A Clever Theft – Steal Inspiration Everywhere

Steal like an artist. Some of you might remember the huge attention Austin Kelon’s article got. If this is the first time you’re hearing about it, quick, close your windows and read it, Steal Like an Artist and 9 Other Things Nobody Told Me. The original article managed to reach millions of readers and a lot of people regard it as a must read for any creative. So do I. What’s more, the post has expanded into a book and, guess what, you can buy it on Amazon.

I’m not going to repeat the things Austin talks about. You should read them yourself and make your own decisions. I’ve pondered these stealing and creativity things for a while. Nothing is original. I agree with that. But then you start to think. And the thing I figured out is that I don’t care. I don’t care if there is something original left in this world or there isn’t. Why should I care? I’ll keep doing what’s right for me and pursue growth and success.

There’s this one quote I have had in my head for some time now, it’s a quote from an article by photographer Eric Kim, Bad Street Photographers Copy, Good Street Photographers Steal.

Style isn’t something aesthetic

He states that style is something you discover rather than learn. Style is much much more about how you see the world, than aesthetics. He applies this to photography, but I believe it can be applied to something bigger. To life, and again, what he promotes to do this is stealing. Stealing ideas, stealing inspiration.

That’s why I decided to come up with this article (scribble to be precise). This is what you and I face everyday. Stealing sounds awful doesn’t it? You experience something everyday. Even if you’re staying in all day. No matter if it’s a lonely walk by the seashore, conversation over a beer or beautiful sky at night. Inspiration is everywhere.

I don’t think inspiration is even the right word. It’s a bit worn out these days. Look at this design, go to this play, listen to that album. It’s simple and not that simple at the same time. I believe that every experience you have somehow stays in your subconscious (and I didn’t even misspell this). There’s one nice little word I like. Satori. Satori is a Japanese Buddhist term for enlightenment, meaning “understanding”. I know nothing about Buddhism and I certainly cannot claim that I truly understand the meaning of this word. Yet I know something about being true to yourself and I’ll presume that I’ve truly felt these moments of enlightenment. They’re probably thousands of miles away from the true satori moment but they do work for me. And that is what matters.

You are what you keep around you. You are what you read, what you see, who you meet. Maybe even what you eat. The more you collect, the stronger you’ll be. Random conversations, dreams and little snippets of life. Try to absorb everything. A good way of recollecting everything is by writing a diary. I’m, for example, trying to take a picture everyday.

Ok, enough talking. Check out what I’ve prepared for you.

Read

On Defining Success

Adii Pienaars’ thoughts on success. Can success be defined? Is success only related to wealth? Find out other people opinions and think about yourself.

Vision Without Obstruction: What We Learn From Steve Jobs

“Jobs didn’t “think different” just for the sake of it, he just refused to conform to traditional expectations and limitations.” Learn how to keep your vision clear without obstructions. Let no obstacles slow you down.

Robert Frank – “If An Artist Doesn’t Take Risks, Then It’s Not Worth It.”

An exclusive interview with American photographer Robert Frank. Read about the book “The Americans”, photography and most importantly why artists should take risks and go further.

The Generosity Of Criticism

“We expect judgment from each other but when it comes to critique, we take offense.” Thumbs up/down culture doesn’t accomplish anything. It takes something more to say a good critique, you have to make a contribution to other people.

I’m Sick Of Pretending: I Don’t “Get” Art

“They are in the process of spending three minutes looking at a photograph of a woman they don’t know sitting on a chair. Can you imagine how quickly they’d be skipping over this photo if it was in their mum’s holiday snaps?” What do you think of postmodernism art? Some think this article is just a coarse way of getting attention yet I believe it’s straight on topic and hits people on profound issues they don’t want to delve into.

Explore

Photoblog Awards 2011

The finalists and winners of the 2011 Photoblog Awards have been announced. This is a great place to wander in late evenings.

