Estimated reading time: 2 minutes, 18 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: Creativity is subtraction
— From: Steal Like An Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative by Austin Kleon
In yesterday’s post we were talking about setting limits and constraints. Today we will continue along those lines, yet we will focus on creative work according to Austin Kleon’s concepts in his book Steal Like An Artist.
But first, let’s remember that we’re using the term creative in a broad sense, as described by Todd Henry (in this post) who says, “if you’re responsible for solving problems, developing strategies, or otherwise straining your brain for new ideas, I’m going to call you a creative.”
Under that light, we are all creatives and, as such, we may sometimes experience a creative block. “The way to get over a creative block,” Kleon says, “is to simply place some constraints on yourself. It seems contradictory, but when it comes to creative work, limitations mean freedom. […] Nothing is more paralyzing than the idea of limitless possibilities.”
Kleon points out that one way of doing this is simply choosing what to leave out and getting started. “Don’t make excuses for not working—make things with the time, space, and materials you have, right now.” You can start a business without capital, for example. “Shoot a movie with your iPhone and a few of your friends. Build a machine out of spare parts.”
This reminds me of the famous quote by Arthur Ashe: “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”
Kleon mentions that the right constraints can lead to your best work, and shares his favorite example: “Dr. Seuss wrote The Cat in the Hat with only 236 different words, so his editor bet him he couldn’t write a book with only 50 different words. Dr. Seuss came back and won the bet with Green Eggs and Ham, one of the bestselling children’s books of all time.”
“In the end,” Kleon sums up, “Creativity is subtraction. [… It] isn’t just the things we choose to put in, it’s the things we choose to leave out.” So, he advises, “Choose wisely. And have fun.”
ACTION
TODAY: Think about the limitations that you can set for a creative project in which you’re involved now. What will you choose to leave out?
FUTURE: As you come across new projects or ideas, think of the limits you can set by leaving things out. Sometimes the selection of what to leave out is as easy as the recognition of what is missing or what we are lacking: money, a cofounder, a team, a finished product, etc. When you get started, these constraints will point you in the direction of becoming leaner and more agile, and your mind will come up with very creative ideas to make things work.
Know someone who needs to subtract things from his/her creative endeavors? Please share this post via email, Facebook or Twitter!