Unleashing Your Creative Potential

BY M A N U E L R U I Z

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For Vanessa and Manu. for being my daily inspiration.

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Consider the world from the POV of an artist The origin of all artistic ideas Find your path to creativity Take it one step at a time Learn on your own Copy now Learn to apply your hands Be easy with yourself Share with all Finish it up

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Artists often get this question thrown at them; “Hey, please, can you tell us where you get your ideas from?”

And if an artist is sincere, he’ll simply give this answer; “Well, we don’t have ideas; we copy them and recycle.”

That could be a burnt-out answer, don’t you think? The first thing to think about is to crack what’s worth imitating.

When you have this view in seeing the world, you stop the petty worry of what’s “good” and what’s “bad” – there’s simply the ideology that you simply have, and that’s, what’s worth the, and what’s not worth my energy in stealing. Art imitates each other, and at the end of the day, you might seem to have copied someone when you haven’t done so. That’s the point of Art; as an artist, your intuition is always your guide. The belief that you didn’t copy it.

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You aren’t limited, dear; everything in the world is right at your feet to take hold of. And if you do not find something worth tapping from today, you might find it worth stealing tomorrow, next month, or even a year from now.

You must know that the label of its overall importance to you will surely flower in no time. So, stay positive and patient. The world of an artist is filled with too much in mind, trying to make sense as you navigate the art world. There will be ups and downs, but staying true to yourself will keep you going.

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Don't waste ideas.

Good ideas can come at any time, but sometimes the problem is that we are our own worst critics. An excellent idea could be developing, but our demand does not allow us to recognize it, and we dismiss it as nonsense of no importance. The right way to avoid falling into the situation should be to write down everything that comes to mind, no matter how silly or crazy it may seem. Also, sharing your ideas with others could benefit you. Presenting your ideas to other people can make you nervous, but the reality is that getting the opinion of others can help you see things from another perspective.

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With the perspective in place, you can work on the idea and make it materialize. As an artist, criticism, whether negative or positive, can help in advancing one’s work.

Creative artists understand what is in their minds and how to incorporate criticism to make the best. Even the worst criticism not related to work can be devastating, but if handled appropriately, it can give an artist creative inspiration to make the best of their art. Don’t take words lightly, no matter how they present themselves. Sieve what you believe is not it and make the best out of others. Then, with this, you are good to go.

The life of an artist is built on not wasting ideas but allowing ideas to flourish and then making them work in their favor.

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‘The only Literary book that’s purely original’ — hey, That’s crap!

When you see such statements in literary pieces, simply know they are out for your money. There’s no freaking art piece termed to be original in any sort. What matters are the little details in the originality of that art form and how you have been able to execute it.

A good artist would say right to your face, ‘You’ve got to know there are no such things as ideas in the literary world, you either borrow ideas or copy them, but we artists love to choose the latter.’

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All creative works are known to build on what came before. Nothing, absolutely nothing, is wholly new in the art world. When you hear such things in a seminar or conference, I’ll simply advise you to follow along— You don’t want people to perceive you as some rabble-rouser (That person who wants to inflame others). It’s a universal truth that art is not entirely new.

Those of you going through this may find this idea depressing, but still, it fills me with hope.

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Yes, that’s a literal answer, like we have no art piece new under the sun. Everything that needs to be said has been done repeatedly, and since no one wants to listen, we must repeat it until it becomes part of human nature. That’s art.

Artists live every day reproducing variants till it sticks in another form. The beauty of art is the creative aspect of it and how artists brainstormed to bring it afresh despite copying it but not reproducing it verbatim.

So, be free from the idea of attempting to make something unique. This would help you stop striving to make something out of triviality, and we can encompass the aspect of impact rather than trotting away from it. Make the art and forget its originality and where the inspiration comes from.

Allow it to marinate, flourish, and watch it become a learning moment for people coming after you. Art never fades.

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Be curious as an Artist.

Being curious is fundamental to having a creative life.

It is a feature that will help you acquire more knowledge, avoid falling into stress and monotony and create a sense of excitement in situations that may seem trivial to you. Therefore, ask yourself questions, question things, inquire, read, follow that curiosity, and trust that it will help you get to where you need to be.

