"The Myth of Artistic Creativity" delves into well-researched accounts of the creative processes of several successful artists. Each account seeks to prove that the artist being discussed never had the experience of a whole piece of art materializing in his brain; in other words, these artists, including the likes of J.S. Bach, Pablo Picasso, and Fyodor Dostoyevsky, never approached a project with an exact vision of the final product in mind. The author goes into great detail, pointing out similarities between the works of one artist and his predecessors, one artist and his contemporaries, one artist and his own previous works, all to make the following assertion: "In the beginning, even the greatest geniuses did little more than copy or imitate the great works of others."
As I read the article, I found myself wondering...Is that such a bad thing? Isn't that one of art's many purposes? To enable others to tap into their own creative potential? The Icarus Deception focuses largely on the importance of connection when making art. Godin states that art is "intended to connect because art unshared is invulnerable, selfish, and ultimately pointless." I concluded for myself that inspiration is not mere imitation, but rather a form of connection with another person's art. A painter who sees a fellow artist's vibrantly colored work and then proceeds to create something with vibrant colors is not imitating his fellow artist because guess what? Those vibrant colors are not the sole property of that other artist just because he discovered their value first. A musical composer who hears a certain piece and goes on to write a piece with a similar melodic line, whether consciously or subconsciously, is still doing much more than imitating. There are only so many possible combinations of notes that can be made, and even fewer that are truly musical. Even if a composer sits down and conceives a melody like nothing he has ever heard before, it is practically guaranteed that there is or was a piece of music out there in the past or present that possesses similar qualities. Unfortunately for modern artists, human beings have been around too long for anything to be a completely original creation. On the other hand, what a marvelous time it is for an artist to be alive, a time in which everything is filled with the potential for art. It is impossible to make art out of nothing. Everything must be made of things which already exist. In nature, the color indigo existed, and indigo plants were used to make indigo paints, and indigo paints were used to paint indigo things, and someone saw these things and learned about the beauty of indigo, and now we have indigo fabrics, indigo automobiles, indigo anything you want really. An artist paints the picture, forgetting that another artist made the paint. Painting, sculpting, drawing, singing...it's all just making art out of other art, but that doesn't mean that nothing can be new and revolutionary. We must redefine creation.
As Seth Godin puts it, "Art in the postindustrial age is a lifelong habit, a stepwise process that incrementally allows us to create even more art." With this statement, he acknowledges that 1) the definition of art has changed with the times and that 2) artistry is a journey, and you can't rely on a lightning bolt of inspiration to suddenly enable you to create something that will change the world. The inspiration is all around you; to be a creative thinker is to learn how to be aware of art in everything you see, hear, taste, smell, touch, feel, or imagine.
As I read both Hogben's and Godin's writing, I was reminded of a book I read once that greatly influenced my views on art and originality: The Creative Habit by renowned choreographer Twyla Tharp. Her views on life and art are incredibly intelligent, and I think that the following passage from her book sums up pretty much all of the conclusions that I drew from reading the works of Hogben and Godin:
“When I walk into [the studio] I am alone, but I am alone with my body, ambition, ideas, passions, needs, memories, goals, prejudices, distractions, fears.
These ten items are at the heart of who I am. Whatever I am going to create will be a reflection of how these have shaped my life, and how I've learned to channel my experiences into them.
The last two -- distractions and fears -- are the dangerous ones. They're the habitual demons that invade the launch of any project. No one starts a creative endeavor without a certain amount of fear; the key is to learn how to keep free-floating fears from paralyzing you before you've begun. When I feel that sense of dread, I try to make it as specific as possible. Let me tell you my five big fears:
1. People will laugh at me.
2. Someone has done it before.
3. I have nothing to say.
4. I will upset someone I love.
5. Once executed, the idea will never be as good as it is in my mind.
"There are mighty demons, but they're hardly unique to me. You probably share some. If I let them, they'll shut down my impulses ('No, you can't do that') and perhaps turn off the spigots of creativity altogether. So I combat my fears with a staring-down ritual, like a boxer looking his opponent right in the eye before a bout.
1. People will laugh at me? Not the people I respect; they haven't yet, and they're not going to start now....
2. Someone has done it before? Honey, it's all been done before. Nothing's original. Not Homer or Shakespeare and certainly not you. Get over yourself.
3. I have nothing to say? An irrelevant fear. We all have something to say.
4. I will upset someone I love? A serious worry that is not easily exorcised or stared down because you never know how loved ones will respond to your creation. The best you can do is remind yourself that you're a good person with good intentions. You're trying to create unity, not discord.
5. Once executed, the idea will never be as good as it is in my mind? Toughen up. Leon Battista Alberti, the 15th century architectural theorist, said, 'Errors accumulate in the sketch and compound in the model.' But better an imperfect dome in Florence than cathedrals in the clouds.”
― Twyla Tharp, The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life
Tharp says from experience that the things that have shaped her life are reflected directly in her art, and she acknowledges that originality is, by its nature, elusive and mysterious and...impossible. I personally believe that art is art as long as it affects someone, and if that someone takes those emotions and allows them to be manifested in a new piece of artwork, it is in service to the whole world, because that person is, in a sense, carrying the torch, and allowing art as an entire concept to grow and change in a very real, very necessary way.
Check out some more quotes from The Creative Habit: https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/246926-the-creative-habit-learn-it-and-use-it-for-life
Also, buy it, and read it. Definitely read it.
Feeling inspired...
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