3 Rules of The Creative Act(ing) · Art Discipline .22

Artwork from Art Discipline .22: 3 Rules of The Creative Act(ing)

We see many people online talking about business, entrepreneurship and so on.

It’s easier to talk about money and data because they can be easily measured.

But few share the struggles along a creative path.

Of course, we all need money to survive, but focusing purely on art comes with its own unique struggles and requires specific mental tools to succeed.

In my career, I found a way to work as an artist in game production to earn an income. Naturally, you have to make some creative compromises to achieve this.

My strategy has always been to do this, while releasing the pressure of my creative interests on the side.

Right now, this is Megalith, the project that Lizz and I are developing out of love to tell a story and create a beautiful book.

In this new drop, you will find 3 rules of the creative path.

(If you need guidance in your own art journey: art for games, animation, comic books, illustration, etc.

I’ve opened slots for my mentorship 1:1 sessions.

Adapted to your needs, available here)

Rick Rubin’s bathroom book_

He is quite a character, almost putting on an act, and the title of his book suits him perfectly.

But I don’t think it’s a bad read.

You just have to take it with a grain of salt; depending on your current situation, you will interpret it differently.

This book served as a great reminder of certain aspects of art-making, while also offering some fresh perspectives on the creative process.

These are perspectives you might have blocked out because you were too focused on doing things a 'certain way,' or because you were taught your craft through a narrow lens.

Here are 3 rules of the creative path with quotes from The Creative Act by Rick Rubin.

1_Everyone is a creator_

“Creativity doesn’t exclusively relate to making art. We all engage in this act on a daily basis. To create is to bring something into existence that wasn’t there before.

As artist we seek to restore our childlike perception:

A more innocent state of wonder and appreciation not tethered to utility or survival.”

This is something I am applying to my personal projects. The ones that don’t need to have a financial return.

Explore and share purely using your voice and taste.

2_Self-Doubt_

“Flaws human, and the attraction of art is the humanity held in it.

Yes, you may need to deepen your craft to fully realize your vision. If you’re not up to it, no one else can do it. Only you can. You’re the only one with your voice.

If a creator is so afraid of judgement that they’re unable to move forward, it might be that the desire to share the work isn’t as strong as the desire to protect themselves.”

We all have something special. Our tastes and interests, filtered through our own experiences, create something entirely unique.

Don’t follow what others do or try to replicate them. If you do, you'll become a copy of something else, a path doomed to failure.

Ironically, taking the risk to put yourself out there actually increases your chances of success.

3_Rules_

“Rules direct us to average behaviours. If we’re aiming to create works that are exceptional, most rules don’t apply. Average is nothing to aspire to.

The goal is not to fit in. If anything, it’s to amplify the differences, what doesn’t fit, the special characteristics unique to how you see the world.

Instead of sounding lie others, value your own voice.

In the beginning, we approach our craft with a template of what’s come before.

The templates of the past can be an inspiration in the beginning phases, but it’s helpful to think beyond what’s been done before. The world isn’t waiting for more of the same.

Often, the most innovative ideas come from those who master the rules to such a degree that they can see past them or from those who never learned them at all.”

We all start by learning the rules, which naturally pushes us toward the average. But excellence comes from breaking these rules and exploring.

Sticking rigidly to the rules is a sure path to failure, not just for your career, but for yourself.

What We Tell Ourselves_

“All our efforts to make sense of ourselves and our art are a smoke screen, an obfuscation. They don’t illuminate what is. They mislead us.

We tell ourselves varying stories of who we are and how the works gets made. But none of them matter.

With each story we tell ourselves, we negate possibility. Reality is diminished. Rooms of the self are walled off. Truth collapses to fit a fictional organising principle we’ve adopted.“

Being an artist means different things. Some aspects can be subjective, but what we know for sure is that you need to learn your craft and broaden your view of the world and other ways of thinking.

One way of doing this too, is reading.

Stay Weird,