Take the time to be observant and detail-oriented, so you will find elements that many would overlook.

With this, you can make a difference.

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As an artist, curiosity is the sustaining power to become the best. You will encounter confusing things in life, but some people understand them. If you don’t ask a question to satisfy your curiosity, it remains what you had always seen it as. Also, readers, when they read, are presented with a tedious task. We can only satisfy our curiosity by asking the right questions if we are keen on it.

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Many great artists would tell you it took further research to arrive at their art. They searched and asked questions. In a simple creation, an idea comes, and then many things surround the idea to create a perfect work. Curiosity breeds questions, and the end goal is an answer. You won’t afford to be scared to ask questions if you are an artist or an aspiring creative. You miss the perks of creating good art when you don't ask questions. When you don’t ask questions, the answer eludes you, and you cannot solve them. Today, become a creative that asks the right questions.

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Now, you have to know that every new idea is simply a mashup of one or more previous ideas.

Simply put, just in the same way, you have a family genealogy. There's also the genealogy of ideas. For the family, it is impossible to pick the family you want, but you can select your teachers, and you can also pick your friends too. Remember the book you read, the music you listen to, and even the shoes to wear when heading to school or work.

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You! are, in fact, an overall mashup of what you choose to allow in your life. You are the aggregate of all of the significances. We are all definitely shaped and fashioned by what we do love. What we consume becomes what we produce. Play with it and allow the inspiration to marinate inside you; a result is a new art form, but not entirely new. This is because you have been inspired by other arts that came before and then produced this contemporary art that might go on to be a classic and inspiration to other persons coming after you.

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Run away from perfectionism.

Damn perfectionism. It is like a parasite that takes control of the mind, paralyzes the execution of tasks, and is an excellent ballast for developing creativity.

Experiment, try, and enjoy imperfection. There is nothing that’s created in a day without carefully made plans.

Many artists make the perfect art by constantly making and unmaking it until they can reach their desired goal. If you expect perfectionism, it won’t happen because art has proven to be learned over the years. You will never get the perfect art at one attempt. The art you desire is not borne in one shot, no matter how much of a genius you are. You might appreciate it then, but as time passes, you will return to it and say, what happened when this happened?

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The first trial is different. As you consume art, you also practice the art. Only practice makes perfect. We might be naturally talented in our various art forms, but it doesn’t matter much as we need to practice more to perfect it by experimenting all day. We continuously learn new things through experimentation; if you are not keen on this, there will be no growth as an artist. You will be stuck. It’s never possible to be perfect. You can do the same thing in two different ways. Relax your mind and let the art flourish and become. There is something about allowing art to stay and coming with a judgment later when you can make the best judgment.

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Sieving all things out An artist should be known as a collector. The simple lay-down truth is this; you’ll only be as good as the stuff you encircle yourself with. I guess we’ve heard the adage which says, ‘Birds of the same feather flock together,’ right? It is valid to a great extent, even with the ideas you surround yourself with.

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Suppose you surround yourself with mediocre ideas, then you would be modest in your thoughts. This is to say you are to produce art from what you have learned. Consume the right art that resonates with things you are planning on doing. That’s the purpose of sieving things out and taking control of your universe to produce the proper art form and take on perspectives.

The simple truth is tapping from anywhere that does resonate with your soul. It could be from books, paintings, trees, street signs, or anything. With these inspirations, you can make out what you want from art.

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How to sieve all things Out Take notes of your ideas: when you take note of your vision, you let it marinate, and when you return to it, it can be a form of inspiration. Those who preserve their ideas aren’t wasted. They are intelligent people aware of the future and know what they seek to produce the best from their thoughts. Your past can be an inspiration, and when you return in the future, it has become something huge. Something that you appreciate. Art, most times, might seem so unserious and can become a lot for their consumers. Don’t doubt what documentation can do for you as an artist. Apart from a source of inspiration for future ideas, it can also be an archive for either your text or visual documentary on how much you have been able to navigate to get where you are at the moment when you want to do it in the future.

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Live new experiences: artists can’t survive in obscurity. Your introverted nature doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go out there to see new things and learn from them.

