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!
Your article came up as a recommended post after making my poem called “Originality Isn’t Dead”. I’ve actually read that same book a while ago. I understand that humans are influenced by different people which I totally get, but I feel that people use that mindset as an excuse to steal and plagiarize things. About the Star Wars thing, George Lucas has admitted that he based characters and parts of the plot on the Japanese movie The Hidden Fortress. That was fine and I appreciate him giving credit where it’s due.
What I don’t like is where people shamelessly rip-off things and denying the original creators. You have Benjamin Bradley who was denied a patent for inventing the steam engine because he was Black and a slave (this was an actual law in America), and people haven’t talked about his innovations. There’s Led Zeppelin who plagiarized several musicians and have even lost in court multiple times in their career. You even have The Lion King which ripped off several characters, scenes, and plot points from the 60s Japanese animated series Kimba the White Lion and Disney still hasn’t owned up to it to this day despite the evidence. It also brings a double standard like if all those situations were reversed, then people would be infuriated and call something cheap rip-offs.
As a creative individual in multiple disciplines, I do my best to be original and unique in whatever I do. Whenever I base something on someone else’s work, I give credit like how I did an adaptation of “The Green Serpent” by Madame D’Aulnoy with my book “Sylvain: Serpent King”. I believe that creativity is possibly without resorting to copying everything. Researching is fine, but I would never just copy someone else’s work.
I hear you. For sure and I think Austin Kleon makes it clear that when you borrow or create from something else, you acknowledge the creative line. I think there is a difference between appropriation (like Led Zep — or frankly Elvis on down in white rock n roll — or Lion King) and inspiration. I do my best to be original, too, but none of us can help but be influenced by the work that we know and love that has come before, right? And exactly as you say, don’t copy and try to pass it off as yours.
Thanks. He did say something about acknowledging others whenever you create something. Appropriation is quite problematic and I could rant about all of those examples even resorting to cultural appropriation, but that’s a story for another day. Inspiration is a good thing especially used for the right reasons. I’m certainly not denying the people who’ve influenced me. That’s good. I wish more people would appreciate innovation instead of imitation. Thank you.
Absolutely. I’d be right there with you with the rant. 🙂 And I find it inspiring when I see artists building on the genius that inspires them. With full acknowledgement. Always. Thanks for reading and for commenting! ❤
Sorry I didn’t see your comment until long after the fact. It was certainly mind blowing researching those examples and the last one even more so when I saw the Netflix Documentary The Lion’s Share which deals with how the original songwriter of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” was swindled out of his royalties and his daughters sue the licensing company who swindled their dad and Disney. It is great when people build on the genius of others. No problem, Susan!