52 Weeks of the Street Photography Now Project

photo by Jo Wallace

“The Street Photography Now Community (SPNC) is the continuation of the Street Photography Now Project (SPNP), a collaboration between The Photographers’ Gallery, London and Sophie Howarth and Stephen McLaren, authors of Street Photography Now (Thames & Hudson).  Its aim was to build a global community of photographers exploring the rewards and challenges of documenting public life,

The SPNP ran on Flickr for 52 weeks from October 2010 to September 2011.  Weekly instructions were given by established photographers written to inspire fresh ways of looking at and documenting the world we live in. Participants had to shoot street photography every week and upload their best shot to the instruction group.”

#The50 Things Every Creative Should Know

“#the50 is the first fully-Tweetable primer for graduating creatives. #the50 addresses the most common concerns held by graduating creatives and aims to bridge the gap between art college and the professional world. Each piece of advice has been written within 140 characters and features a consistent hash-tag, making them easy to share across Twitter.”

My Modern Metropolis

My Modern Met is where art enthusiasts and trendspotters connect over creative ideas. Beautiful photography, incredible art and clever design.

fucknfilthy

fucknfilthy is a clothing brand and they’ve also got a great blog.

Listen

Michael Wolff – Is this a good time for creativity?

isthisagoodtime addresses questions to proficient people starting with “is this a good time?” Find out what American author and journalist Michael Wolff has to say about creativity.

Sherry Turkle: Connected, but alone?

“As we expect more from technology, do we expect less from each other? Sherry Turkle studies how our devices and online personas are redefining human connection and communication – and asks us to think deeply about the new kinds of connection we want to have.” Aren’t you tired of seeing people constantly having their phone in hand and refreshing their Twitter feed? Learn why it’s important to learn to be alone.

Austin Kleon – “Steal Like a Writer” at WMC Fest 2012

Previously mentioned, Austin Kleon gives a talk about stealing like a writer. “No matter what your discipline, it’s hard to get any good work done without clear, straightforward communication. Simply put, being a good writer makes you better at your job. Using a few school supplies, a little visual thinking, and a whole lot of creative theft, this talk will help get you started on the way towards becoming a wordsmith.”

50 Days For Dilla (Vol. 1)

“In dedication to the late James Dewitt Yancey better known as J Dilla or Jay Dee, beat-smith Ta-ku has produced a track each day for 50 days; each song embodying the very recognizable essence of the “Dilla sound” so cherished by fans far and wide, showcasing Ta-ku’s eclectic production prowess.” Good music is always appreciated.

Torgny – “I Came Here”

Great music with great visualization. Check out the whole trilogy here.

Watch

“Second Nature” A Documentary Film About Janne Saario

Second Nature is a 20-minute documentary on Element team rider and budding landscape architect, Janne Saario of Finland.

The short film allows a glimpse of Saario’s thoughts and dreams, which float between design, art and skateboarding. Though it also reveals the important concurrence of post-industrial areas, sustainable concepts and natural environments, and unfolds the demanding obligation, towards today’s generation and those to come, to create positive and inspiring, local communities.

PressPausePlay

“The digital revolution of the last decade has unleashed creativity and talent in an unprecedented way, with unlimited opportunities. But does democratized culture mean better art or is true talent instead drowned out? This is the question addressed by PressPausePlay, a documentary film containing interviews with some of the world’s most influential creators of the digital era. ”

The creative and art worlds we used to know is gone. We’ve destroyed the old world and its order. But we’re not in the new world yet. We don’t know what’s next for us.

Une Fille Comme Les Autres

Brilliant example of how an advertisement should look.

The Dreamers

The Dreamers, a film by Bernardo Bertolucci, tells the story of enigmatic French twins and their American friend in Paris during the 60s. They share love for movies, friendship and marvelous intimacy.

The Street Aesthetic of New York City

New York is like the Mecca for street photographers. This video includes recordings from both Manhattan and Brooklyn trying to capture the culture and everyday life of native New Yorkers.

Conclusion

This is the list of things that have inspired me and now you can read into my soul. We all live so far from each other that’s why I have to limit this article with things that can be found on the internet. But remember that inspiration is everywhere. Learn to be a thief. A clever thief.

I’d love to hear your comments on this kind of inspiration article. I can pitch you an idea – each week you guys send us tweets about interesting and creative things you’ve found, no matter if it’s a website, an article, or a photograph of a funny cat you saw that day, and we’ll wrap them up and put them into an article so everyone can see. What do you say?