You might be secluded, but you learn a lot by observing your environment and taking down one or two things. Read books to be opened to another world other than yours.

Watch movies, both fictitious and ones based on real-life stories. Make a documentary your go-to watch. Observe.

These are new experiences that you can learn from every day.

Don’t be limited because you don’t want to leave your little bubbles. We can learn a lot from other people.

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You have to travel. When you get to know other countries and cultures, you learn new ways of dealing with problems. Art is mostly not done in obscurity. It’s mostly done through careful learning over the years, and when you slowly observe, you broaden your mind to produce a better art form. Travel outside of your comfort zone.

Travel makes you open to what you haven’t seen before.

You see possibilities; there is nothing more than ideas created from options. People will understand the diversity of this art and how much went on in creating them.

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Here's advice; do not try to devour the history of your discipline all at once; you could choke up.

Instead, the best thing to do is, chew one thinker—artist, writer, role model, or all sorts—you do like. When you consume other people’s art, you take remnants from it and make it your art. Inspiration is the guiding path in creating the best art form you can think of. Don’t play with what inspirations can do for you as an artist.

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As an artist, analyzing everything there is, makes such a person valuable. Then you find three people the scholar adored and learn everything about them. Do copy this as multiple times as you wish. Make sure to do your research.

Once your path of creativity is made on solid ground, it’s time to start your way.

Always seeing yourself as part of the lineage would help you feel much less alone as you begin to make your stuff. It’s about believing in yourself. When you believe in yourself, you are motivated to make the best art. And with this belief, you can make art that you trust, and when the chips are down, regardless, you will always believe in what you have made.

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You could hang pictures of your chosen artists in a room.

It helps strengthen the vibe, especially when you want to be creative in peculiar minutes or hours.

One of the best things about these deceased or secluded mentors or masters is that they can’t decline you as a student. As an artist, we are a student of one or two artists before us who inspire our advancement.

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Learn by yourself.

You do have to know that school is one thing. Education is another spectrum in its entirety. The two aren’t always known to overlap. Whether you’ve said to be in a school or not, it’s constantly your business to seek an education.

You aren’t human if you aren’t curious about the world in which you live. Look things up, and make sure you chase down every reference. Go deeper than anybody else— that’s how to advance in everything.

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Thank God! We do have search engines; that make your research online. No one will drop knowledge on your lap; it must be acquired. Make sure to Google what you love and what you wish to make an impact on. This is the starting point for every artist. They want to be better than the person of yesterday, improving on what they gave to the world, whether it is Shakespeare, Blake, or anything in the world in particular.

Learn never to ask questions before you ever Google it.

Google your problems. And when you do so, you either look for the explanation or simply materialize with a better question.

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Always make sure you read. Head to the library. There’s a whole lot of enchantment from reading. It’s all about self-development. It’s about yourself. In this scenario, no one will ever help you. People can force-feed you if you are incapacitated. Dress you up and help you run your physical errands. But no one will do it for you if you are unwilling to read or listen to words that will help advance your artistry.

Your career is always in your hand as an artist to take it to the next level as you envision it.

When books surround you, love it when you get relinquished in the stacks, and glance at bibliographies. Ensure you always remember this; it isn’t the publication you commence with; it’s the text the book directs you to that’s the main crux. The texts give the knowledge away from those scents of physical books. When you read, you show yourself approved and acquire knowledge to become.

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Do obtain publications, even if you don’t wish to examine them immediately. Ray Bradbury once said, ‘I don’t believe in colleges and universities. I believe in libraries because most students don’t have the money. When I graduated from high school, it was during the depression, and we had no money. I couldn’t go to college, so I went to the library three days a week for ten good years.”

So, don’t worry about doing lame research; simply search for your answers. You can’t get a result without searching for the answers. Make an effort to do it, and you will achieve what you are seeking. For an artist who wants the correct result, the best thing to do is to seek out the result through research. If you don’t, the result won’t come looking for you. You can be the architect of your own life by mapping your foundation and reaching that place you seek. Nothing happens in oblivion; you make it happen by putting in the effort.

