is based on something else. Star Wars was one of those things for me. And then I saw this side-by-side video of Star Wars and a 1955 movie called Dam Busters.
That’s right, Star Wars is actually a brilliant mashup of films from the 50s.
That doesn’t make Star Wars a bad movie. It makes it art.
When I began teaching Nia, every once in a while someone would say that my classes were creative. I was quick to point out that I was only copying what my teachers had taught me. And now I realize this…
Neither can the human body. Even when I did my best to copy my teachers, I never could. I have a different body which has had different training and experiences so I never ever could really copy them. What I can do, though, is emulate them, learn from them and make their teachings my own.
It’s just like what NBA star Kobe Bryant says about basketball moves:
Expand your creativity in any realm by copying what you think is brilliant or fun or interesting. Learn from your heroes, take what they’ve done and steal it as only you can.
MUSIC NOTE FOR CLASSES THIS WEEK: What better way to celebrate the creative power of intentional thievery than using music from the routine Covers Uncovers and blending it with another favorite group, Thievery Corporation which mixes together all kinds of cools sounds from dub, bossa nova and jazz to create something new.
* If you don’t want to read the book maybe you can watch Austin Kleon’s TED Talk and get the gist of his message!