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To make it happen, get inspired and do it your way.

Stay open-minded and welcome ideas: You can do many impossibilities when things aren’t working. Don’t ever give up. Grab the power and take control. The world might be trying to limit your artistry because there is so tiny, but you can do a lot. Challenge yourself, and you will see how creativity develops. When you do this, you can leave your comfort zone and stretch yourself to produce results.

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Have a cup of coffee or tea: Caffeine provides energy and helps keep you alert and motivated. You can only be motivated when things are in place to keep you motivated. So many devastating things are happening in the world, and as an artist, you must do something to make things work.

Just do things: Cook, play an instrument, do sports, visit museums, the movies, and the theater. Do what you believe makes you happy. You don’t have to care about what people think. Build your artistry.

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“The good news here is that you are probably a lot more original than you think you are. The bad news is that you've probably been discarding great ideas for years."

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Meditation or yoga exercises are perfect for lowering stress levels and filling yourself with energy. Both aspects are necessary to increase creativity. In addition, a study conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison revealed other benefits of practicing meditation: Increases the level of attention: it helps you to stay alert and be the most active you can be. You don’t want ever to be caught off-guard.

Reduces anxiety: as a creative, this might be one of your biggest problems, but to overcome it, yoga can be an avenue to ease off.

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Increases concentration and learning ability: when you want to produce art, you will continuously read and study. When it’s proving tedious, yoga can help you to get over the stress.

Meditation will help you relax, get better ideas, and boost your creative side. With all these in place, you will have a good ride as an artist trying to take their world.

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Save it all for later.

Make sure you carry a notebook and pen wherever you go.

Learn to grab it and jot down the thought you think is ideal for the moment and your observations. Some things will come at the most unexpected time and leave immediately but journaling them, let those words stick. Be your own God. Don’t let circumstances dictate your success when you have it at your fingertip and can make or mar it.

Do copy your favorite passages from your favorite books or those that pique your interest. Record overheard conversations. Make sure to doodle when you’re on the phone.

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Go to whatever length is necessary to make sure you always have a paper on you. This is most artists’ secret to creativity. Albert Einstein was always known to have his notepad in his pocket to jot down his ideas. For creatives, a lot is going on in their heads to solve an art mystery.

You are not an Artificial Intelligence and can build up everything for future purposes if you don’t document them in a way to return to it in the future.

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Keep a detailed note of all the ideas you’ve taken from others.

It can be in any form, either digital or analog— it doesn’t matter what form it takes as long as it works. You can keep a scrapbook and cut and paste things into it, or you can simply take pictures of events, items, and a whole bunch of stuff with your camera phone, or simply a camera if you have one.

Make sure you do see something worth the “steal.” Place it in your notepad or notebook. And when you need that little inspiration, open it up and brood on it like a pro. Going back to the memories can be self-fulfilling. You get inspired and reminisce on how far you have come to make the art. It’s also a form of an archive that details your process of getting there.

With this outlined process, you will never go wrong.

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Have your place in the field.

Refrain from trying to figure out if this is going to work for you or not. You’ll have to be more in tune with making things for yourself. If you don’t, no one will, and that’s how life works.

In my type of experience, it’s in the act of making things and doing our work that we figure out who we are. It’s about trying and not sitting, waiting for them to happen. You can make your mistakes, but you can fix the errors by attempting to try, or nothing will help. It will stay as it has always been.

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This is the best thing to say; you’re ready to start making stuff.

You might be the type that’s scared to start, but that’s okay.

And do not get into the humdrum existence of impostor syndrome in this aspect because there’s no such thing in reality.

When creating stuff, none of us know what we are doing until we are done and it’s finally alive. We might know the overall view but not the end goal.

All honesty and contrite would tell you they don’t find out where the lovely essence originates. They simply show up to do their stuff—every single day.

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Make sure to fake it till you make it.

You can either do two things in this respect; 1.- Simply act in a way you are not something you’re not till you are— faking it till you’re prosperous, till everybody glances at you the way you wish them to.

2.- Or you can simply pretend to create something until you start to create.

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I love both readings— you have to appear for the job you wish to have and do the work you want to be doing. Life is a process.

Nothing comes from nowhere without an attempt to make it come through a process. When they do, someone else might have made them arrive there. Be the architect of your own life by making things you want to happen to happen.

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The point is simply this; entirely the world’s a stage. All ingenious labor is a manner of theater. The stage is merely your studio, desk, or workstation. For the costume, you have your outfit— your business suit, your painting pants, or those funny glasses that make you think like a super nerd. All of the braces are your elements, your equipment, and your outlet. The text is simply a plain ancient moment, an hour here or an hour there— merely time measured for things to happen.

Ensure you always have this in mind; pretend it until you can earn it. That way, your mind is structured, and you will make it in a matter of time.

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No one in the world is said to be born with a particular style or voice. We do not become known from the womb realizing who we are. From the start, we learn and unlearn by pretending to be our heroes. We know more by copying. When you copy, you produce your own even though it seems like a unique idea but a combination of other ideas to make your own.

And when we mean copying, we mean practice and not full-scale plagiarism— plagiarism is simply trying to have someone’s work as yours, giving no credit to the creator of such work.

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Copying is like a technician opening up a car to learn its processes.

First, we learn to write by copying down the alphabet. Musicians are known to learn to play by simply practicing scales. And painters learn to paint more by reproducing masterpieces.

In essence, you do have to comprehend what to copy. Then secondly, you have to work out who to copy. Establish the authenticity and highlight if it aligns correctly with your actions.

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For those who copy, it’s easy enough; you simply copy your heroes— the people you love, the people you’re inspired by, and the people you want to be.

For what to copy, this can be trickier. Don’t just move on by ripping off the techniques; simply tap into the reasoning behind the technique. You don’t want to appear the same as your heroes. You want to observe like heroes. Here, as an artist, our intellect plays a crucial role and differentiates us from others. You have who to copy, then how are you to copy? You have to establish that. It can also come from your years of learning. Some tidbits have registered inside you and become your original ideas. Make it rain in your art.

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You do have to sponge your idols and their technique so that you might get a peek into their senses. That’s what you want— to analyze their way of glancing at the world. If you simply mimic the surface of somebody’s piece of art without understanding where they seem to come from, your work would merely be anything but a dull piece. Understanding can come through learning and critical analysis as an artist who has been learning.

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You don’t flatter me by imitating me.

You’ll have to move from imitating your heroes to emulating them at some point in life. Imitation is simply about finding who or what you wish to replicate and copying it. Emulation is when representation goes further, cutting through into your thing.

The phrase as a new move doesn’t exist. Most stars, celebrities, and great poets and writers copy their actions from someone they’d found worthy of copying.

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Our failures to become the perceived ideal ultimately define us and make us more unique.

One notable flaw about all of us is this; we cannot make perfect copies whatsoever. Our real failures to copy our heroes are where we discover where our own thing lives.

That is basically how we evolve.

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Our advice; copy who you wish to copy, especially your favorites, do examine where they fall short, what’s there that makes you a little different, and then you should amplify and transform that into your type of work. Your uniqueness is the ability to take something and own it. No one will know that you copied at first glance except you tell them. Copy here is not to copy verbatim but a source of inspiration to make a similar art in a non-similar way.

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Write your interest.

The basic goal here is simple, to write what you know. Do make sure you create art because you like the art. We are drawn to certain types of work because we are inspired by people doing things that work. All fiction, you do have to know for a fact, is fan fiction. It’s why most artists can make the best art by consuming other people’s art. When you are not getting inspiration from that, you are getting inspiration from real-life scenarios.

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For the best advice, do not write what you know; simply write what you like. Write the kind of story that piques your fancy— write stories you wish to read. Whenever you’re at a loss for what move to make up next, ask yourself, “How would I make the perfect story?”

The basic fact is this when we love a piece of work, we are desperate for more. We crave sequels. So, why not channel that desire into something much more productive?

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Think about your favorite piece of work and your creative heroes. Simply tell yourself what they miss.

What didn’t they make? What simply could have been made better? And if they were still alive, what would they be making today? This is why most literary fiction is themed by the concept that the author is most passionate about. It’s what they will love to read from others. They can deep dive into the plot and craft a stellar work.

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Further, if all your favorite creators come together, what would they make with you leading the crew?

Do make that stuff. The simple manifesto is this; draw the art you wish to see, start the business you want to run, play the music you wish to hear, and write the books you do want to read, simply build the products you desire to use— do all of the work you do want to see done. Don’t wait for anyone before you do it. Do it.

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Work with your hands more In this category, you need to learn how to move your body, especially your hands, when seeking to be creative. Work that only comes from the head isn’t any good. Watch a great musician play a show or watch a life coach give a speech then you’ll see what we mean.

You need to find some way to bring your body to work.

And that’s what’s great about creative work. If we go through the motions, taking our body into action, the motion immediately sends an overdrive to the brain, and we can start thinking.

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Don’t ever throw yourself away Now simply put if you have two or three real passions, do not feel like you have to pick and select between them. Never discard. Make sure to keep all the passions you do have in your life. Be easy with them and allow them to marinate.

Nurture them and watch what your passion will do for you in the long run. It’s your passion, and it never runs dry. It’s what you do easily.

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You must have a hobby. A hobby is simply something that you like or love to work on. You don’t try to make money or get famous off it; you simply do it because it makes you happy. A hobby is something that you do that gives but doesn’t take in any sort. A hobby can also be a talent that opens the door to the right places for you, and you must not take the hobby kindly because you feel they are just hobbies.

People have translated their hobbies to worldwide acclaim.

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So, in essence, don’t throw any of yourself away. Don’t worry about a grand scheme or unified vision for your piece of art.

Don’t worry about unity of any sort. The stuff that unifies your work is the fact that you made it. So, one day, you’ll look back at all of it, and this will all make sense. Life is a process, and nothing is achieved in a day. When the right time comes, you will get it.

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Obscurity is allowed The fact here is, seeking the attention you need after you’re done doing a good job. There is no pressure when you're unknown. You can simply do what you wish.

Make sure you experiment by doing things simply for the fun of it. When you’re unknown, nothing can discourage you from getting much better. No form of public image to manage and no form of disturbance.

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You’ll never get the freedom again once people begin to pay you attention, and more especially when they begin to pay you for your services. So, do enjoy your obscurity while it lasts. Today is not like tomorrow. There are always things you have to compromise today for tomorrow. That’s life for you, but remember, you can own life but studying it judiciously and learning so much from experience.

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There is no doubt that artists, whether self-taught or otherwise, are creative, sensitive, and emotional groups of people. Did you also know that there are particular traits that most creative persons share in common? Much of an artist’s overall success depends on the degree to which he or she develops these traits, according to some.

And you must know that an artist’s genius and failures are sometimes intertwined. An artist doesn’t allow failures to get their way; they keep on and increase productivity, driving forward fully motivated to the point they achieve some sort of vision.

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Seeking criticism and judging your ideas from such criticism is the ideal way to create and be the best crook in the game. No sort of emotions while you are an artist. Some reviews will get to you, and we are humans; regardless, emotions will get the best part of us, but it’s ideal for controlling oneself as an artist. This way, artists can take control of their creativity and won’t let certain circumstances get the best part of them.

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A Guide on How to Become an Inexhaustible Source of Ideas Having a creative life requires being brave and losing the fear of taking risks. It's about exploring the unknown, imagining amazing things, and thinking outside the box. To do this, you must have the courage to break barriers and reinvent yourself without worrying about making a fool of yourself or making mistakes. Because, in the end, you learn from everything that happened through the process. It will make up the bulk of your experience.

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Artists are world changers. Apart from making art for fun, artists are very powerful people, and art can represent a form of activism. With art, a lot of artists have been able to garner attention to fight injustice and bring awareness where necessary.

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Thanks to:

Kate Nwike

Olajide M. Ajayi (Editor) Illustrations:

Ronald Cabazas Photos:

Amado Claro

Highly creative and multi-talented Art Director armed with more than 25 years of success in the areas of graphic design, identity projects, branding, advertising, entertainment, signage and industrial design.

----The best way to have a good idea is to have a lot of them.

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